2025 Mastio LTL Carrier Rankings: Insights into Customer Value and Loyalty

Kelsea Ansfield
Oct 8
4 min read

At Gain Consulting, we specialize in navigating the intricacies of supply chain logistics, helping businesses optimize carrier selection and reduce costs in an ever-evolving market. The recently released 21st Edition of Mastio's U.S. LTL Carrier Customer Value & Loyalty Report for 2025 provides invaluable insights based on feedback from 1,630 shippers, yielding over 5,100 observations and 5,000 qualitative responses.

Conducted via telephone interviews from late June to late September 2025, this study evaluates 147 carriers, with 24 qualifying for detailed rankings based on a minimum of 30 ratings. Here's a deep dive into the key findings, regional breakdowns, and how these rankings can inform your LTL strategy.

Overview of the Mastio Report

Mastio's annual report delves into the factors driving shipper decisions in the Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) sector. It addresses critical questions such as what influences carrier choice, how value is perceived, competitive standings, customer retention risks, improvement opportunities, and effective marketing strategies. With over 35 years of experience, Mastio delivers unbiased data to help carriers and shippers refine their approaches, mitigate biases, and turn research into actionable outcomes.

The rankings are determined by an Overall Weighted Quality Score, focusing on Customer Value Weighted Performance (Benefit) Scores. Only carriers meeting the 30-rating threshold are included in the primary lists.

Overall Rankings and Quality Awards

Daylight Transport tops the overall list, followed by Averitt Express and Old Dominion. The full ranking of 24 carriers is as follows:

Rank	Carrier
1	Daylight Transport
2	Averitt Express
3	Old Dominion
4	Peninsula
5	Southeastern Freight Lines
6	Dayton Freight Lines
7	Pitt Ohio
8	A. Duie Pyle
9	Diamond Line
10	Ward Trucking
11	Estes
12	Oak Harbor Freightlines
13	R&L Carriers
14	XPO
15	ABF
16	North Park Transportation
17	Saia
18	AAA Cooper
19	Roadrunner
20	FedEx Freight
21	TForce Freight
22	CrossCountry Freight Solutions
23	Central Transport
24	Dohrn

In the Mastio Quality Awards, Daylight Transport is the overall winner, with several carriers exceeding the industry benchmark:

Overall Winner: Daylight Transport
Companies Exceeding Benchmark: A. Duie Pyle, Averitt Express, Daylight Transport, Dayton Freight Lines, Diamond Line, Estes, Oak Harbor Freightlines, Old Dominion, Peninsula, Pitt Ohio, R&L Carriers, Southeastern Freight Lines, Ward Trucking

Regional and Category Breakdowns

The report segments carriers by scope and region, highlighting top performers in each category.

National Carriers

Old Dominion leads nationally, with the following rankings:

Rank	Carrier
1	Old Dominion
2	Estes
3	R&L Carriers
4	XPO
5	ABF
6	Saia
7	FedEx Freight
8	TForce Freight

Overall Winner: Old Dominion
Companies Exceeding Benchmark: Estes, Old Dominion, R&L Carriers

Inter-Regional Carriers

Daylight Transport dominates this category:

Rank	Carrier
1	Daylight Transport
2	Averitt Express
3	Roadrunner
4	Central Transport

Overall Winner: Daylight Transport
Companies Exceeding Benchmark: Averitt Express, Daylight Transport

Northeast/Mid-Atlantic Carriers

Pitt Ohio takes the top spot:

Rank	Carrier
1	Pitt Ohio
2	A. Duie Pyle
3	Ward Trucking

Overall Winner: Pitt Ohio
Companies Exceeding Benchmark: A. Duie Pyle, Pitt Ohio

Great Lakes/Midwest Carriers

Dayton Freight Lines excels here:

Rank	Carrier
1	Dayton Freight Lines
2	Dohrn

Overall Winner: Dayton Freight Lines
Companies Exceeding Benchmark: Dayton Freight Lines

Southern Carriers

Southeastern Freight Lines leads:

Rank	Carrier
1	Southeastern Freight Lines
2	AAA Cooper

Overall Winner: Southeastern Freight Lines
Companies Exceeding Benchmark: Southeastern Freight Lines

Western Carriers

Peninsula is the frontrunner:

Rank	Carrier
1	Peninsula
2	Diamond Line
3	Oak Harbor Freightlines
4	North Park Transportation
5	CrossCountry Freight Solutions

Overall Winner: Peninsula
Companies Exceeding Benchmark: Diamond Line, Oak Harbor Freightlines, Peninsula

Implications for Shippers and the LTL Industry

These rankings reveal a competitive landscape where customer loyalty hinges on value perception, reliability, and service quality. Top performers like Daylight Transport and Old Dominion demonstrate strength in building lasting relationships, while lower-ranked carriers may need to focus on improvements to avoid customer churn. In a market influenced by economic shifts, tariffs, and supply chain disruptions, selecting the right LTL carrier can significantly impact costs and efficiency.

Shippers should consider regional strengths when optimizing routes—for instance, leveraging Pitt Ohio in the Northeast or Southeastern Freight Lines in the South. The qualitative insights from 5,000 responses highlight areas like pricing, on-time delivery, and customer service as key differentiators.

How Gain Consulting Can Help

At Gain Consulting, we use data like the Mastio report to guide your carrier decisions and enhance supply chain performance. Our services include:

Carrier Selection and Negotiation: Analyze rankings and your specific needs to negotiate better rates with top performers.
Performance Audits: Benchmark your current carriers against industry leaders to identify gaps and opportunities.
Cost Optimization: Leverage analytics to reduce LTL expenses while maintaining service quality.
Strategic Planning: Develop tailored strategies for regional and national freight, incorporating loyalty insights.

Looking Ahead: Leveraging Insights for Success

The 2025 Mastio report underscores the importance of customer-centric strategies in the LTL sector. As the industry adapts to ongoing challenges, partnering with high-performing carriers can drive competitive advantages. Contact Gain Consulting today to transform these insights into actionable plans for your business.

Source: Mastio & Company, "21st Edition U.S. LTL Carrier Customer Value & Loyalty Report," October 6, 2025.