Procurement Market Intelligence Report
Refrigerated Trucking Services
Sourcing Guide & Market Intelligence
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Refrigerated Trucking Services Global Overview
Definition
Summary
Suppliers provide temperature-controlled trucking services, including truckload (TL) and less-than-truckload (LTL) chilled and frozen transportation. Suppliers in this market, which includes short-haul and long-haul trucking companies, are also called carriers, and buyers are also called shippers. Typical buyers in this market include agricultural producers, pharmaceutical manufacturers and retailers, cosmetics manufacturers and retailers, and food and beverage manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers.
This Report Includes:
- Refrigerated Trucking Services
- Refrigerated Trucking Support
Not in this Report:
- Moving Services
- Non-Refrigerated Trucking Services
Global Refrigerated Trucking Services Procurement Trends
Discover the top international trends affecting procurement in the global Refrigerated Trucking Services market.
Warning Trends
Increased tariffs on copper imports take effect
- On August 1, the Trump administration implemented 50.0% tariffs on imported copper. Chile and Canada will be most impacted by these tariffs, as they account for a combined 87.0% of all copper imports in the United States.
- However, these tariffs are less sweeping than initially expected, only applying to semi-finished copper products, while excluding high-purity refined copper and copper input materials, such as ore and concentrate. As leading importers, such as Chile and Canada, have both high copper mining and refining capacities, they will likely avoid most of these tariffs by either exporting the copper in its unrefined form or refining the copper before exporting it to the United States
- These copper tariff exemptions limit the impact on the electronics and electrical equipment sectors because these applications require refined copper due to its optimal conductive properties.
- Thus, the prices of metal alloys that include copper, consumer products made from copper, tools, plumbing, corrosion-resistant alloys, and construction materials made from copper are forecast to rise by an average of 39.2%, according to the Yale Budget Lab.
Neutral
Crude oil prices dip, but natural gas and fuel prices remain volatile in 2025
- Oil prices have been falling with the introduction of higher tariffs and the predicted decline in global demand. The OPEC+ group of countries also announced they would be unwinding production cuts and increasing their collective output target for May by 411,000 barrels per day.
- Trade wars, ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel, and general unrest in the Middle East are causing uncertainty surrounding oil prices, which has led to volatility in prices. In the third week of May 2025, crude oil prices hit $63.67 per barrel, but volatility remains as geopolitical concerns remain.
- Natural gas prices rallied early in 2025 with colder-than-usual temperatures in the United States and high demand, topping out at $4.68/MMBtu in March. Prices have since fallen with the onset of trade wars and weakening demand projections to $3.64/MMBtu in the third week of May 2025.
- The national average of gasoline prices has been rising slightly due to refinery maintenance/outages and blending issues, hitting a national average of $3.15 per gallon in the third week of May 2025. However, gasoline futures have been volatile, falling due to fears of oversupply and deepening concerns about weakening demand with tariffs, but rising after trade deals.
Global Refrigerated Trucking Services Market - Suppliers by Region
| Country/Region | Number of Suppliers |
|---|---|
| #1 India | 18,850 |
| #2 Oceania & Southeast Asia | 13,170 |
| #3 Africa & Middle East | 8,955 |
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2
Geography Drilldown - US
Average Cost of Refrigerated Trucking Services
United States
2026 Market Pricing$2.20 to $X.XX
per mileAverage Price
Prices in the Refrigerated Trucking Services market range from $2.20 to $X.XX, depending on Fuel Surcharge, Route, Truck Size and Storage Temperature Capability. For example, lower prices are associated with Low fuel surcharge ($1.20 to $3.32 per mile), whereas higher prices are associated with High fuel surcharge ($3.32 to $5.25 per mile).
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Refrigerated Trucking Services Category Price Trends
Pricing trends are indicated by the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) during a set period of time. For the Refrigerated Trucking Services market, prices in the US have grown 3.6% from 2022 to 2025. Subscribers can access price trend forecasts, price driver projections and forward-looking cost structure data. Learn more
United States (2022-2025)
United States (2025-2028)
Compound Annual Growth Rate
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Price trend forecasts are available to subscribers, along with price driver projections and forward-looking cost structure data.
Cost Analysis - Total Cost of Ownership for Refrigerated Trucking Services
Total cost of ownership is High in the Refrigerated Trucking Services market. The average cost of ownership differs depending on the contract but generally includes costs negotiated before the contract begins, costs billed during the contract period and unforeseen costs. For example, unforeseen costs in the form of Cancellations may raise the total cost of ownership unexpectedly.
Negotiated Before
Other Fees
Billed During
Upgrades
Unforeseen
Cancellations
Buyer Power in Procurement Negotiations
In 2026, buyer power amounts to -1.8 in the United States. Buyer power is most positively impacted by Recent Developments. It is most negatively impacted by Market Share Concentration. Subscribers can access details on eight other factors that impact buyer power. Learn more
United States
Buyer power forecasts: your glimpse into the future
Develop strategies for the upcoming year and identify unforeseen opportunities for buying now
- Actionable "Buy Now" and "Buy Later" insights
- Near-real-time updates to current and forecast Buyer Power Scores
- Methodology and weightings for Buyer Power Score Components
Supply Chain Risk
The average level of supply chain risk is assessed as Medium, which has a negative impact on buyer power. The level of supply chain risk is affected by industry volatility, barriers to entry, competition, import penetration, regulation and industry financial risk. Buyers in this market can mitigate procurement and supply chain management risks by monitoring risk levels for individual first and second tier suppliers:
1st
Tier Suppliers
- Gasoline & Petroleum Wholesalers
- Truck & Bus Manufacturers
- Tire Wholesalers
2nd
Tier Suppliers
- Gasoline & Petroleum Bulk Stations
- Auto Parts Manufacturers
- Tire Manufacturers
Biggest Refrigerated Trucking Services Suppliers in the US by Revenue
The largest Refrigerated Trucking Services vendors by revenue in the US are C.R. England, Inc., Prime Inc. and KLLM Transport Services Inc. Subscribers can sort and filter by market share concentration, profit level and other factors. Learn more
| Supplier | Operational Size | Headquarters | Number of Employees | Market Share (%) | Market Share Performance (3yr trend) | Total Revenue ($ million) | Profit Level (%) | Risk Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C.R. England, Inc. | National | Salt Lake City, UT | 1,001-10,000 | 5-10 | ||||
| Prime Inc. | National | Springfield, MO | 1,001-10,000 | 5-10 | ||||
| FedEx Corporation | International | MEMPHIS, TN | >10,000 | < 5 | ||||
| Xpo Logistics, Inc. | Global | GREENWICH | >10,000 | < 5 | ||||
| Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings Inc. | International | PHOENIX | >10,000 | < 5 | ||||
| Landstar System Inc. | Global | JACKSONVILLE | 1,001-10,000 | < 5 | ||||
| Arcbest Corporation | National | Fort Smith, AR | >10,000 | < 5 | ||||
| KLLM Transport Services Inc. | National | Richland, MS | 1,001-10,000 | < 5 | ||||
| Stevens Transport | International | Dallas, TX | 1,001-10,000 | < 5 | ||||
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Profit Analysis
The average profit margin across vendors in the Refrigerated Trucking Services market is 5.5% and steady. Profit levels shift depending on suppliers' spend on wages, purchases and overhead. The highest cost component for vendors is Purchases. The cost trend for this component is stagnating, when considering movement between 2025 and 2026. To understand cost forecasts for 2027 and uncover the implications on profit, start your subscription. Learn more
Vendor & Supply Chain Analysis
Vendor risk has been moderate and increasing as rising input costs have been putting strain on smaller suppliers profit margins in the previous three years.
Low market share concentration in this market encourages vendors to compete on price to maintain market share.
There is a moderate level of supply chain risk in the market, as shortages of metal products, semiconductors and electronic components in the previous three years has been making it increasingly difficult for maintenance and other repairs to be completed on time.
The United States is a net exporter of trailers and semi-trailers, indicating that domestic suppliers may have a greater ability to meet demands.
Supplier Information
C.R. England, Inc.
C.R. England, Inc. is a private company operating nationally. The company's offerings include refrigerated trucking services and drayage services. Founded in 1920, the company is currently headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America with an estimated 5500 employees. Subscribe to learn more
Prime Inc.
Prime Inc. is a private company operating nationally. The company's offerings include refrigerated trucking services and bulk food-grade transportation services. Founded in 1970, the company is currently headquartered in Springfield, Missouri, United States of America with an estimated 5500 employees. Subscribe to learn more
Arcbest Corporation
Arcbest Corporation is a public company operating nationally in the other services (except public administration) sector. The company's offerings include refrigerated trucking services, local freight trucking services, national trucking services, petroleum & chemical trucking services, truck maintenance &... Subscribe to learn more
FedEx Corporation
FedEx Corporation is a public company operating internationally in the manufacturing, manufacturing, professional, scientific and technical services and administration, business support and waste management services sectors. The company's offerings include business card printing, banners, letter & parcel Subscribe to learn more
KLLM Transport Services Inc.
KLLM Transport Services Inc. is a private company operating nationally. The company's offerings include refrigerated trucking services and bulk food-grade transportation services. Founded in 1963, the company is currently headquartered in Richland, Mississippi, United States of America with an estimated 5500... Subscribe to learn more
Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings Inc.
Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings Inc. is a truckload carrier and transportation solutions provider. It offers multiple truckload transportation, intermodal, and logistics services. It operates a nationwide network of business units and terminals in the US and Mexico. It also contracts with third-party... Subscribe to learn more
Landstar System Inc.
Landstar System, Inc. is a transportation management solutions provider in the US, Canada, and Mexico. It offers truckload, less-than-truckload, and other truck transportation, rail intermodal, air cargo, ocean cargo, expedited ground and air delivery of time-critical freight, heavy-haul/specialized, US-Canada... Subscribe to learn more
Marten Transport Ltd
Marten Transport, Ltd. is a transportation company that specializes in time- and temperature-sensitive and dry truck-based transportation and distribution. It provides regional short-, medium-, and long-haul, full-load transportation services for food and other consumer packaged goods using temperature-controlled... Subscribe to learn more
Stevens Transport
Stevens Transport is a private company operating internationally. The company's offerings include refrigerated trucking services and bulk food-grade transportation services. Founded in 1979, the company is currently headquartered in Dallas, Texas, United States of America with an estimated 5500 employees.... Subscribe to learn more
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Procurement Management KPIs for the Refrigerated Trucking Services Market
Managing vendor performance throughout the contract period is easier when tracking specific key performance indicators (KPIs). For example, buyers should monitor Employee Training Rate and Net Promoter Score (NPS). Buyers may experience better performance throughout their contracts if they establish service level agreements (SLAs) based on Pricing and other factors.
| KPI | Level of Importance (1-5) | Measurements | Key Considerations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employee Training Rate |
|
Number of employees that undergo evaluation Number of employees that pass evaluation |
The employee training rate represents the share of employees a company is able to successfully train. Buyers shipping high-value goods should place greater importance on this metric, as they will have a greater need for training and proper handling of these goods to minimize damages losses. |
| Net Promoter Score (NPS) |
|
Number of promoters Number of detractors Number of passives |
The NPS determines how likely a customer is to recommend a vendor to another customer. Customers are classified as promoters, passives and detractors through surveys that ask them to rate how likely they would be to recommend the vendor to another customer on a scale of 1-10. The NPS allows buyers to directly compare a numerical value between vendors to determine which vendors are looked on more favorably by their customer base. |
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Questions to Ask During Procurement Negotiations
How can I gain leverage during negotiations?
Logistics
Do you partner with other network security equipment suppliers to ensure timely and cost-effective delivery? If so, whom do you partner with and how long have you been working together?
Could you provide a list of your distribution facility locations domestically and internationally?
Competition
How do you stay competitive in the market?
How do your R&D expenses compare to those of your competitors?
Service & Maintenance
What percentage of your revenue over the past three years was dedicated to depreciation? How has that changed? Why?
How have fluctuations in the price of inputs affected the price of your product over the past three years?
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Refrigerated Trucking Services RFP Guidelines
What should my RFP include?
Organizational Overview
Buyers should describe the size of their organization, their location(s) and provide some information about their operations.
Buyers should include information about their organization type, such as if they are a school, office building or government building.
Statement Of Need
Buyers should include as much information as possible about the security features required. This includes information such as firewalls, virus protection, malware protection, intrusion monitoring, VPN features and all other capabilities.
Buyers should include as much information as possible about the functionality of the network security equipment. Relevant information would be an estimate of the number of units required, a list of suitable manufacturers or brands and if installation is needed as well.
Project Budget
Buyers should include as much information about the protection required as possible. If buyers require specific types of network security equipment, this should be specified here.
Buyers should include information about the payment schedule (i.e. if it is incremental or done at the completion of the project).
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Our Reports include:
- Opportunity assessment
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- Positive and warning trends
- Buyer power levers
- Price environment and market pricing
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- Cost structure benchmarks and analysis
- Supply chain and vendors
- Global supplier breakdown
- Market share concentration
- Regulation and business requirements
- Vendor management and KPIs
- Sourcing strategy guidance
