- Business
- Roadrunner Transportation Systems, Inc. (RRTS) operates as a provider of asset-right transportation and asset-light logistics services focused primarily on less-than-truckload (LTL) freight shipping throughout the United States and Canada; it offers domestic freight management solutions including asset-backed truckload brokerage, specialized and heavy-haul transportation, LTL shipment execution and carrier rate negotiations, access to its transportation management system, and freight audit and payment services; additional offerings encompass air and ground expedite services for automotive and industrial parts, paper products, steel, frozen and refrigerated foods such as dairy, poultry, meat, and consumer products including foods and beverages; truckload services through dry van, temperature-controlled options, logistics, and warehouse management via 30 TL service centers; LTL operations involving pickup, consolidation, linehaul, deconsolidation, and delivery through 27 LTL service centers and approximately 140 third-party delivery agents; and international air and ocean freight forwarding, customs brokerage, regulatory compliance, project and order management, and retail consolidation services delivered via a network of independent brokerage agents, direct sales force, company brokers, and commissioned sales representatives under the Roadrunner and Ascent Global Logistics brands. The company, founded in 2005 and headquartered in Downers Grove, Illinois, maintains an expansive nationwide network emphasizing long-haul metro-to-metro LTL routes with 32 service centers designed for cost-effective coverage in major markets, incorporating asset-right processes for reduced handling and damage-free delivery; it serves business customers across industries requiring reliable ground transportation in the cargo sector. Recent developments include the November 2024 acquisition of majority ownership by Prospero Staff Capital from Elliott Management, positioning Roadrunner for a growth phase with new capital, strategic investments, organic expansion, and opportunistic mergers and acquisitions following the unwinding of prior roll-up strategies into a pure-play LTL network; in 2025, the company launched the RFDS1000 Tariff, Weight-Based DIM Pricing, A2A Freight Forwarder Service, and Dynamic Volume Quote Model product suite on November 4, introduced an AI-powered pickup and delivery platform on October 2 to enhance reliability and driver efficiency, earned the number-two national ranking in Logistics Management's 2025 Quest for Quality Awards for dry van LTL on September 4, expanded its LTL network with over 100 new lanes adding 21,000 miles of coverage including a Kansas City hub in July, and opened an Atlanta terminal in 2024 via acquisition and refurbishment of a former YRC facility during the Yellow Corp. bankruptcy auction.