Knight-Swift Explained

Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings Inc.
Type:Public
Industry:Motor transportation-trucking
Foundation:Knight Transportation:

Swift Transportation:

Knight & Swift Merger:
Location:Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
Products:Truckload shipping
Num Employees: (2023)
Subsid:Abilene
Footnotes:[1]

Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings Inc. (referred to as Knight-Swift) is a publicly traded, American motor carrier holding company based in Phoenix, Arizona. It is the fourth largest trucking company in the United States.[2] The company's primary subsidiaries are truckload carriers Knight Transportation, Swift Transportation, Midnite Express and, since July 2021, less than truckload (LTL) carrier AAA Cooper. In January 2022, the company expanded its LTL footprint with the acquisition of Midwest Motor Express. In July, 2023 Knight-Swift acquired truckload carrier US Xpress.

History

Knight Transportation was founded in 1990 by four cousins: brothers, Randy and Gary Knight and brothers Kevin and Keith Knight. The four cousins worked for Swift Transportation, also based in Phoenix, and Randy was even a part-owner in Swift when Jerry Moyes bought out his interest. The Moyes family and the Knight family both were raised in Plain City, Utah, before moving to Phoenix in the late 1960s.[3]

Knight began transporting general commodities from Phoenix, Arizona, to Los Angeles, California. Starting with just a handful of trucks and one service center in Phoenix, Arizona, the company now runs a fleet of over 4,000 trucks and more than 8,700 trailers (dry, refrigerated, and brokerage). Revenues have grown from over 13 million in 1991 to over $866 million in 2011, with operating ratios at or near 80% year after year. They have grown from a few associates to more than 4,000, and from a family-owned business to a publicly held company trading on the New York Stock Exchange (KNX) in 1994.

In 2017, Knight Transportation merged with Swift Transportation[4] and Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings Inc. was formed to serve as the parent company for both carriers.

In 2019, Knight-Swift settled a $100 million class-action lawsuit alleging the company failed to classify 20,000 owner-operator drivers as employees. Drivers were not paid the minimum hourly wage in accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act and had their rights violated under the forced labor statute. The lawsuit from March 11, 2009 is entitled Van Dusen, et al. v. Swift Transportation Co. of Arizona, LLC, et al..[5] [6] The deadline for claimants to file was December 14, 2019.[7]

Knight-Swift expanded from its core truckload market into less than truckload (LTL) freight in July 2021 when it acquired southeastern regional LTL firm AAA Cooper Transportation for .[8]

In July 2024, Knight-Swift acquired Dependable Highway Express, Inc., a LTL carrier out of Los Angeles.[9]

Business

Knight engages in the transportation of general commodities in the United States.[10] It provides asset-based dry van truckload and temperature controlled truckload carrier services primarily to short to medium lengths of haul. The company also offers non-asset-based brokerage services. As of 2022, the company operates 41 service centers (31 in the USA, 11 in Mexico), 5 secured yards in Canada, and Swift Truckload centers in housing dry vans, flatbed, refrigerated, and cross-border services.

Knight-Swift is ranked 66th in pay for drivers among major trucking companies.[11] In 2022, Knight-Swift announced plans for using autonomous vehicles in its trucking lines, through a partnership with Embark Technology.[12] [13]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: US SEC: Form 10-K Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings Inc. . February 24, 2022 . U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
  2. Web site: 2018-09-27 . It's Official and Knight-Swift is the Largest Trucking Company in the US . 2018-11-27 . careersingear.com.
  3. News: Harris . Craig . 30 October 2004 . Knight's Profits On a Roll – Valley-Based Trucking Firm Again Makes 'Forbes' List . Arizona Republic.
  4. News: 10 April 2017 . Truckers Swift and Knight Combine in a Deal Valued Over $5B . 10 April 2017.
  5. Web site: Miller . Eric . March 18, 2019 . Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings Settles Owner-Operator Lawsuit for $100 Million . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210226190607/https://www.ttnews.com/articles/knight-swift-transportation-holdings-settles-owner-operator-lawsuit-100-million . February 26, 2021 . Transport Topics.
  6. News: March 15, 2019 . Contractors Claim "Great Victory" In $100 Million Knight-Swift Settlement . . live . April 4, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190611230810/https://finance.yahoo.com/news/contractors-claim-great-victory-100-204923043.html . June 11, 2019.
  7. Web site: Getman, Sweeney & Dunn, PLLC . FAQs – Van Dusen v. Swift Transportation . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20201126181926/https://www.swiftmisclass.com/faqs/ . November 26, 2020 . April 4, 2021 . Case No. CV-10-899-PHX-JWS.
  8. News: Maiden . Todd . July 14, 2021 . Knight-Swift deal shows the value in owning an LTL . FreightWaves . Truckload Indexes . September 15, 2021.
  9. Web site: Barr . Greg . 31 July 2024 . Knight-Swift Transportation acquires Los Angeles trucking company . 2024-07-31 . Phoenix Business Journal.
  10. Web site: Staff . FreightWaves . 2019-01-24 . Knight-Swift's precision and transparency on display amidst financial success . 2023-02-10 . FreightWaves . en-US.
  11. Web site: Best Trucking Companies to Work For . TruckDriversSalary.com. 10 April 2015 .
  12. Web site: Adler . Alan . 2022-12-19 . Knight-Swift takes the wheel of Embark-equipped autonomous truck . 2023-02-10 . FreightWaves . en-US.
  13. News: Bellon . Tina . 2022-02-09 . Embark gives self-driving truck to carrier Knight-Swift in pilot program . en . Reuters . 2023-02-10.