LTL Shippers Demand Faster Responses and Proactive Service

LTL shippers increasingly want timely responses and proactive communication

Less-than-truckload shippers are placing greater value on fast customer service responses and proactive communication as freight demand begins to improve, according to Mastio & Company’s 2026 U.S. LTL Carrier Customer Value and Loyalty Report.

The annual study, now in its 22nd edition, surveyed 1,647 LTL shippers and logistics professionals about carrier performance. Mastio measures 28 service attributes that influence the quality of a shipper’s relationship with an LTL carrier.

The study found that the five most important concerns for shippers remained unchanged. However, several customer-service factors gained importance, including the ability to resolve problems quickly and to communicate with customers before issues become larger service failures.

“Having a resource — whether that’s your account executive and many times it’s your driver or if it’s dispatch or if it’s your customer service person — being able to resolve problems quickly has become more important,” the report’s discussion noted.

Proactive communication rose two positions in the rankings, moving to No. 19 among shipper concerns from No. 21. The change reflects the importance shippers place on receiving updates about delays, missed pickups, delivery issues and other disruptions without having to repeatedly contact the carrier.

That expectation affects drivers as well as dispatchers and customer-service teams. Drivers are often the first carrier representatives to see problems at a shipper’s dock, including freight that is not ready, inaccurate shipment information or loading conditions that may affect delivery. Clear communication between the driver, terminal personnel and the customer can help prevent those issues from becoming claims or missed service commitments.

Carrier rankings remain steady

Daylight Transport, Averitt Express and Old Dominion Freight Line remained the top three carriers in the report for the fourth consecutive year.

Old Dominion also continued to receive strong marks across individual service categories. In a related summary of the survey results, shippers selected the carrier as the top national LTL provider and ranked it No. 1 in 23 of the 28 evaluated attributes. Those categories included ease of doing business, trustworthiness, timely customer-service responses and consistent transit times.

The rankings indicate that service reliability and ease of working with a carrier remain central to shipper decisions. They also show that customer service is not limited to call-center performance. Transit consistency, billing, claims handling and the quality of day-to-day communication all contribute to how shippers evaluate a carrier.

FedEx Freight looks to improve service

FedEx Freight expects to improve its customer experience following its June 1 spinoff. The company has pointed to workforce expansion and investment in customer relationship technology as parts of that effort.

For shippers, those changes could affect how quickly they receive information and how effectively problems are handled. The Mastio findings suggest that the ability to provide timely answers will remain an important measure as carriers compete for LTL freight.

The issue is particularly relevant as conditions in truckload and LTL markets remain connected. When truckload capacity tightens or spot rates rise, some shippers divide larger loads into smaller shipments and move them through LTL networks. That can increase unexpected volume for LTL carriers, placing additional pressure on terminals, linehaul operations, pickup capacity and delivery schedules.

Broader freight conditions also are increasing the need for planning. Seasonal disruptions, changing demand patterns, regulatory events and higher operating costs can make service problems more difficult to manage. Higher diesel prices and constrained truckload capacity also may encourage some shippers to consider LTL or intermodal alternatives, depending on shipment size, timing and service requirements.

For drivers and motor carriers, the changing expectations make accurate information increasingly important. Correct weights, dimensions and freight classifications help carriers plan equipment and pricing. Accurate pickup and delivery details also reduce the risk of rework, billing disputes and delays at the dock.

Shippers are responding by monitoring carrier scorecards that track on-time performance, claims and billing accuracy. They also are reviewing freight data and matching service levels to the actual needs of each shipment rather than treating every load as a premium-service move.

Mastio’s findings show that carrier selection continues to depend on more than price. As freight patterns shift and networks absorb changing volumes, shippers want carriers that can provide dependable transit while responding quickly when conditions change. For the people moving that freight, timely communication from the road to dispatch and from dispatch to the customer will remain a key part of reliable LTL service.