Mastio Survey Ranked Top LTL Carriers for 2026
Shippers evaluated national and regional carriers on 28 service metrics to determine industry leaders.
Updated on Oct. 6, 2026 in Transportation
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The 2026 Mastio & Co survey named Old Dominion Freight Line and Daylight Transport as the top less-than-truckload (LTL) carriers in the U.S. market. The rankings are based on feedback from 1,647 shipper interviews conducted between June and September 2026.
Why it matters
These performance rankings provide operators with a benchmark for evaluating logistics partners based on critical metrics like transit times and damage rates. Understanding which carriers lead in service consistency and value allows businesses to better optimize their supply chain spend.
The report evaluated 155 carriers across 28 service metrics, with 24 firms earning enough ratings for inclusion. Old Dominion retained its top national spot for the 17th consecutive year, while Daylight Transport secured its third consecutive year of top overall honors.
The players
Old Dominion Freight Line
A national less-than-truckload carrier headquartered in Thomasville, North Carolina, known for long-term service consistency.
Daylight Transport
An inter-regional logistics provider based in Cypress, California, that secured top overall honors in the survey.
Estes
A Richmond, Virginia-based national freight carrier recognized for its value-driven service model.
XPO
A Greenwich, Connecticut-based logistics firm that showed the largest improvement in performance metrics among national carriers.
Mastio & Co
An industry research firm that conducts annual performance benchmarking for the transportation and logistics sector.
The details
The rankings were derived from over 5,300 evaluations provided during telephone interviews. Shippers rated carriers on operational factors including on-time delivery, damage prevention, and pricing competitiveness. While Old Dominion and Daylight Transport led, the survey highlighted Estes as the best value provider for the fifth straight year and identified XPO for significant year-over-year gains in performance scoring.
Timeline
June 2026: Mastio & Co began conducting shipper telephone interviews.
September 2026: The firm concluded the interview process.
October 6, 2026: The final survey results were officially released.
Market Landscape
The 2026 findings track with the established pattern of the Mastio & Co annual survey, which has served as a primary performance benchmark for the U.S. freight industry for years. The results highlight a persistent performance gap between legacy national leaders and emerging carriers vying for market share.
Operators should use these performance metrics to audit current LTL contracts and ensure service-level agreements align with industry benchmarks. Evaluate whether your current providers match the performance of top-ranked carriers or if a move to a higher-value alternative is warranted.
The takeaway
Reliable freight performance is a key driver of landed cost, and long-term winners in this survey demonstrate high-frequency consistency in on-time delivery. Review your recent freight invoices and claim rates against the performance categories cited in the 2026 report to audit your current partner efficacy.
Further reading
For more on industry benchmarks and operational logistics, visit the Transportation section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by FreightWaves.
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