Earlier this week, Downers Grove, Ill.-based Roadrunner, a national less-than-truckload (LTL) services provider focused on long-haul metro-to-metro shipping, announced the launch of a new outbound service originating from two key Texas markets—San Antonio and Laredo—which it described as the “busiest shipping port in the U.S.”
Roadrunner Chief Operating Officer Tomas Jamroz said in a statement that opening these new outbound lanes reinforces the company’s confidence in its service capabilities and the growing demand for reliable LTL transportation.
“Our new and improved direct metro-to-metro LTL service works, and our customers have noticed,” he said.
In recent years, the company made a deliberate business decision to focus exclusively on LTL, enhancing its operations and linehaul networks by moving long-haul freight directly from metro-to-metro. This initiative has been “hugely successful,” Roadrunner said, citing the reduced rehandling of freight and a low exception rate related to loading and linehauling directly to service centers.
Chris Jamroz, Roadrunner’s Executive Chairman of the Board and CEO, told LM that the company, now focused as a long-haul LTL carrier, views the fast-growing U.S.-Mexico cross-border lanes—primarily via Laredo—not only as a massive long-term opportunity but also as one that aligns with the company’s core competencies.
“With the recent trend of near-shoring, and given that Laredo is the largest port in the U.S., Roadrunner strategically planned for a year before opening outbound service to its entire network of 40+ metros,” said Jamroz. “As our customers’ supply chains evolve, many of them will include more cross-border movements in and out of Mexico. We want to grow and evolve with our customers. LTL shippers in all industries—from manufacturing and industrial, to e-commerce, automotive, and retail—will now have access to Roadrunner’s entire network.”
When asked how Roadrunner previously served this area, Jamroz explained that the company didn’t have an established offering into or out of Mexico, as its focus had been primarily on intra-U.S. LTL freight.
“While we made some deliveries to San Antonio for domestic shippers, we had no presence in Laredo,” he said. “We wanted to ensure our service standards and network were up to par before rolling out access to our entire network. This year, we saw a significant leap in our rankings on the annual Mastio LTL survey, which demonstrates the strength of our Smart Network and the fact that our service levels are exceeding our customers’ expectations.”
As for the main competitive advantages of this new service from Roadrunner’s perspective, Jamroz pointed out that the most important advantage is that LTL freight now has immediate access to the company’s full network.
“There is huge demand from LTL shippers in this region, given that it’s the busiest shipping port in the U.S.,” he said. “Shippers can now access not only our long-haul network but also our Smart Guarantee program and our 1-2 Day Long-Haul Lanes via our Weekend+ Advantage offering. These lanes typically take 3-4 days for delivery, but by using team drivers who work over the weekend, we can deliver in as little as one business day. Essentially, the shipper is getting expedited transit at standard LTL rates, which is a huge benefit.”
