Old Dominion Earns Top National LTL Carrier for Quality Honor for 17th Consecutive Year
Old Dominion Freight Line (OD), a leading provider of less-than-truckload (LTL) freight transportation services, has once again received top recognition from shippers and logistics professionals for the quality of its service. The company has been named the #1 National LTL Carrier for Quality by Mastio & Company for the 17th consecutive year, extending a streak that has continued since 2010.
The latest recognition comes from Mastio & Company’s annual Customer Preference and Carrier Performance Study, an independent industry survey designed to measure how national LTL carriers perform across a broad range of attributes that are important to shippers. The study provides insight into how freight customers evaluate carriers based on service quality, reliability, business relationships and other factors that influence transportation decisions.
For Old Dominion, the 2026 results represent another strong endorsement from the customers and logistics professionals who depend on LTL transportation services to move freight efficiently and reliably. The company was ranked #1 in 24 evaluated categories, highlighting the breadth of its performance across multiple areas of the customer experience.
Among the areas in which OD received top rankings were carrier trustworthiness, ease of doing business, timely customer service and the ability to deliver shipments when promised. These factors are particularly important to shippers because dependable transportation performance can have a direct impact on inventory management, production schedules, customer satisfaction and overall supply chain efficiency.
One of the most significant aspects of the Mastio recognition is that the rankings are based on feedback from logistics professionals and freight shippers. Rather than relying solely on internal company assessments or operational measurements, the study provides a customer-driven perspective on how national LTL carriers perform.
The 2026 Mastio study surveyed 1,647 logistics professionals, creating a broad sample of industry participants whose businesses rely on freight transportation. Their feedback was used to evaluate national LTL carriers on performance, quality and value.
This customer-focused methodology makes the recognition particularly meaningful for Old Dominion. The company has emphasized that its transportation services are intended to extend beyond the physical movement of freight. OD views its relationship with shippers as a business partnership in which dependable service and communication are essential components of the customer experience.
Marty Freeman, President and CEO of OD, said the award carries particular significance because it is determined by shippers themselves. He noted that customers depend on the company for more than simply transporting their freight and described OD as an extension of its customers’ brands and a true business partner.
The continued recognition suggests that this approach has resonated with the company’s customer base. Being selected as the leading national LTL carrier for quality year after year indicates a sustained level of customer confidence rather than a one-time performance achievement.
Old Dominion’s latest recognition extends a quality ranking that began in 2010. The company has remained #1 in Mastio’s Quality rankings since 2010, making the 2026 result the 17th consecutive year in which OD has received the top position.
Maintaining a leading position for nearly two decades is notable in an industry where customer expectations, freight volumes, technology and supply chain requirements continue to change. LTL carriers serve a wide variety of businesses and are responsible for transporting shipments that may not require a full truckload. This makes reliability, flexibility and consistent service important considerations for customers.
Over the years, shippers have increasingly placed emphasis on visibility, communication, delivery reliability and the ability of transportation providers to respond to changing business needs. The Mastio results indicate that OD has continued to perform strongly against these expectations.
The company’s recognition across 24 individual categories in the latest study also demonstrates that its performance extends across multiple aspects of the customer relationship. Trustworthiness and ease of doing business, for example, reflect the broader relationship between a carrier and its customers, while timely customer service and on-time shipment delivery focus more directly on day-to-day transportation execution.
According to OD, customer service remains a central element of its business strategy. Freeman said the latest recognition is an honor for the entire OD Family and emphasized that customer feedback helps shape the company’s strategic priorities.
He explained that the company’s approach encompasses both strategic investments and organizational culture, with those elements built around serving customers. Freeman also expressed pride that OD employees are being recognized for going above and beyond customer expectations.
This focus on employees is significant because the customer experience in freight transportation depends on a wide range of people and operational functions. From drivers and dockworkers to customer service teams, operations personnel and management, each part of the organization can influence how a shipment is handled and how a customer interacts with the carrier.
For shippers, a carrier’s ability to provide dependable service is not limited to whether a shipment arrives at its destination. Communication, responsiveness and the ease of managing transportation activities can also affect a customer’s overall assessment of a carrier. OD’s performance in multiple Mastio categories indicates that customers are evaluating the company favorably across these different touchpoints.
Kevin Huntsman, President of Mastio & Company, said the organization was pleased to recognize Old Dominion as the 1 National LTL Carrier for Quality in the 2026 Mastio Customer Preference and Carrier Performance Study.
Huntsman emphasized that the recognition reflects evaluations of carrier performance across important carrier attributes. He also highlighted the significance of OD maintaining a high level of performance over time, particularly because the feedback comes directly from professionals who depend on LTL carriers to support their businesses.
The annual study provides a way for transportation customers to compare carriers based on attributes that matter in practical business situations. For companies shipping freight through national LTL networks, carrier selection can influence delivery performance and the efficiency of their broader supply chains.
The study’s findings therefore offer an important perspective on the competitive LTL market. A carrier that consistently performs well in customer evaluations can demonstrate that its service model continues to meet the expectations of the businesses it serves.
Shipment reliability is especially important for businesses operating complex supply chains. Freight delays can affect manufacturing operations, warehouse planning, inventory availability and downstream deliveries. For this reason, the ability to deliver shipments when promised remains one of the key factors shippers consider when evaluating transportation providers.
ranking in the category related to shipments being delivered when promised reinforces the company’s reputation for dependable service. Combined with its recognition for timely customer service, the results point to both operational reliability and responsiveness as areas in which customers see strong performance.
Trustworthiness is another important consideration. Freight carriers handle goods that can be critical to a customer’s operations, making confidence between shippers and transportation providers an essential part of the business relationship. OD’s top ranking in carrier trustworthiness indicates that customers continue to place a high degree of confidence in the company.
The 2026 study’s recognition of Old Dominion in 24 evaluated categories adds further weight to the overall #1 Quality ranking. Instead of being based on a single measure, the result reflects customer assessments across a broad range of attributes.
The categories highlighted in the study include carrier trustworthiness, ease of doing business, timely customer service and shipments delivered when promised. Together, these areas cover several of the most important elements of the shipper-carrier relationship.
For OD, the broad nature of the recognition reinforces its strategy of focusing on the complete customer experience. Transportation customers increasingly expect carriers to provide reliable freight movement while also making the process straightforward and responsive.
The company’s repeated success in the Mastio rankings suggests that this customer-focused approach has remained consistent despite changes in the transportation industry.
Old Dominion’s 17th consecutive #1 National LTL Carrier for Quality recognition provides another indication of the company’s long-standing position in the national LTL market. The award also gives the company an opportunity to reinforce its focus on customer service, operational consistency and employee performance.
Freeman said the recognition is meaningful because customer feedback influences how OD approaches its strategy. The company’s investments and culture are designed around serving customers, while its employees play a key role in delivering that strategy in everyday operations.
As shippers continue to navigate evolving supply chain requirements, dependable LTL transportation remains an important component of business operations. Customers need carriers that can provide consistent service, communicate effectively and deliver freight according to expectations.
For the 17th consecutive year, Mastio & Company’s research has placed Old Dominion at the top of the national LTL carrier quality rankings. The 2026 study, based on feedback from 1,647 logistics professionals, also recognized OD as #1 across 24 evaluated categories.
The latest result extends a recognition that has continued since 2010 and underscores the company’s long-term emphasis on customer relationships. For Old Dominion, the recognition represents not only an industry accolade but also customer validation of the company’s approach to freight transportation, service and business partnership.
About Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc.
Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc. is one of the largest North American LTL motor carriers and provides regional, inter-regional and national LTL services through a single integrated, union-free organization. Our service offerings, which include expedited transportation, are provided through an expansive network of service centers located throughout the continental United States. The Company also maintains strategic alliances with other carriers to provide LTL services throughout North America. In addition to its core LTL services, the Company offers a range of value-added services including container drayage, truckload brokerage, and supply chain consulting.
About Mastio & Company
MASTIO, celebrating 37 years in business, specializes in providing an independent third-party perspective for clients who want to truly assess their corporate image, discover their perceived level of customer value, find new customers, understand the strengths and weaknesses of the competition, and supplement their market intelligence. Our strength is in helping clients re-think established norms, eliminate internal biases, collect and analyze data, and transform market research into actions that achieve superior business results.