Key facts
- Founded 1994 · headquartered in Tampa, FL
- Subsidiary
- FMCSA broker authority: ACTIVE (MC-127840)
- Gross revenue: $0.03B (est.) per Transport Topics 2024
- Primary freight modes: Bulk/Tank
About Quality Carriers (tank broker)
Quality Carriers, Inc. is a bulk tank carrier and freight broker founded in 1994 and headquartered in Tampa, FL — the operating entity behind one of the largest tank truck networks in North America. Originally part of Quality Distribution Inc. (formerly NASDAQ:QLTY), the Quality Carriers business was sold to CSX Corporation in May 2021 and now operates as a CSX subsidiary. The company's brokerage unit focuses exclusively on bulk and liquid freight — chemical tankers, food-grade liquid bulk, petroleum products, and other materials that require specialized tank equipment, HazMat compliance, and driver certification. With an estimated $30 million in brokerage gross revenue, Quality Carriers' brokerage operation complements its larger owned tank carrier fleet.
As a CSX subsidiary, Quality Carriers' brokerage benefits from deep industry knowledge and carrier relationships built through its owned fleet operations. The company understands tank freight compliance requirements in a way that general brokers typically cannot replicate — including UN/DOT hazard classifications, tank cleaning certification, cargo interchange agreements, and driver HazMat endorsement verification. For shippers moving chemicals, solvents, food-grade liquids, or petroleum products, these compliance capabilities are not optional.
Shippers evaluating Quality Carriers' brokerage should understand that this is a highly specialized offering. It is not a full-service broker — dry van, LTL, intermodal, and other standard modes are not part of the brokerage offering. The company is best suited for chemical producers, refineries, food manufacturers, and industrial companies that need a knowledgeable partner for bulk liquid transportation, either as a standalone broker or as overflow capacity when Quality Carriers' owned fleet is at capacity.
Listing assembled from public records (FMCSA Li-Public, Transport Topics, company website). Are you Quality Carriers (tank broker)? Claim this profile →
Load Types Transport Topics Top 100
FMCSA & Licensing FMCSA Li-Public
Coverage
48 contiguous states with bulk/tank focus; strongest in chemical and petroleum corridors
Strongest Lanes
Pros & Cons
- Highly specialized in tank and liquid bulk freight — one of the deepest carrier networks in this mode
- HazMat compliance expertise built through decades of owned tank carrier operations
- Understanding of tank cleaning, certification, and cargo-specific requirements that general brokers lack
- CSX Corporation parent (since 2021 acquisition) provides financial stability and rail-network integration potential
- Gulf Coast and Southeast coverage aligned with chemical and petroleum manufacturing geography
- Exclusively tank/bulk — no dry van, LTL, reefer, intermodal, or other modes
- Estimated $30M brokerage gross revenue — small-scale brokerage relative to the total company
- Not suited for shippers with mixed freight programs needing a single multi-mode broker
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FAQ
Is Quality Carriers licensed and bonded as a freight broker?
Quality Carriers, Inc. holds FMCSA combined carrier/cargo tank/broker authority — MC-127840 / DOT 76600, Tampa, FL. A CSX Corporation subsidiary (acquired from Quality Distribution Inc. May 2021). Active BMC-84 ($75,000, Westchester Fire Insurance, eff. 04/01/2022); BMC-91X cargo insurance ($5,000).
What types of freight does Quality Carriers move?
Exclusively bulk and liquid freight — chemical tankers, food-grade liquid bulk, petroleum products, and other tank-equipment loads. Per TT Top 100, bulk/tank is the only primary mode; no dry van, LTL, reefer, intermodal, flatbed, parcel, or expedited.
How do Quality Carriers' rates compare to other freight brokers?
Margin data is not publicly disclosed. Tank and liquid bulk rates reflect equipment type, HazMat classification, tank cleaning, and certification costs — pricing differently from dry van. Compare against tank specialists, not generalists.