Key facts
- Founded 1997 · headquartered in Cincinnati, OH
- Privately held
- 110,000+ carriers · 3.6M+/yr shipments per year
- FMCSA broker authority: ACTIVE (MC-322572)
- #3 on the Transport Topics Top 100 (2024)
- Gross revenue: $6.82B per Transport Topics 2024
About Total Quality Logistics (TQL)
Total Quality Logistics (TQL) is the third-largest freight broker in North America, founded in 1997 in Cincinnati, Ohio by Ken Oaks. The company has grown from a small startup to over 9,000 employees and 110,000+ carrier relationships, moving approximately 3.6 million loads per year. TQL remains privately owned — about 99% by Oaks — and has built a reputation for aggressive sales culture and broad FTL coverage across dry van, reefer, flatbed, and intermodal.
TQL's primary strength is domestic truckload freight, where its 110,000-carrier network and 24/7 operations allow it to cover nearly any lane in the contiguous 48 states. The broker has expanded into LTL, ocean, air, and international services including Mexico cross-border through its FMC-licensed NVOCC status. Its TQL TRAX platform provides shippers with real-time visibility and a self-service quoting portal.
Shippers working with TQL typically deal with a dedicated account rep and benefit from TQL's deep spot market coverage, particularly in truckload and reefer. The broker's model prioritizes load volume over technology-first automation, making it a stronger fit for shippers who want a relationship-based broker with broad lane coverage than those seeking a fully digital freight marketplace.
Listing assembled from public records (FMCSA Li-Public, Transport Topics, company website). Are you Total Quality Logistics (TQL)? Claim this profile →
Load Types Transport Topics Top 100
FMCSA & Licensing FMCSA Li-Public
Coverage
All 48 contiguous states · Canada · Mexico · Ocean (NVOCC)
Strongest Lanes
Pros & Cons
- One of the largest carrier networks in North America — strong lane coverage in all 48 states
- Dedicated account reps available 24/7 for truckload and reefer needs
- Strong produce and temperature-controlled expertise, especially Southeast and Midwest lanes
- FMC-licensed NVOCC for ocean freight — one-stop shop for domestic and international
- Intermodal and flatbed coverage through same account team
- Higher spot rates than digital-first or smaller brokers — margins reflect large overhead
- Service quality is rep-dependent — experiences vary widely across the sales organization
- Aggressive outbound sales tactics reported by shippers; do-not-call requests sometimes ignored
- Less competitive on LTL compared to LTL-specialist brokers
- Limited TMS-level automation — more relationship-driven than API-first
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FAQ
Is TQL licensed and bonded?
Per FMCSA public records, Total Quality Logistics holds active broker authority (MC-322572 / USDOT 2223295) with a $75,000 BMC-84 surety bond on file. Always confirm current status at li-public.fmcsa.dot.gov before tendering a load.
What types of freight does TQL move?
Per Transport Topics' Top 100 report, TQL primarily brokers dry van TL, refrigerated/reefer, flatbed, and intermodal. LTL, air freight, and ocean (NVOCC) are also active. Cross-border Mexico and Canada service is available. Reefer and produce are core specialties.
How do TQL's rates compare to other freight brokers?
TQL is a full-service broker with a large overhead and tends to price at or above mid-market on spot freight. Its 20.1% net margin (per Transport Topics 2024) is in line with large traditional brokers. Use ShipperGuide to compare TQL rates against 50+ brokers instantly, for free.