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project44 recognizes 3,745 carriers across every mode and market as part of its annual Preferred Carrier Program
Sixth annual program identifies the top 1% of project44's global carrier network building the infrastructure for autonomous freight execution
CHICAGO, May 20, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- project44, the Decision Intelligence Platform for the modern supply chain, today announced its 2026 Preferred Carriers, recognizing 3,745 carriers across 52 countries for delivering exceptional performance for shippers, logistics service providers, and freight forwarders.
The Preferred Carrier Awards are particularly timely given the recent Supreme Court decision in Montgomery v. Caribe Transport, which confirmed that carrier selection decisions can carry real legal accountability. The need for objective, documented carrier credentials has never been clearer. Preferred Carrier status is exactly that: a data-backed signal built on observed performance, not self-reported claims or a one-time safety lookup.
Now in its sixth year, the Preferred Carrier Program identifies carriers in the top 1% of project44's network of 259,000+ active carriers. Selection is based on three objective, quantitative criteria applied consistently since the program launched in 2020: shipment volume, data availability, and data quality, measured by the consistency, accuracy, and timeliness of deliveries over the annual measurement period.
The 2026 class primarily recognizes asset carriers but also includes logistics service providers and freight forwarders. The 2026 Preferred Carriers Program reflects the geographic breadth of project44’s global freight network, recognizing carriers in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa. Carriers range from individual owner-operators to the world's largest freight enterprises across multiple modes.
This year’s class is the strongest in the program’s six-year history.
| Tier | Carriers |
| Platinum | 1,136 |
| Gold | 1,418 |
| Silver | 1,191 |
| Total | 3,745 |
“The carriers in this program have made a genuine operational commitment,” said Jett McCandless, Founder and CEO of project44. “They're not just sharing data, they're enabling the kind of autonomous execution that makes supply chains measurably more reliable and less expensive to operate. Rating and booking integrations, eBOL adoption, document management, ETA accuracy, and real-time visibility are the building blocks of a freight network that can act on its own, not just report on what happened. That's what we're recognizing, and that's what shippers should be demanding from every carrier they work with.”
Carriers setting the standard
Several carriers in the 2026 class stand out not just for the scale of their visibility contributions, but for the depth of their operational integration with the project44 platform.
In Ocean, Ocean Network Express (ONE) stands out for the depth of its booking integration with project44, enabling shippers to initiate and manage ocean bookings directly through the platform. Carriers like ONE and MSC raised the bar on what a connected ocean carrier relationship looks like, delivering the kind of end-to-end digital integration that gives shippers and LSPs confidence at every stage of the shipment.
Across Europe, Girteka Group and LKW Walter are among the carriers raising the bar on what a connected carrier relationship looks like in practice. Both are fully integrated with project44 via API for Full Truckload booking, enabling automated freight execution across European road networks at scale. Their integration represents the direction the industry is moving: carriers that don't just share visibility data, but connect deeply enough to support autonomous execution across the full shipment lifecycle.
For Full Truckload carriers in North America, Arka Express, Schneider, Roehl Transport, and Werner set the bar for data quality, with Arka delivering best-in-class 98% data availability. On the LTL side, FedEx Freight, R&L Carriers, Southeastern Freight Lines, SAIA Motor Freight, and Estes Express Lines earned Platinum or Gold recognition for sustained excellence, with several also adopting NMFTA-compliant electronic Bill of Lading through project44 to reduce manual documentation overhead.
In Asia, Full Truckload carriers Chongqing Changjiang Shipping (China), BLR Logistiks Ltd (India), Marukyo (Japan) and PT Ardya Prima Internusa (Indonesia) were recognized as project44 Preferred Carriers.
Rail carriers VTG Rail in Germany and Grupo México Transportes (Ferromex) in Mexico also received recognition.
The carriers setting the standard in 2026 are not just performing well on a scorecard. They are building the operational infrastructure that makes autonomous supply chain execution possible, and they are doing it across every major mode and market.
Why Preferred Carrier status matters
Preferred Carriers are shaping the future of logistics. As shippers and LSPs move toward agentic supply chain operations, the carriers already delivering consistent, high-quality data at scale are the ones positioned to support that shift. Preferred status signals to the shippers, LSPs, and freight forwarders using project44's Decision Intelligence Platform that a carrier is ready for what comes next, making them a stronger choice in sourcing and routing decisions. Preferred Carriers will also receive a badge indicating their status within project44’s iTMS to empower customers to select the highest quality carriers when building and optimizing their freight networks. Within project44’s Intelligent TMS, Preferred Carrier status surfaces alongside Carrier Assure Scores, on-time performance, and cost data, giving shippers and LSPs the full picture at the moment of carrier selection and a documented, auditable record of every booking decision.
For shippers and LSPs, the Preferred Carrier list is a vetted shortlist of carriers that have demonstrated exceptional data quality and performance across every major mode and market. Preferred Carrier status us a data-backed signal, not a self-reported credential.
What carriers are saying
“This recognition as a project44 Preferred Carrier validates Werner’s position as a tech-forward leader and partner in the logistics space, an honor shared by FirstFleet as part of our expanding company. By pairing rigorous safety standards with service excellence across our network, we provide the seamless data flow our customers depend on for a more transparent and reliable supply chain.” Rich Johnson, Vice President - Business Readiness, Werner Enterprises
“At Girteka, we operate across all European markets, which means cross-border visibility is not optional, it is fundamental to how we serve our customers. Being recognized as a project44 Preferred Carrier reflects our team's commitment to delivering consistent, high-quality data across every lane we operate. We are proud to partner with project44 to raise the standard for real-time visibility in European road freight.” Pavel Kveten, CEO, Girteka Logistics
“At PITT OHIO, technology is built to help customers operate with confidence. Our strategy centers on delivering reliable, real-time visibility and actionable intelligence through strong data standards, disciplined execution, and a highly engaged IT and operations team. We value the ability to partner with project44, but it is our people and performance behind the technology that ensure it delivers meaningful results, improving service levels, enabling faster decisions, and helping customers respond quickly to change.” Geoff Muessig, EVP and CMO, Pitt Ohio.
How carriers can join the network
Carriers looking to achieve Preferred status in a future program year can connect to the project44 network via project44.com for freight procurement and visibility. Carriers can access project44’s Decision Intelligence Platform to gain freight contracts via Intelligent TMS, gain fleet visibility, and resolve connectivity issues.
The full 2026 Preferred Carriers list is available at https://www.project44.com/carriers/preferred-carrier-program/
The network behind the program
The Preferred Carrier Program is built on the world’s largest, real-time logistics data graph and the most comprehensive carrier network in the world. With 259,000+ active carriers connected across every major freight market globally, the project44 network covers the full range of modes and geographies that modern shippers operate across. Tools like Connection Accelerator speed up carrier onboarding, while Connection Center gives shippers and LSPs the ability to expand and manage their carrier networks at scale. That breadth means when a new shipper or LSP joins the Decision Intelligence Platform, the carriers they work with are likely already connected, making onboarding faster and time-to-value shorter for everyone.
About project44
project44 is the Decision Intelligence Platform for the modern supply chain. Its context-based AI transforms fragmented logistics management into unified intelligence, bringing certainty to global supply chain operations. With intelligent transportation management, end to end visibility, yard management and last mile solutions, project44 connects over 1.5 billion shipments annually for over 1,000 leading brands in manufacturing, automotive, retail, life sciences, food and beverage, CPG, and oil, chemical and gas. Learn more at project44.com.
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