Amazon Expands LTL Freight to All Businesses, Reshaping Trucking

Amazon has announced an expansion of its less-than-truckload (LTL) freight services, making these capabilities available to all businesses rather than restricting them to enterprise customers or internal use. This move represents a significant strategic shift in how the e-commerce giant is positioning itself within the broader logistics ecosystem, extending beyond last-mile delivery into the mid-haul and regional freight market. For supply chain professionals, this development signals Amazon's intention to compete directly with established LTL carriers like YRC Worldwide, XPO Logistics, and regional carriers that have traditionally dominated this segment. The expansion carries meaningful implications for transportation procurement and carrier relationships.

Shippers of all sizes now have access to Amazon's logistics infrastructure, which includes extensive ground networks, dock capacity, and routing optimization algorithms. This increases competitive pressure on traditional LTL carriers and may accelerate pricing pressure across the sector. Additionally, Amazon's entry into open-market LTL services could improve service reliability for small and mid-sized businesses that have historically struggled to secure consistent transportation capacity at competitive rates. Supply chain teams should evaluate Amazon's LTL offering as part of their carrier portfolio strategy.

Key considerations include rate competitiveness, service level guarantees, geographic coverage, and integration with existing transportation management systems. The move also underscores the ongoing consolidation of logistics functions within mega-carriers, where companies like Amazon, UPS, and FedEx continue to vertically integrate transportation services.