New report tracks the U.S. 3PL market at $323.4 billion in 2025 — up 5.0% gross and 5.1% net — with International Transportation Management leading all segments, the freight recession officially ending, and a structural rotation toward carrier-compliance technology reshaping the Domestic Transportation Management segment.
Brookfield, WI, June 8, 2026, Armstrong & Associates, Inc. (A&A), an internationally recognized leader in Third-Party Logistics (3PL) market research, consulting, and M&A advisory services, today released Reshaping: Third-Party Logistics in a Decade of Structural Change, A&A’s comprehensive annual analysis of the U.S. and global 3PL markets, including updated Top 50 U.S.-Based 3PLs and Top 50 Global 3PLs rankings for 2026.
According to A&A, U.S. 3PL net revenues grew 5.1% to $138.2 billion in 2025, a meaningful acceleration from 2024’s 1.8% increase. Gross revenues grew 5.0% to $323.4 billion — up sharply from 2.8% growth in 2024 — confirming that the freight recession that began in late 2022 is coming to an end. A&A projects continued growth across all four segments through 2026 and 2027.
The Reshaping of the U.S. 3PL Market
The 2025 market was defined by an unusually complex set of forces — and the report’s title reflects how structurally the segment is being remade:
- Tariff policy whiplash: The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision striking down the IEEPA-based tariff regime stabilized the global tariff rate at approximately 11%, providing more predictability for importers after a year of frontloading and inventory volatility.
- End of the freight recession: Throughout 2024 and 2025, operating authority revocations exceeded new entries among for-hire motor carriers. Stricter FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse monitoring and tighter CDL screening have permanently constrained capacity re-entry, making this cycle structurally different from past freight rate recoveries.
- A new compliance technology stack reshapes DTM: High-profile cargo-theft and double-brokering cases have driven freight brokers to adopt new categories of technology — Carrier Compliance and Onboarding Platforms, Predictive Performance / Fraud Screening, Visibility / Exception Management with Compliance Signals, and TMS systems integrating compliance data — that are reshaping the Domestic Transportation Management segment.
- Warehousing rebalances and demand for big-box facilities surges: Vacancy rates are stabilizing and rent growth is slowing, but demand for facilities exceeding 500,000 square feet is surging — fueled by e-commerce 3PLs, manufacturers, and increasingly, data center tenants vying for the same industrial land.
- Flatbed Truckload is the tightest mode, driven by AI data center construction and infrastructure spending.
2025 U.S. 3PL Market Growth by Segment
| Segment | 2025 Gross Revenue ($B) | Gross YoY % | 2025 Net Revenue ($B) | Net YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| International Transportation Management (ITM) | $85.9 | +7.7% | $30.4 | +11.0% |
| Domestic Transportation Management (DTM) | $128.3 | +4.5% | $19.6 | +3.0% |
| Value-Added Warehousing & Distribution (VAWD) | $72.7 | +4.4% | $56.1 | +4.4% |
| Dedicated Contract Carriage (DCC) | $32.0 | +1.6% | $32.0 | +2.5% |
| Total U.S. 3PL Market | $323.4 | +5.0% | $138.2 | +5.1% |
ITM was 2025’s fastest-growing 3PL segment, with net revenue growth of 11.0% to $30.4 billion driving a 35.4% gross profit margin. Within ITM, the divergence between top forwarders was stark: Expeditors grew 4.4% in gross revenue to $11.1 billion and 7.4% in net revenue to $3.7 billion, while C.H. Robinson’s Global Forwarding gross revenue dropped 18.8% to $3.1 billion and net revenue fell 7.6% to $741.9 million — a textbook example of how individual freight forwarders’ books are being reshaped by tariff exposure, customer mix, and lane decisions.
A&A’s Top 10 U.S.-Based 3PLs – 2026
Ranked by 2025 Gross Logistics Revenue/Turnover.
| Rank | 3PL | Gross Revenue ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amazon.com** | $172,162 |
| 2 | C.H. Robinson | $14,768 |
| 3 | GXO Logistics | $13,178 |
| 4 | J.B. Hunt Transport Services | $11,284 |
| 5 | Expeditors | $11,069 |
| 6 | UPS Supply Chain Solutions | $8,771 |
| 7 | Kuehne + Nagel (North America) | $8,447 |
| 8 | Ryder Supply Chain Solutions | $7,802 |
| 9 | Total Quality Logistics | $7,433 |
| 10 | DSV (North America) | $7,250 |
**Amazon’s reported revenue is from its Third-Party Seller Services segment; A&A estimates the majority is from 3PL services.
A&A’s Top 10 Global 3PLs – 2026
Ranked by 2025 Gross Logistics Revenue/Turnover.
| Rank | 3PL | Gross Revenue ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amazon** | $172,162 |
| 2 | DSV | $37,379 |
| 3 | DHL Supply Chain & Global Forwarding | $35,538 |
| 4 | Kuehne + Nagel | $33,836 |
| 5 | CEVA Logistics | $18,300 |
| 6 | NIPPON EXPRESS | $17,199 |
| 7 | Maersk Logistics | $15,103 |
| 8 | C.H. Robinson | $14,768 |
| 9 | Sinotrans | $13,580 |
| 10 | GXO Logistics | $13,178 |
Summary of Key Findings in the Report
- The U.S. 3PL market reached $323.4 billion in gross revenue (turnover) and $138.2 billion in net revenue in 2025, up 5.0% and 5.1% YoY respectively;
- International Transportation Management (ITM) was the fastest-growing segment at +7.7% gross / +11.0% net, reflecting importer frontloading and shifting tariff dynamics;
- The freight recession is ending through capacity reduction rather than demand rebound, with operating-authority revocations exceeding new entries throughout 2024 and 2025;
- The DTM segment is undergoing a structural rotation toward a new compliance technology stack — Carrier Compliance & Onboarding, Predictive Performance / Fraud Screening, Visibility / Exception Management with Compliance Signals, and TMS systems integrating compliance data — driven by high-profile cargo theft and double-brokering cases;
- Warehousing demand is bifurcating — big-box (500,000+ sq ft) facilities are competing with data center tenants for the same industrial land;
- 3PL M&A activity remained meaningful through March 31, 2026, with multiple transactions over $100 million reshaping the Top 50 Global 3PLs ranking.
“Reshaping: Third-Party Logistics in a Decade of Structural Change” is available for purchase at Market Research Reports – Armstrong & Associates. The report’s full table of contents and product details are available at Reshaping: Third-Party Logistics in a Decade of Structural Change. The report is also included as a standard download in all four tiers of A&A’s Expert Information Service (EIS) subscription.
ABOUT ARMSTRONG & ASSOCIATES, INC.
Armstrong & Associates, Inc. (A&A), founded in 1980, is a leader in Third-Party Logistics (3PL) market research, consulting, and M&A advisory services. A&A has become an internationally recognized key resource for information and consulting in the 3PL market.
A&A’s mission is to possess leading proprietary knowledge in supply chain management and market research that is not available anywhere else. Our ongoing commitment to this mission is demonstrated by the frequent citations of A&A’s 3PL market research in media articles, publications, and the securities filings of publicly traded 3PL companies. Additionally, A&A’s email newsletter currently has over 88,000 subscribers worldwide.
A&A’s market research enhances its consulting services by providing continuously updated data for analysis. Leveraging its extensive knowledge of the third-party logistics (3PL) market and the operations of top 3PL providers, A&A has delivered strategic planning consulting to more than 50 3PL companies. Additionally, it has supported 26 completed investment transactions and offered advice to numerous organizations seeking to benchmark their current 3PL operations or outsource logistics functions.
For more information, please contact: Amy St. Peter at +1-414-545-3838 or email Amy@3PLogistics.com.
Source:
Armstrong & Associates, Inc.
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Phone: +1-414-545-3838 Fax: +1-414-545-3906
Website: www.3PLogistics.com