Cold email software for logistics companies
Acqro gives freight brokers and logistics providers cold email that researches each prospect's company before writing. Below: verified federal data on the industry across all 50 states, the buyers it sells to, and a playbook for outreach that earns replies.
Onboarding in batches. No credit card to join.
How many logistics companies are in the United States?
The United States had 21,873 establishments in NAICS 488510, freight transportation arrangement, in 2023, employing 324,765 people. The largest markets by establishments were California, Texas and Florida. Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns.
Logistics companies in the US by the numbers
- US establishments
- 21,873−2.3% vs 2022Census CBP 2023, NAICS 488510
- Paid employees
- 324,765Census CBP 2023
- Average annual pay
- $76,333Census CBP 2023
- Firms under 10 employees
- 72.5%Census CBP 2023
- Largest state
- CaliforniaBy establishments, CBP 2023
Census does not publish a separate category for freight brokers and logistics providers; figures use NAICS 488510, Freight Transportation Arrangement, the closest official industry. 72.5% of establishments have fewer than 10 employees, so most firms in the industry run outbound with a founder or a very small sales team. The 5,884 firms with 10 to 249 employees are the ones most likely to be building a repeatable outbound process.
The five largest states hold 52.2% of all establishments. Among states with at least 100 establishments, the fastest growth between 2022 and 2023 was in Utah (+22.5%), Colorado (+10.6%) and Kansas (+4.8%). Growing markets bring new competitors and new buyers at the same time, which rewards outreach that is specific rather than volume-driven.
Logistics companies by state
All states and DC ranked by number of establishments, with the change since 2022.
| Rank | State | Establishments | Employees | Change vs 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 3,580 | 46,414 | +0.6% |
| 2 | Texas | 2,861 | 38,499 | −0.9% |
| 3 | Florida | 2,216 | 21,085 | −1.2% |
| 4 | New York | 1,491 | 17,126 | −1.9% |
| 5 | Illinois | 1,274 | 24,340 | +0.2% |
| 6 | Georgia | 910 | 17,271 | −3.8% |
| 7 | New Jersey | 855 | 14,298 | −2.3% |
| 8 | Ohio | 590 | 13,367 | −3.0% |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | 563 | 12,708 | −5.1% |
| 10 | North Carolina | 483 | 8,500 | −0.8% |
| 11 | Washington | 482 | 7,137 | −3.4% |
| 12 | Michigan | 475 | 8,221 | −3.3% |
| 13 | Tennessee | 382 | 10,047 | −11.4% |
| 14 | Arizona | 360 | 4,272 | −3.5% |
| 15 | Missouri | 346 | 5,064 | −5.2% |
| 16 | Indiana | 317 | 7,398 | −1.6% |
| 17 | Virginia | 305 | 4,627 | −7.0% |
| 18 | Minnesota | 301 | 6,080 | −5.9% |
| 19 | Oregon | 281 | 2,945 | −7.9% |
| 20 | South Carolina | 263 | 5,342 | −4.4% |
| 21 | Massachusetts | 260 | 2,963 | −11.0% |
| 22 | Colorado | 241 | 2,479 | +10.6% |
| 23 | Wisconsin | 234 | 3,052 | −11.7% |
| 24 | Alabama | 221 | 2,476 | −4.3% |
| 25 | Maryland | 217 | 2,571 | −4.4% |
| 26 | Kentucky | 210 | 8,571 | −18.3% |
| 27 | Utah | 196 | 2,348 | +22.5% |
| 28 | Louisiana | 194 | 2,891 | +1.0% |
| 29 | Arkansas | 172 | 3,215 | −5.0% |
| 30 | Nevada | 160 | 1,711 | 0.0% |
| 31 | Iowa | 156 | 2,096 | −6.0% |
| 32 | Kansas | 153 | 4,408 | +4.8% |
| 33 | Connecticut | 137 | 1,397 | −9.3% |
| 34 | Oklahoma | 134 | 1,060 | −2.9% |
| 35 | Mississippi | 100 | 1,359 | −15.3% |
| 36 | Nebraska | 94 | 877 | −7.8% |
| 37 | Idaho | 86 | 1,417 | +1.2% |
| 38 | North Dakota | 73 | 475 | +9.0% |
| 39 | Montana | 65 | 444 | −7.1% |
| 40 | Delaware | 62 | 869 | −4.6% |
| 41 | Hawaii | 55 | 600 | −3.5% |
| 42 | Maine | 54 | 285 | 0.0% |
| 43 | Alaska | 45 | 727 | −16.7% |
| 44 | New Mexico | 42 | 401 | −8.7% |
| 45 | South Dakota | 40 | 170 | −2.4% |
| 46 | Rhode Island | 32 | 228 | +3.2% |
| 47 | New Hampshire | 30 | 411 | −21.1% |
| 48 | West Virginia | 30 | 305 | +3.4% |
| 49 | Wyoming | 24 | 65 | −7.7% |
| 50 | District of Columbia | 11 | — | +10.0% |
| 51 | Vermont | 10 | 52 | 0.0% |
Who logistics companies sell to
Common buyer industries for freight brokers and logistics providers, with US establishment counts and how many have 10 to 249 employees.
| Buyer industry | Establishments | 10–249 employees | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 284,452 | 123,720 | 12,335,234 |
| Wholesale Trade | 382,081 | 113,787 | 6,236,357 |
| Warehousing and Storage | 21,521 | 9,818 | 1,648,638 |
| Retail Trade | 1,043,373 | 331,104 | 16,046,207 |
How logistics companies should run cold email
Freight brokers and logistics providers sell freight brokerage, forwarding and supply chain coordination to shippers. These are the contacts, triggers and messages that make a first email relevant rather than generic.
Who to email
- Director of logistics or supply chain
- Transportation or shipping manager
- Operations director
- Owner at small and mid-sized shippers
Signals worth researching
- New distribution centres, plants or warehouse openings
- Job posts for shipping, logistics or procurement roles
- New product lines or retail distribution deals
- Supplier or sourcing changes announced publicly
What to say
- Reference the lane, facility or expansion you found
- Speak to reliability and capacity, not just price
- Offer a quote or lane review for one specific route
What to avoid
- Generic rate-cut promises
- Emailing every contact at a shipper simultaneously
Cold email for logistics companies, answered
How many logistics companies are there in the US?
There were 21,873 establishments in NAICS 488510 (Freight Transportation Arrangement) in 2023, employing 324,765 people. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023.
Which states have the most logistics companies?
By establishments in 2023: California (3,580), Texas (2,861), Florida (2,216), New York (1,491) and Illinois (1,274). Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023.
How do freight brokers find shippers with cold email?
Look for shippers whose freight needs are changing: new facilities, new product lines, new retail partners or supply chain changes. A short message referencing that change and offering a quote for a specific lane is more credible than a general capacity pitch.
Who handles freight decisions at a manufacturer?
Typically a logistics, transportation or supply chain manager, with procurement involved at larger companies. At smaller manufacturers the operations director or owner often makes the call.
Is cold email legal in the United States?
Yes. The federal CAN-SPAM Act permits commercial email to business contacts without prior consent, provided the message identifies the sender accurately, uses a truthful subject line, includes a valid physical postal address and a working opt-out, and honours opt-out requests promptly. CAN-SPAM applies in every state and preempts most state commercial email laws, except provisions aimed at falsity or deception. This is general information, not legal advice.
Explore related pages
Logistics Companies by state
Other industries
Sources and methodology
Every figure on this page comes from a federal statistical release and is shown with its source and reference year. Figures the agencies withhold or publish with high noise are left out rather than estimated. Page updated September 17, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023 and 2022: establishments, paid employment for the pay period including March 12, annual payroll, and establishments by employment size. Industries use NAICS 2017 codes.
- Industry definition: NAICS 488510, Freight Transportation Arrangement, used as the closest official category for freight brokers and logistics providers.
Built for logistics companies who sell to a finite list
Acqro researches every account on your list and writes the first email from what it finds.
Prefer a conversation? Get in touch.