American Freightways Corp. and Viking Freight Inc., two less-than-truckload carriers and subsidiaries of FedEx Corp., will implement general rate increases of 5.9 percent effective Aug. 6.
American Freightways, Harrison, AR, serves 40 states, mostly in the Midwest and on the East Coast. Viking, San Jose, provides Western regional transportation service.
The rate increases reflect business costs, both companies say, and an increase takes place yearly around this time. The rate increase was the same amount last year.
The carriers provide direct service to virtually all U.S. ZIP codes, including Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Internationally, American Freightways and Viking provide service to North, Central and South America and the Caribbean.
LTL carriers handle bulk freight shipments weighing more than 150 pounds from several companies on the same truck. They can transport goods entirely by truck and still meet day-definite delivery requirements. LTLs do not rely on air transportation, which, though reliable, can be expensive.
Industry experts predict that the regional LTL market will grow nearly 10 percent per year through 2004.
