Visionary Solutions has no problem with its expertise going to waste. The company specializes in the transportation and management of hazardous waste and heavy equipment. The company provides logistical support including environmental management of specialty and orphan waste, waste profiling and packaging, route selection, manifesting, and disposition planning for both government and commercial clients. Visionary Solutions also offers training in emergency response, HazMat (hazardous materials) compliance, transportation support, and transportation security through courses, workshops, seminars, and exercises. Clients have included the Department of Energy, the Department of Defense, and MACTEC.

Half a load is better than none for Vitran: the company nets most of its sales from its less-than-truckload (LTL) transportation business. (LTL carriers combine freight from multiple shippers into a single truckload.) Vitran -- the name is short for vital transportation -- provides LTL service in Canada and in much of the US. Besides its LTL operations, Vitran offers logistics services in the US and Canada and provides truckload freight transportation in the US. Overall, the company operates a fleet of more than 5,600 tractors, trailers, containers, and other equipment from a network of more than 135 facilities, most of which are located in the US.

The main US arm of Toronto-based company Vitran, Vitran Express provides less-than-truckload (LTL) freight transportation services. (LTL carriers consolidate freight from multiple shippers into a single truckload.) Vitran Express operates from a network of about 110 terminals in about 30 states in the midwestern, mid-Atlantic, southwestern, and western US. The company extends service elsewhere in the US through alliances with other LTL carriers. In addition, Vitran Express partners with its parent's Canadian LTL unit to offer cross-border service.

Less-than-truckload (LTL) carrier Ward Trucking operates primarily in the northeastern and mid-Atlantic US. (LTL carriers consolidate freight from multiple shippers into a single truckload.) In addition to its LTL business, the company offers full truckload and logistics services through the Ward Transport & Logistics brand name. Ward Trucking operates a fleet of about 375 tractors, 70 trucks, and 800 trailers from a network of terminals, stretching from New York to Illinois. William W. Ward founded the company in 1931 to haul freight from central Pennsylvania to New York City. Ward Trucking is run by members of the Ward family.

Watkins & Shepard Trucking offers less-than-truckload (LTL) and truckload freight hauling throughout the US from about 20 terminals, mainly west of the Rockies. (LTL carriers consolidate cargo from multiple shippers into a single trailer.) The company's fleet consists of about 630 tractors and 1,600 trailers. Standard dry vans account for the majority of the company's trailers; Watkins & Shepard also uses flatbed trailers. In addition, the company arranges intermodal transportation, which involves hauling freight by multiple methods, such as road and rail. CEO Ray Kuntz and president Steve Williamson own Watkins & Shepard, which was founded in 1974 as Stan Watkins Trucking.

Watkins Associated Industries does business over the road, on the ground, and by the sea. Its trucking businesses include Highway Transport (liquid bulk cargo, such as chemicals and petroleum), Land Span (general cargo), Sunco Carriers (refrigerated cargo), and Watson Truckload Services (regional general cargo). Other units engage in real estate development (apartment complexes and shopping centers), door and window manufacturing (Tucker Door and Trim Corp.), property and casualty insurance, and seafood processing (Tampa Maid Foods). Bill Watkins founded the family-owned company in 1932 with a $300 pickup truck.

Transportation and logistics is Werner Enterprises' game; hauling truckload shipments -- both interstate and intrastate -- is its fame. Among the five largest truckload carriers in the US, Werner operates about 7,250 tractors and 23,880 trailers. Its trailer fleet consists of dry vans and, to a lesser extent, temperature-controlled vans and flatbeds. Werner's truckload transportation offerings include dedicated contract carriage, in which drivers and equipment are assigned to a customer. It also offers freight brokerage, intermodal freight transportation arrangement, and other value-added logistic services, as well as freight forwarding. Retailers, consumer and grocery products companies represent 75% of sales.

Pick a point on the compass -- Western Express Holdings isn't limited to a single direction when it comes to hauling customers' freight. The company's main subsidiary, truckload carrier Western Express, will go west, but it does most of its business in the eastern and midwestern US, concentrating on short to medium-length hauls of between 500 and 1,000 miles. The Western Express fleet consists of about 2,500 tractors and 4,500 trailers, including dry vans and flatbeds, which haul cargo for a diverse customer base. President and CEO Wayne Wise and his wife, Donna Wise, own a controlling stake in Western Express Holdings.

Wheaton Van Lines, which operates under the Wheaton World Wide Moving brand, provides interstate and international transportation and relocation services for individuals, businesses, and government agencies. Wheaton also provides relocation services for US military personnel. The company's specialties include transportation of medical equipment, computers, new furniture, store fixtures, and Steinway pianos. Wheaton Van Lines operates through a network of about 250 agents in the US. The company, which is owned by its employees, was founded by Earnest S. Wheaton in 1945.

Willis Shaw Express knows how to keep its cool. The company provides truckload transportation of frozen and refrigerated food items throughout the continental US with a fleet of about 700 tractors and 1,100 trailers. Its main operations are coordinated from facilities in Arkansas, Florida, and Idaho; in addition, the company provides regional service from a facility in Georgia. Willis D. Shaw founded the company in 1938 to haul live chickens out of Arkansas. Comcar Industries bought the former Willis Shaw Frozen Express in 1987.

Inviting Real Estate Agents, Job Placements Agents, Educational Institutes, Software Service Providers, Real Estate Builders, Marriage Bureaus, Travel Agents, Restaurant Owners, Health & Fitness Centers and other Local Businesses to Post a FREE Classified Advertisement on Cootera.com Classifieds Website.