Man makes his own shipwreck, but Smit Internationale has the favor of Neptune on its side. In business for some 170 years, Smit is a global provider of marine salvage services. It is known for its historic retrieval of the Russian nuclear submarine Kursk. Smit company also transports freight in oceangoing, coastal, and river barges, and operates sheerlegs -- floating cranes used in offshore and inland construction projects. Other Smit divisions provide ocean and harbor towage services and manage marine terminals. Smit Internationale N.V. operates a fleet of more than 400 vessels, including about 230 tugboats. In April 2010, Smit was acquired by dredging company Royal Boskalis Westminster for E1.4 billion (about $2 billion).

Founded in 1970, the company is a unit of New Zealand-based logistics provider Mainfreight Limited, which also has operations in Asia and Australia. Mainfreight, Inc. (which does business as Mainfreight USA) arranges the transportation of its customers' cargo and provides services that include handling, packing, and containerization, as well as preparation of shipping documents. It focuses on shipments heavier than 50 lbs. that require second-day delivery. Items transported include clothing, computers and other electronic equipment, and software. On its own and through agents, Mainfreight USA has facilities in more than 35 US cities.

For Total Transportation of Mississippi, total transportation means trucking, but not just within in the Magnolia State. The truckload carrier provides service throughout the eastern half of the US. It operates a fleet of about 650 tractors and 1,200 trailers from two terminals in Mississippi, two in Tennessee, and one apiece in Georgia and North Carolina. Total transports general commodities on regional and medium-length routes (800-1,200 miles); it also offers dedicated contract carriage, in which drivers and equipment are assigned to customers long-term. Truckload carrier U.S. Xpress Enterprises owns 90% of Total; company managers own the rest.

Panalpina World Transport opened its first UK office in 1921. No mere mountainclimber, Panalpina covers the world. A unit of Switzerland-based Panalpina World Transport (Holding), Panalpina World Transport provides freight forwarding and supply chain management services for customers in the UK. Panalpina World Transport Ltd. offers both airfreight and ocean freight forwarding. It specializes in service to companies in the energy industry, and it also draws customers from sectors such as automotive, electronics and telecommunications, retail, and health care.

NORDEN, which was established in 1871, has offices in Denmark, China, Singapore, the US, Brazil, and India. Dampskibsselskabet "NORDEN" (in English, Steamship Company NORDEN) steers a steady course in global shipping. The company operates crude oil tankers and vessels that transport dry bulk commodities such as coal, grain, and steel. Its fleet consists of 200 bulk carriers and 30 tankers, and it has a newbuild program that includes 67 bulk carriers and 15 tankers. NORDEN is one of the world's leading operators of Handymax bulk carriers, as well as a top operator of Capesize and Panamax vessels for its dry cargo transport and of Aframax oil tankers. Its large fleet consists primarily of chartered vessels.

Swift, but within the speed limit: Truckload carrier Swift Holdings hauls freight, such as building materials, paper products, and retail merchandise, throughout the US, Canada, and Mexico. The company operates a fleet of some 16,200 tractors (about 75% of which are company-owned), and 49,400 trailers, via a network of 35 terminals. Its services include dedicated contract carriage, in which drivers and equipment are assigned to a customer long-term. Besides standard dry vans, Swift's fleet includes refrigerated, flatbed, and specialized trailers, and about 4,300 intermodal containers. Founder and CEO Jerry Moyes took the company private in 2007. In mid-2010 Swift filed to once again become public.

A&R Logistics offers a diverse menu of transportation and logistics services, mainly for companies in the plastics and chemicals industries. Trucker A&R Transport hauls dry and liquid bulk commodities from about 25 terminals throughout the US; its fleet includes about 950 tractors and 3,000 trailers. A&R Global Logistics (formerly Alliance Logistics) arranges freight transportation through a network of independent carriers, and A&R Packaging & Distribution operates warehouses and provides freight handling services. UTC Overseas arranges international shipments. Investment firm FdG Associates owns a controlling stake in A&R Logistics.

Old Dominion Freight Line still makes its stand in Dixie, but the trucking company serves the rest of the US, as well. It transports general commodities in less-than-truckload (LTL) shipments, in which freight from multiple shippers is consolidated into a single truckload. Old Dominion operates a fleet of some 5,000 tractors and more than 20,000 trailers from around 200 service centers. Founded in 1934, Old Dominion directly serves the 48 contiguous states of continental US and offers service elsewhere in North America, Central America, South America, and Asia. The founding Congdon family controls Old Dominion.

Midwest Coast Transport (MCT) provides truckload transportation of dry goods and perishable commodities throughout the continental US with hubs in Chicago; Cincinnati; Sandford, Florida; and Sioux Falls, South Dakota. From its Florida office, MCT offers less-than-truckload foliage shipping. Its fleet of about 700 tractors and 1,100 trailers is operated mostly by independent contractors. In addition to for-hire freight transportation, MCT offers dedicated contract carriage (in which drivers and equipment are assigned to customers long-term) and logistics services. Founded in 1949, Midwest Coast Transport is a subsidiary of Comcar Industries.

Stolt-Nielsen is in its element in seawater. Through Stolt Tankers & Terminals and Stolt Tank Containers (STC) units, the company provides integrated parcel tanker, tank container, and marine terminal services, as well as logistics, for the worldwide transport of bulk liquids, such as chemicals, edible oils, and acids. It operates a fleet of about 160 vessels with an overall capacity of more than 2 million deadweight tons (DWT). Transportation-related operations account for more than 95% of the company's sales. Its Stolt Sea Farm business unit produces and sells turbot, sturgeon, sole, and caviar. Chairman Jacob Stolt-Nielsen and his family own a controlling stake in the company.

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