American Overseas Marine (AMSEA) is not a member of the armed forces stationed in a faraway land, but it does have connections to the US Navy. The company, part of the Marine Systems unit of defense contractor General Dynamics, manages and operates ships for the Military Sealift Command, an arm of the Navy. With a fleet of about 15 vessels, AMSEA transports cargo such as military equipment, supplies, food, and medicine to troops deployed overseas. Its fleet includes large, medium-speed, roll-on/roll-off (LMSR) vessels, which are designed to carry tanks and armored personnel carriers, and maritime pre-positioning ships (MPS), which are equipped with helicopter landing decks as well as room for freight.

Alianca Navegacao e Logistica sails around the globe to deliver the goods. Alianca Navegacao e Logistica provides sea transportation services, maintaining a fleet of some 20 container ships and four tramp ships (ships without a fixed schedule). Alianca Navegacao e Logistica also offers logistical services and coordination of road and rail transport from port to final destination. Its coastal shipping service includes 13 Brazilian ports. The company, which serves markets in Latin America, as well as North America, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, and South Africa, caters to the automotive, chemicals, and food industries, among others. Alianca Navegacao e Logistica is a subsidiary of German marine transportation titan, Hamburg Sud.

In the Netherlands, Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) runs the trains, but ProRail is in charge of the tracks. ProRail, formed in 2003 to unify the operations of former NS units Railinfrabeheeer, Railned, and Railverkeersleiding, holds the government contract to oversee the infrastructure and management of the Dutch railway system. The government-controlled company maintains a network of about 6,800 kilometers (4,225 miles) of track. ProRail also is in charge of capacity, determining which operators can use the tracks at any given time, and it provides traffic monitoring and disruption recovery services. ProRail also manages stations and transfer facilities and supplies passenger information.

BW Gas was taken private by the family of CEO Andreas Sohmen-Pao and delisted from the Oslo Stock Exchange in 2009. BW Gas is a leading marine transporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG) with a fleet of about 65 vessels with a deadweight ton (DWT) total of 3.3 million. The company has been busy renewing its fleet by scrapping and selling older vessels. BW Gas plans to concentrate on building its very large gas carriers (VLGCs) fleet. BW Gas is part of BW Group Ltd. (formerly Bergesen d.y. ASA), which also includes BW Offshore, BW Maritime, and BW Fleet Management. Hong Kong-based World-Wide Shipping Group bought Bergesen d.y. ASA in 2003.

ABF Freight System knows the ABCs of freight transportation. The primary subsidiary of Arkansas Best, ABF Freight System specializes in national and regional long-haul, less-than-truckload (LTL) transportation of general commodities such as apparel, appliances, chemicals, food, furniture, plastics, rubber, and textiles. (LTL carriers combine freight from multiple shippers into a single truckload.) ABF Freight System operates from a network of about 280 terminals throughout the US and Canada and in Puerto Rico. It maintains a fleet of some 4,000 tractors and 17,000 trailers. The company, which traces its origins to 1923, offers service in Mexico through arrangements with Mexican carriers.

Maverick USA's freight-hauling herd roams throughout the US. Subsidiary Maverick Transportation uses its fleet of tractors and flatbed trailers to transport steel and building materials; it also operates trailers designed to carry glass. The company offers long-haul service throughout the US and regional service in the Midwest and Southwest. Overall, it maintains a fleet of more than 1,400 tractors and 1,900 trailers. Maverick USA also offers freight brokerage services, through its Maverick Logistics unit. A third business, Maverick Truck & Trailer Sales, sells the company's used equipment. Maverick USA CEO Steve Williams founded the company with a partner in 1980; he took full ownership in 1983.

Founded in 1936, Honolulu Freight Service is family-owned and -operated. Freight forwarder Honolulu Freight Service (HFS) arranges ocean transportation of dry and refrigerated cargo between the continental US and Hawaii and through an interisland network. In addition to freight forwarding (purchasing transportation capacity from carriers and reselling it to customers), HFS offers short-term warehousing and distribution services. It handles partial and full container loads for a variety of industries, including hospitality, construction, retail, military, and food. Honolulu Freight Service maintains offices in Chicago; Los Angeles; Honolulu; Oakland and Stockton, California; Portland, Oregon; and Seattle.

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.

AIT Worldwide Logistics maintains about 40 offices in the US, and operates overseas through 330 global service centers and a network of agents. Steven Leturno and Dan Lisowski, who still advise the company, founded AIT Worldwide Logistics in 1979. Arranging the transportation of its customers' cargo by air, land, and sea, AIT Worldwide Logistics provides domestic and international freight forwarding services, including customs brokerage. It also offers supply chain management, including information services that help customers keep track of their freight. Customers have come from a variety of industries; the company's specialties include service to government agencies and handling of perishable products.

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.