How is shuttle transportation different from yard switching?

Shuttle transportation moves trailers between separate buildings or locations, often across a campus or metro area and sometimes on public roads. Yard switching moves trailers within the same campus or yard, positioning them at docks or staging areas. Shuttle and yard operations can work together to keep freight flowing from building to building and door to door.

How do I know if my operation has enough volume for a dedicated shuttle?

If you consistently generate enough moves to keep a driver active throughout the day—even if that is just one full-time driver—a dedicated shuttle often makes operational and financial sense. Lower-volume needs may be better served through transactional transportation rather than a dedicated solution.

How are dedicated shuttle services priced?

Pricing depends on the scope of the shuttle operation, including the number of drivers, equipment requirements, distance between facilities, operational schedule, and any integrated yard services. Each solution is designed around your specific workflow and production needs.

Can Averitt help design the shuttle network or recommend the optimal number of drivers and trailers?

Yes. Averitt uses an engineering and modeling approach to analyze freight flows, production cycles, distances between buildings, and trailer velocity. From there, we recommend the appropriate number of tractors, drivers, trailers, and any integrated yard services to support your operation.

Can shuttle operations integrate with our yard management and visibility systems?

Yes. Shuttle fleets can be integrated with Averitt’s yard management and visibility tools to provide real-time trailer locations, geofencing, arrival alerts, and status visibility between buildings and across your local network.

Dedicated Shuttle Transportation Services

Continuous flow between your plants, warehouses, and production lines.

Contact Us Today!

Are you looking to scale your operations without scaling your headaches? At Averitt, we'll help you land on your fleet smoothly, confidently, and without missing a step. With Averitt's Dedicated services, you get a fully scalable asset based fleet with none of the hassles. Our customized solutions fit seamlessly into your supply chain, creating efficiencies at every turn. Whether you need a full fleet replacement or scalable support that flexes with your business. As one of the few dedicated providers with both a truckload fleet and an LTL distribution network, Averitt has the infrastructure to scale with your needs. From dry vans and flatbeds to refrigerated and specialized trailers, our extensive versatile fleet is among the cleanest and most reliable on the road. And because we're more than just a fleet provider, you can also take advantage of our end to end service offerings from warehousing and fulfillment to integrated and global solutions all through one trusted partner. From hiring and training staff to systems management, specialized equipment, and a team of uniformed professional drivers, we offer comprehensive solutions tailored to your specific goals. Whether you're running a fully outsourced fleet or integrating Averitt with your existing assets, we're built to adapt so you always land on a solution that fits. Our advanced technology gives you full visibility with tools like EDI, GPS, mobile communication, and route optimization software that streamline performance and deliver real time insights across your supply chain. Our award winning programs help improve customer service and maintain your professional image while also reducing costs through offerings like backhaul revenue gain sharing. Our dedicated services offer the flexibility to adapt to any size, structure, or challenge, providing all the capability for none of the capital, which gives you all the benefits of a private fleet without the headaches of owning, operating, or maintaining one. So go ahead and focus on your business. Averitt Dedicated will make sure you land on your fleet.

615-333-4526

A smarter way to move freight across your campus and metro footprint.

When your operation spans more than one building, maintaining consistent flow between facilities becomes essential. Averitt’s Dedicated Shuttle Transportation solutions ensure your freight moves reliably from plant to warehouse, facility to facility, and dock to door—without delays, bottlenecks, or administrative burden.

As part of our broader Dedicated Fleet Services offering, shuttle operations are purpose-built to keep production and distribution running at full speed.

What Is Dedicated Shuttle Transportation?

Dedicated shuttle transportation provides repeatable, short-radius movements of loaded or empty trailers between your buildings, overflow warehouses, distribution centers, or manufacturing sites. Whether you operate across a single campus or throughout a metro area, shuttle routes keep your materials and finished goods flowing exactly where they need to be—right when they need to be there.

Shuttle operations are ideal when:

Multiple buildings support a single production or distribution workflow
You’ve expanded into new facilities due to growth
Off-site storage must be replenished continually
Production lines depend on precise just-in-time inventory movement
You want to eliminate the complexity of hiring drivers or managing DOT requirements

This service is common among manufacturers, retailers, food & beverage operations, industrial suppliers, and large distribution networks.

Why Averitt for Dedicated Shuttle Transportation?

A Single Partner for Every Link in Your Local Network

With more than 50 years of experience in dedicated fleet management, Averitt provides end-to-end solutions tailored to each customer's operational environment. Our Dedicated Contract Carriage expertise ensures consistent driver coverage, performance standards, and service-level reliability.

We Design Around Your Network—Not a Template

Shuttle operations are rarely one-size-fits-all. Through our consultative approach—featured in our Dedicated Logistics podcast episode we model your current freight flows, production rhythms, building constraints, and capacity requirements to architect a right-sized dedicated solution.

U.S.-Based 24/7 Support

Every operation includes access to Averitt’s round-the-clock support and a dedicated team structure that ensures continuity, accountability, and rapid response.

Use Cases and Customer Examples

Dedicated shuttle transportation is commonly deployed when customers:

Outgrow a primary distribution center and require nearby overflow storage
Expand manufacturing output into additional buildings across a metro area
Need continuous trailer replenishment to maintain production line uptime
Operate campus environments with multiple docks and staging zones
Require reliable, all-day trailer cycling between warehouse and assembly areas

Averitt currently supports shuttle operations across industries such as manufacturing, retail, appliances, industrial components, and food distribution.

How Dedicated Shuttle Transportation Supports Your Operation

1. Reduces Your Regulatory and Compliance Burden

Any time trailers travel on public roads, companies are responsible for DOT registration, CDL-qualified drivers, insurance, and ongoing compliance oversight. With Averitt managing your shuttle operation, those requirements shift off your plate—removing administrative load and reducing exposure while keeping your internal teams focused on core operations.

2. Keeps Production and Distribution Running Smoothly

A dependable shuttle cycle protects your workflow. Materials reach production lines when needed, outbound freight stays on pace, and dock utilization remains steady. By maintaining consistent trailer flow between facilities, shuttle operations help eliminate bottlenecks and protect overall throughput.

3. Capacity That Adjusts With Your Business

Instead of investing in tractors, drivers, or trailer pools, you gain a solution that scales with you. During peak demand, we can increase equipment and driver support; during slower periods, we can adjust back down. You gain flexibility without the long-term commitments tied to owning or leasing assets.

4. Better Awareness and Control Across Your Network

When paired with Averitt’s yard technology tools, shuttle operations offer a clear picture of where every trailer is and how freight is moving between your sites. Features like geofencing, automated updates, and on-site visibility tools help your team monitor activity in real time and keep your multi-building network synchronized.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How is shuttle transportation different from yard switching?

Shuttle transportation moves trailers between separate buildings or locations, often across a metro area or on public roads.
Yard switching moves trailers within the same campus or yard, positioning them at docks or staging areas.

For a full overview of yard switching, see our Yard Management Services page.
Do I need a DOT number if we want to run shuttles ourselves?

Yes. If your trailers cross public roads—even for a short distance—your company must maintain a DOT number, employ qualified CDL drivers, and assume insurance and compliance responsibilities.

Outsourcing to Averitt eliminates this requirement and shifts those responsibilities to our dedicated fleet.
What types of companies benefit most from shuttle operations?

Organizations with multi-building operations or campus-style networks, including manufacturers, distributors, retailers, food & beverage operations, and companies with off-site storage or auxiliary facilities. If your workflow depends on balanced inventory flow or just-in-time replenishment, shuttle operations can significantly improve throughput.
How do I know if my operation has enough volume for a dedicated shuttle?

If you consistently generate enough moves to keep a driver active throughout the day—even if that’s just one full-time driver—a dedicated shuttle often makes operational and financial sense.

Lower-volume needs may be better served through transactional transportation rather than a dedicated solution.
Can Averitt scale shuttle capacity up or down as my business changes?

Yes. Averitt’s dedicated model allows you to scale tractors, drivers, and trailers seasonally or as your network grows. Many customers rely on us to add trailers during peak production, then flex back down without long-term equipment leases.
Can shuttle operations integrate with our yard management and visibility systems?

Absolutely. Shuttle services pair seamlessly with Averitt’s yard switching capabilities and yard management technology to provide real-time trailer visibility, automated move requests, and geofencing alerts.
How are dedicated shuttle services priced?

Pricing depends on the scope of the shuttle operation—number of drivers, equipment requirements, distance between facilities, operational schedule, and any integrated yard services. Averitt designs each solution around your specific workflow and production needs.
Can Averitt help design the shuttle network or recommend the optimal number of drivers and trailers?

Yes. Through our dedicated engineering and modeling approach, we analyze your freight flows, production cycles, distances between buildings, and trailer velocity. This helps us determine the right number of tractors, drivers, trailers, and yard integration for your operation.

WANT TO LEARN MORE OR GET A QUOTE? CONTACT US TODAY!

Need immediate assistance? Contact our Dedicated Team at 615-333-4526 or by email.

DEDICATED

Dedicated Shuttle Transportation Services

Contact Us Today!

A smarter way to move freight across your campus and metro footprint.

What Is Dedicated Shuttle Transportation?

Why Averitt for Dedicated Shuttle Transportation?

Use Cases and Customer Examples

How Dedicated Shuttle Transportation Supports Your Operation

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How is shuttle transportation different from yard switching?

Do I need a DOT number if we want to run shuttles ourselves?

What types of companies benefit most from shuttle operations?

How do I know if my operation has enough volume for a dedicated shuttle?

Can Averitt scale shuttle capacity up or down as my business changes?

Can shuttle operations integrate with our yard management and visibility systems?

How are dedicated shuttle services priced?

Can Averitt help design the shuttle network or recommend the optimal number of drivers and trailers?

WANT TO LEARN MORE OR GET A QUOTE? CONTACT US TODAY!

Need immediate assistance? Contact our Dedicated Team at 615-333-4526 or by email.

Download Resources for our Dedicated Fleet & Logistics Services

Enter your email address here to download more information about Averitt's Dedicated Fleet & Logistics Services.

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