ArcBest Eyes Early 2026 for In-House TMS Launch
Arkansas-Based Carrier Targets Technological Innovation to Boost Efficiency and Revenue
Key Takeaways:
- ArcBest said it will launch a new transportation management system called ArcBest View in early 2026, integrating quoting, booking and shipment visibility in one platform.
- Executives said the system and other AI-driven tools aim to improve efficiency and growth, with prior phases already saving $13 million annually and supporting recent profitability despite falling revenue.
- The company is targeting an operating ratio of 87 to 90 by 2028 while expanding its less-than-truckload and truckload businesses, particularly among small- to medium-size customers.
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ArcBest Corp. plans to launch a proprietary transportation management system in early 2026 that will be known as “ArcBest View,” top executives said.
Currently in beta testing, the customer service platform is expected to drive more volume, CEO-elect Seth Runser told assembled analysts and shareholders at an investor day.
“ArcBest View is more than a digital upgrade; it’s a unified experience that brings quoting, booking and visibility across all of our logistics solutions into one seamless interface,” said Runser, at the end of 2025.
“Within the ArcBest View platform, customers will have access to Viewpoint, our new visibility tool where they can manage shipments across modes in a single intuitive dashboard. Whether quoting an LTL shipment, booking a truckload or tracking a final-mile delivery, customers can do it all in one place,” he said. “With fewer clicks and greater confidence.”
“We’re proud of what we’ve built and even more excited about what’s ahead,” added Runser, also noting that ArcBest has launched 70 optimization projects, with 45% implemented and a further 25% in pilot stages.
ArcBest View is the name of the carrier’s less-than-truckload dynamic pricing tool, one of the projects implemented.
The revamped product will rely heavily on artificial intelligence to aid customers.
Artificial Intelligence Aids Route Planning
ArcBest already has leaned in on AI-driven products, including an AI-based city route optimization tool. Phase 1 offered more than $13 million in annual savings, said Runser, adding that the carrier is moving into phases 2 and 3 of development.
Phase 2 will provide daily delivery predictions to streamline pickup routes, while phase 3 will introduce dynamic routing.
“At ArcBest, ‘innovation’ is not a buzzword. It is a disciplined, high-return investment that fuels profitable growth and sharpens competitive edge,” said Runser, who managed ArcBest service centers in Youngstown and Akron, Ohio, and Baltimore on his road to the CEO’s chair.
ArcBest CEO Judy McReynolds is retiring at the end of the year, and Seth Runser will take over the top post of the Fort Smith, Ark.-based trucking and logistics company. (ArcBest Corp.)
In the company’s latest quarterly earnings, revenue — pounded by the ongoing freight recession — was supported by AI and predictive analytics.
“The second quarter marked our most productive quarter since 2021,” said McReynolds, noting the labor planning, delivery, routing and dock operations optimization.
Fort Smith, Ark.-based ArcBest posted a $25.8 million profit in the second quarter of 2025, compared with net income of $46.9 million a year earlier. Revenue fell 5.2% to $1.02 billion from $1.08 billion.
“One of the ways we have transformed ArcBest is through our focus on innovation. Innovation is in our DNA. And today it is a strategic engine powering efficiency, growth and transformation,” McReynolds added during the Sept. 29 investor day.
ArcBest ranks No. 13 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest for-hire carriers in North America and No. 8 among LTL carriers. It also ranks No. 44 on the TT Top 100 logistics companies list.
LTL, Truckload Units Eye Expansion
Both Runser and McReynolds said ArcBest had no intention of sitting on its laurels, however, with the former noting a major sales campaign by LTL unit ABF Freight in 2024 that added 2,000 shipments a day.
“We are laser-focused on expanding our core LTL business,” he said.
ArcBest’s LTL unit has 240 service centers, and its door count rose from 8,820 in 2021 to 9,635 in 2025.
ICYMI: ArcBest Chairman and CEO Judy McReynolds and ArcBest President and CEO-elect Seth Runser rang the Opening Bell this morning to mark our 2025 Investor Day.
ArcBest is built to deliver. Learn more at . — ArcBest (@ArcBestCorp)
The company can reach any U.S. business within one hour 80% of the time and has reached record levels of trailer utilization, Runser said, adding that 1% improvement in trailer utilization equals savings of $9 million per year.
Meantime, ArcBest is aiming for an 87-to-90 range for its operating ratio by 2028, said Runser. The company’s operating ratio in 2019 was 94.5 and in 2024 was 91.2, noted McReynolds. A carrier’s OR provides insight into how well it is balancing its costs and revenue generation. The lower the ratio, the better a company’s performance.
Mark Hill and Danielle Villegas of PCS Software discuss their AI engine, Cortex, designed specifically to level the playing field for midsized carriers. Tune in above or by going to .
ArcBest also is looking to expand its truckload presence, particularly for serving small- to medium-size businesses, said Runser, who noted that small- to medium-size business customers offer 60% higher profit than other customers.
As a result, the company has reorganized its truckload sales team, he said, seeking to get rid of friction.
“Truckload represents our largest opportunity for market growth,” he noted.
Small- to medium-size business customers represent 40% of ArcBest’s truckload revenue, up from 20% in 2021.
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