BOSTON (June 12, 2025) – As global logistics competition intensifies, customer experience and service quality have become decisive factors for success. Logistics Management magazine today announced the results of its 42nd annual Quest for Quality Awards, recognizing 160 transportation and logistics service providers that have earned exceptional customer satisfaction ratings.
Customer-Driven Excellence
Unlike many industry awards judged by experts, the Quest for Quality Awards are determined entirely by evaluations from actual logistics service buyers. This customer-centric approach has established the awards as the logistics industry's most authoritative benchmark for service excellence.
Qualified readers of Logistics Management rigorously assessed carriers, third-party logistics providers (3PLs), and U.S. port operators across multiple service categories. The comprehensive evaluation covers all critical sectors of the logistics industry.
Rigorous Evaluation Process
From January to May 2025, Logistics Management partnered with Peerless Research Group to survey qualified logistics buyers, receiving over 3,017 valid responses. To ensure fairness, companies needed at least 5% of category votes to qualify as winners.
The assessment focused on five key performance indicators:
- On-time performance: The most heavily weighted factor across all categories
- Value: Price-to-performance ratio
- Information technology: Digital capabilities and transparency
- Customer service: Responsiveness and problem resolution
- Equipment and operations: Infrastructure quality and efficiency
Specialized 3PL Evaluation
In collaboration with Armstrong & Associates, this year's awards introduced refined evaluation criteria for 3PL providers, separating them into:
- Transportation management services
- Value-added warehousing services
Port operators were assessed on business accessibility, value, carrier networks, intermodal connections, and operational infrastructure.
Weighted Scoring Methodology
The evaluation used a weighted scoring system where respondents first ranked attributes by importance (1-5 scale), then rated providers on performance (1-3 scale). Weighted scores were calculated by multiplying average performance scores by attribute importance rankings.
On-time performance remained the highest priority attribute for the seventh consecutive year, with scores ranging from 4.13 to 4.77 across categories. Value emerged as the second most important consideration, reflecting current economic pressures.
Industry Impact and Future Trends
The awards not only recognize current excellence but also highlight evolving industry priorities. Digital transformation, intelligent systems, and sustainability initiatives are reshaping logistics operations worldwide.
Winning companies demonstrate how technological innovation and customer-focused service create competitive advantages in today's demanding logistics environment.
Partial List of 2025 Award Winners
Highway Transportation:
- National LTL Carriers: [Company A], [Company B], [Company C]
- Regional LTL Carriers: [Company D], [Company E], [Company F]
Rail & Intermodal:
- Rail: [Company G], [Company H]
- Intermodal: [Company I], [Company J]
Ocean Shipping: [Company K], [Company L]
Air Cargo: [Company M], [Company N]
North American Ports: [Port X], [Port Y]