Quickway tracking

What is Quickway?

Quickway Carriers Inc. is a refrigerated trucking company headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee, specializing in temperature-controlled direct store delivery of perishable food products. The company operates around the clock, seven days a week, transporting fresh produce, dairy items, bakery goods, meat, cold foods, and beverages from food manufacturers and wholesalers directly to retail grocery stores. Its principal customers are the nation's largest grocery chains and food distributors, who depend on its temperature-controlled network to maintain cold chain integrity on the final leg of the supply journey.

The origins of Quickway Carriers trace back to 1960, when H. Steven George founded the Tennessee Cartage Company in Tennessee. The business started in dry freight before pivoting toward temperature-controlled perishables, particularly meat and candy, as demand for refrigerated logistics grew with the expansion of regional grocery chains across the American South and Midwest. The company later came under the ownership of Ryder System, the Florida-based transportation conglomerate, and operated for a time as Ryder Temperature Controlled Cartage before eventually being rebranded as Quickway Distribution Services Inc. In 2001, H. George and business partner Roger Blume established Paladin Capital Inc. as a holding company to consolidate the Quickway family of businesses and pursue acquisitions of other regional carriers. Federal motor carrier authority for Quickway Carriers Inc. was formally registered on June 17, 1997.

A defining development came in 2004, when Quickway became 100% employee-owned through the creation of an Employee Stock Ownership Plan. This structure gave every employee a direct ownership stake in the business, aligning individual performance with overall company results while also providing a retirement benefit for the workforce. Between 2011 and 2015, Paladin Capital completed three acquisitions, adding Volunteer Express, Robert Bearden Inc., and Dolphin Line to its portfolio. These additions expanded the company's geographic footprint and fleet capacity, growing the Paladin group to more than 20 subsidiaries and approximately 1,400 employees at its peak.

The company's financial position came under severe pressure starting in 2023, as a prolonged freight recession drove down spot rates while insurance costs and equipment financing expenses climbed. Equipment lease payments lapsed in mid-2025, and multiple lenders issued default notices by late that year. Paladin Capital Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on January 26, 2026, in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, listing assets of $10 to $50 million against liabilities of $100 to $500 million. The court approved debtor-in-possession financing of nearly $1.5 million from Truist Bank to cover two weeks of payroll, and the company is pursuing a sale of individual business units under Section 363 of the bankruptcy code, with Quickway Carriers representing the largest unit on offer.

• Founded: 1960, as Tennessee Cartage Company by H. Steven George in Tennessee
• Headquarters: 5200 Maryland Way, Suite 400, Brentwood, Tennessee 37027
• USDOT number: 694331
• MC docket: MC-214749
• FMCSA safety rating: Satisfactory
• Operating authority issued: June 17, 1997
• Ownership structure: 100% employee-owned via Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) since 2004
• Parent company: Paladin Capital Inc., Brentwood, Tennessee, filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy on January 26, 2026
• Fleet: 74 to 90 tractors, 42 trailers, 111 drivers as per FMCSA filing
• Weekly deliveries: More than 12,000 direct store deliveries per week
• On-time performance: 99.2%, as documented in 2015 company reporting

Which countries does Quickway deliver to?

Quickway Carriers operates exclusively within the continental United States and does not serve international destinations. The company's service territory covers four primary regions, the Midwest, the Southeast, the Southwest, and the Mid-Atlantic. Known terminal and operating locations span states including Indiana, Texas, Tennessee, Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, Oklahoma, Maryland and Virginia, forming a network built around major grocery distribution corridors in the eastern and central United States.

The direct store delivery model shapes the company's geographic presence in a particular way. Rather than moving freight over long-haul lanes between warehouses, Quickway's drivers work concentrated multi-stop routes within regional grocery markets, completing daily or near-daily replenishment cycles at individual store locations. This stop-dense approach means the company's operational footprint is most pronounced in urban and suburban corridors where retail grocery store density is highest, particularly across the states where its terminal network is established.

Quickway Logistics Inc., the freight brokerage operating within the same Paladin Capital corporate family, provides broader geographic reach by arranging shipments through a preferred carrier network of more than 1,000 power units. Through this brokerage capacity, freight can be coordinated across lanes and markets that extend beyond the direct service territory covered by Quickway Carriers' own fleet giving clients access to a wider range of destinations within the United States.

• Midwest: Indiana, Ohio, Michigan and surrounding states, covering major grocery distribution corridors in the region
• Southeast: Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia and adjacent states, the historical heartland of the company's operations
• Southwest: Texas and Oklahoma, where Quickway maintains terminal and operating presence
• Mid-Atlantic: Maryland and nearby eastern corridor states
• International destinations: Not available through Quickway Carriers, which holds domestic US operating authority only

What are the Quickway services and delivery times?

Quickway Carriers' core offering is temperature-controlled direct store delivery, an operationally intensive model in which refrigerated or ambient food products are collected from manufacturers or distribution centers and delivered directly to individual retail grocery stores on regular, high-frequency schedules. The company maintains continuous 24-hour, seven-day-a-week operations to meet the strict replenishment windows that major grocery chains require. Products transported span fresh produce, dairy goods, bakery items, meat, cold foods, and beverages, all carried by a fleet of tractors equipped to maintain cold chain conditions from pickup through to the store receiving dock.

Delivery timing for Quickway Carriers is governed by individual retailer replenishment contracts rather than any published consumer service schedule. Stores receive deliveries as frequently as their sales volume and product category demand with high-volume locations often served on a daily basis. The company's documented on-time performance of 99.2% reflects the reliability standard required in grocery distribution, where late deliveries translate directly into out-of-stock conditions on retail shelves. Transit times in this context are measured in hours rather than days, as most routes operate within a regional radius of the originating distribution point.

Quickway Logistics, the brokerage division within the Paladin Capital group, offers a separate range of freight coordination services for shippers who need capacity beyond what Quickway Carriers' own assets provide. Transit times for brokered movements vary based on the lane, the carrier selected, and the service level negotiated for each individual shipment, and are not subject to a published schedule.

• Direct store delivery (DSD): Temperature-controlled delivery of perishable food products from manufacturers and wholesalers directly to retail grocery store receiving docks, operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week
• Full truckload (FTL): Dedicated truckload movements arranged through Quickway Logistics' brokerage network
• Less-than-truckload (LTL): Shared-load shipments for smaller freight volumes, coordinated through Quickway Logistics
• Intermodal: Rail-and-truck combination services for longer-haul freight, available through the brokerage
• Drayage: Short-haul container moves, typically between port or rail terminal and a nearby facility, arranged through Quickway Logistics
• Refrigerated brokerage: Temperature-sensitive shipments using reefer equipment, arranged through Quickway Logistics' carrier network
• Warehousing and cross-docking: Storage and inbound-to-outbound transfer solutions offered through Quickway Logistics

What are the Quickway rates and maximum dimensions accepted?

Quickway Carriers does not publish a standard rate schedule or tariff. Pricing is negotiated directly with grocery retailers and food manufacturers on a contract basis, as the long-term, recurring nature of grocery replenishment relationships makes stable contract pricing the prevailing industry norm. Rates are typically calculated using a combination of route distance, number of delivery stops per route, cargo weight or cubic volume, and applicable fuel surcharges. No publicly documented flat rates, dimensional limits, or weight caps exist for the direct store delivery operation.

Quickway Logistics, operating as a licensed freight brokerage, quotes rates dynamically based on current carrier market conditions, lane supply and demand freight class for LTL shipments, cargo weight, dimensions, and specific service requirements. Because the brokerage arranges capacity through third-party carriers rather than operating its own fleet on brokered moves, rates fluctuate with the market and are obtained through direct quote rather than a fixed published tariff. Maximum dimensions and weight allowances for brokered shipments are determined by the specific carrier and equipment type arranged for each individual movement.

• Pricing model (Quickway Carriers): Contract-based rates negotiated directly with grocery retailers and food manufacturers; no public tariff is available
• Rate components: Route distance, number of delivery stops, cargo weight or volume, and fuel surcharges
• Pricing model (Quickway Logistics): Dynamic brokerage quotes based on lane, market conditions, freight class, weight, dimensions, and service level
• Published tariff: Not available for either entity; pricing is obtained through direct negotiation or a quote request
• Weight and dimension limits: Not publicly specified; governed by the individual carrier and equipment type selected for each brokered shipment

What are the Quickway delivery options?

Quickway Carriers operates in a strictly business-to-business context, delivering refrigerated food products to commercial retail grocery locations rather than residential addresses. All deliveries are made to store receiving docks during scheduled appointment windows established in advance through the retailer's replenishment agreement. A signature from a store receiving employee is required at the time of delivery to confirm acceptance of the shipment. The company does not offer pickup points, parcel lockers, or residential delivery of any kind, as its entire operation is structured around commercial freight accounts with grocery chains and food distributors.

Quickway Logistics, the brokerage arm, can arrange additional commercial delivery options for its freight clients depending on the requirements of each shipment and the capabilities of the carrier selected. Options that may be arranged through the brokerage include liftgate service for locations without dock access, inside delivery, and appointment-based delivery scheduling for consignees with specific receiving window requirements.

• Standard delivery (Quickway Carriers): Dock delivery to commercial grocery store receiving areas during pre-scheduled appointment windows
• Signature requirement: Acceptance confirmed by a store receiving employee at time of delivery
• Residential delivery: Not available through Quickway Carriers
• Liftgate service: Available on selected brokered shipments through Quickway Logistics, subject to carrier availability
• Inside delivery: Available on selected brokered shipments through Quickway Logistics
• Appointment scheduling: Applicable to both DSD routes through retailer replenishment agreements and commercial freight booked through Quickway Logistics

What should I do if my Quickway parcel is lost or damaged?

For freight claims against Quickway Carriers, the standard US legal framework under the Carmack Amendment requires a written claim to be filed with the carrier within nine months of the delivery date for loss or damage. The Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing by Paladin Capital Inc. on January 26, 2026, substantially changes this process for outstanding claims. Shippers and creditors with unresolved claims against Quickway Carriers or any affiliated Paladin company are now subject to the procedures of the bankruptcy proceeding, and such claims must be directed to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. Resolution through standard carrier claims processes cannot be expected given the active sale proceedings underway.

For freight coordinated through Quickway Logistics, claims and customer service inquiries can be directed to the brokerage's support team by phone. The company maintains a main customer service line as well as a dedicated Nashville office that handles both new shipment requests and issues with existing freight during standard business hours. Shippers are advised to document any cargo damage at the time of delivery by noting it clearly on the delivery receipt before the driver departs the location, as this documentation is essential for supporting any subsequent freight claim through the brokerage.

• Applicable law: Carmack Amendment for domestic US freight; written claim must be filed within nine months of the delivery date for loss or damage
• Bankruptcy claims: Claims against Quickway Carriers or Paladin Capital affiliates must be filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, following the January 2026 Chapter 11 filing
• Quickway Logistics main customer service line: 1-863-225-1990
• Quickway Logistics Nashville office: 615-834-9470, open 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM
• Documentation advice: Note any visible cargo damage on the delivery receipt at the time of delivery, before the driver departs

Does Quickway handle international shipments and customs formalities?

Quickway Carriers Inc. is a domestic US carrier and does not offer international shipping. Its FMCSA operating authority covers property carriage within the continental United States only, and the company has no freight forwarding, customs brokerage, or cross-border logistics capabilities. Shippers requiring international freight services cannot use Quickway Carriers for that purpose.

Quickway Logistics, the brokerage division, can arrange intermodal shipments that connect with port operations and may include drayage legs to or from marine terminals. The brokerage does not operate as a licensed international freight forwarder or non-vessel operating common carrier in its own right, and its coordination capabilities stop at the domestic portions of larger multimodal movements rather than covering complete international door-to-door shipments with customs clearance.

Quickway Express Services is a legally separate company with no corporate connection to Quickway Carriers or Paladin Capital, operating independently under the same trade name. This company, headquartered in West Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, provides international freight services including air freight with next-flight-out and charter options, ocean freight covering full container loads, partial loads, and out-of-gauge cargo for oversized items, customs clearance at origin and destination, 3PL warehousing, and door-to-door international delivery. The company maintains offices in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia, and claims agent representation across more than 76 countries in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East.

• International shipping (Quickway Carriers): Not available; FMCSA authority covers continental US domestic operations only
• International shipping (Quickway Logistics): Not offered as a standalone service; limited to arranging domestic legs of intermodal freight movements
• International shipping (Quickway Express Services): Available through a separately incorporated company headquartered in British Columbia, Canada, with no affiliation to Quickway Carriers or Paladin Capital
• Services via Quickway Express Services: Air freight, full container load (FCL) and less-than-container load (LCL) ocean freight, out-of-gauge cargo, customs clearance, 3PL warehousing, and door-to-door international delivery
• Geographic reach (Quickway Express Services): North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East, with agent representation in more than 76 countries

Understanding tracking statuses

When tracking a Quickway shipment through an online parcel tracking platform, several status messages may appear as the package moves through the carrier's network. Tracking numbers for Quickway shipments are alphanumeric strings between 5 and 30 characters long, composed of letters, numbers, and hyphens, and can typically be found on postage receipts below the barcode or in shipment confirmation emails. The table below describes the main statuses and what each one means for the current state of the shipment.