Petroleum Fleet Rankings Shift: What Carrier Growth Means for Rates

Which petroleum carriers grew fleet size in 2026?

Andrews Logistics jumped from No. 5 to No. 4 in FleetOwner's 2026 ranking of the largest for-hire petroleum fleets, while S. Coraluzzo/Torrissi Transport rose from No. 7 to No. 5. The top three spots held steady year over year. Penn Tank Lines dropped from No. 5 to No. 6.

Two carriers new to the list this year: Macro Transport at No. 8 and Altom Transport at No. 10. Maverik Logistics moved up one spot to No. 7. Sentinel Transportation held at No. 9.

Petroleum fleets haul oil, gas, and other liquid fuels classified as bulk liquid. The rankings measure fleet size by total power units operated. FleetOwner's annual For-Hire 500 list tracks the largest motor carrier operations in the U.S. and breaks them into cargo-type segments.

Why fleet size matters for spot and contract fuel rates

When large petroleum carriers add trucks, they absorb more of the available contract volume from refineries and fuel distributors. That leaves fewer loads for smaller tanker operators chasing spot freight. A carrier moving up three spots in a national ranking typically means double-digit percentage growth in power units, which translates to hundreds of additional trucks competing for the same shipper base.

Smaller petroleum haulers often see tighter spot markets when the top 10 fleets expand. Contract rates for fuel transport tend to move slower than dry van or reefer, but capacity additions at this scale can pressure per-mile rates on secondary lanes where spot freight still exists. If you run a five-truck tanker operation and your regional fuel distributor just signed a new contract with a carrier that added 200 trucks, your callback rate drops.

What the rankings don't show

The FleetOwner 500 ranks by fleet size, not revenue or lane density. A carrier can move up the list by acquiring another fleet, adding trucks to serve a single large contract, or expanding into new regions. The ranking does not break out how many of those trucks run dedicated versus for-hire spot, or whether the growth came from organic expansion or merger activity.

For small fleets, the operational question is whether the growth happened in your lanes. A petroleum carrier adding 100 trucks in the Gulf Coast does not affect your spot rates in the Midwest. But if a top-10 fleet opens a terminal in your market and starts bidding on the same fuel distributors you serve, you feel it in your settlement within 60 days.

The bill for a 10-truck petroleum fleet

Petroleum hauling requires specialized equipment, hazmat endorsements, and higher insurance premiums than dry freight. When large fleets grow, they often lock in multi-year contracts that stabilize their per-mile rates but remove volume from the spot market. Small fleets without contract coverage face more volatility. If your 10-truck operation runs 80% spot freight and a top-five carrier just absorbed 15% of the available contract loads in your region, you either chase lower-paying backhauls or deadhead more miles between paying loads. Both outcomes cut your net per truck per week.

The 2026 rankings show the top tier of petroleum hauling remains concentrated. The same three carriers held the top three spots for the second year running. For small fleets, that concentration means fewer shippers to bid on and less leverage when contract renewals come up. If you haul fuel in a market where the top three fleets already control 60% of the volume, a fourth carrier moving into the top five does not change your options. You still compete for the same 40%.