Fortune 500, and beyond, list highlights the importance of freight transportation and logistics

With logistics accounting for nearly 8 percent of total United States GDP at $1.408 trillion, according to the 2016 State of Logistics Report, it is hardly surprising that so many well-known freight transportation and logistics companies again are in the exclusive, and important, 2017 Fortune 500 rankings.

These companies have seen themselves on this list before to be sure, and it speaks to many things and traits they possess, which give them a seat at the table so to speak.

Here is a quick look at where some industry players ranked, according to the most recent Fortune 500 rankings:

• UPS, number 46;
• FedEx, number 58;
• Union Pacific, number 143;
• XPO Logistics, number 191;
• C.H. Robinson Worldwide, number 212;
• CSX, number 257;
• Norfolk Southern, number 284;
• Ryder System, number 394;
• J.B. Hunt Transport Services, number 407; and
• Expeditors International of Washington, number 429

While not making the cut for the Fortune 500, many other well-known companies qualified for the Fortune 1,000, including: YRC Worldwide, number 534, Swift Transportation, number 586, Hub Group, number 640. Landstar System, number 699, Old Dominion Freight Line, number 731, ArcBest, number 774, Kansas City Southern, number 854, Werner Enterprises, number 934, Genesee & Wyoming, number 934, Roadrunner Transportation Systems, number 947, Matson, number 954, and Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, number 985.

Taking a look at all of these companies, it stands to reason that it is somewhat surprising that more freight transportation and logistics companies were not included. But at the same time, it remains incredibly impressive all the same.

While we are all firmly entrenched in our logistics-related jobs, it is easy to focus on the task at hand and often overlook the big picture.

In this case, the big picture really is the global, and domestic, economic engine, one in which freight transportation and logistics plays as key of a role as anything else.

And while it has said before, the companies mentioned above, and many, many others, too, are really front and center, or at the ground zero, if you will, of global trade across all modes, not to mention technology as well.

As a result of that, it stands to reason that as time goes on, and, with that hopefully the global economy gains traction, that even more freight transportation and logistics companies make that list in the coming years.