American Freightways was a prominent American less-than-truckload (LTL) trucking company based in Harrison, Arkansas. Founded in 1982 by Sheridan Garrison, the company initially operated under the name Arkansas Freightways. It began operations following the deregulation of the trucking industry under the Motor Carrier Act of 1980, which allowed for increased competition and the entry of new carriers.
The company specialized in LTL shipping, a logistics model where multiple smaller shipments from different customers are consolidated into a single trailer. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the company underwent significant geographical expansion. In 1993, to reflect its growing footprint beyond the regional market of the South-Central United States, the firm officially changed its name to American Freightways. By the late 1990s, it had established a presence in 40 states.
In 2001, FedEx Corporation acquired American Freightways for approximately $1.2 billion in cash and stock, plus the assumption of debt. Following the acquisition, FedEx merged American Freightways with Viking Freight, another regional LTL carrier it had previously acquired, to form FedEx Freight. The integration of American Freightways provided FedEx with an established ground network for heavy freight, significantly expanding its capabilities in the industrial shipping sector.
