Averitt is expanding its logistics footprint with the opening of a new 100,000-square-foot distribution and fulfillment facility in Jackson, Mississippi. The less-than-truckload (LTL) carrier announced the opening Thursday, adding another significant investment to its recently expanded network.
The new facility is strategically located near two of central Mississippi’s key freight corridors, Interstate 20 and Interstate 55. The location could benefit from planned infrastructure improvements, as the Mississippi Department of Transportation announced Tuesday a $400 million project covering roadway and bridge upgrades along the two corridors. The plan also includes improvements to rail infrastructure.
Averitt already has an established presence at the site, operating a 57-door LTL terminal next to the new warehouse. Like most major national LTL carriers, the company maintains service centers in the surrounding area.
Based in Cookeville, Tennessee, Averitt said the new facility will also support rail connections and provide access to ports in New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama. The warehouse is designed to give customers greater flexibility, particularly when they need additional capacity for seasonal inventory or temporary overflow.
Rather than requiring customers to commit to long-term contracts, the facility will allow businesses to adjust the amount of warehouse space they use according to their distribution requirements.
“Jackson is an important market for Averitt, and this facility expands the ways we can support businesses in the area,” said Barry Blakely, the company’s president and chief operating officer. “We are pleased to bring flexible warehousing and fulfillment options to the market and give businesses more choices as their distribution needs change.”
The investment adds to the infrastructure of a company that has operated for 55 years. Averitt currently runs more than 140 terminals, concentrated primarily across the U.S. South and Southeast. Beyond its LTL operations, the carrier provides truckload, dedicated, distribution and fulfillment services, along with other logistics solutions. The company employs more than 9,000 people.
The Jackson opening is also part of a broader network expansion announced by Averitt earlier this year. The carrier plans to add 900,000 square feet of warehouse capacity, 379 dock doors and 2,000 truck parking spaces by 2027. In June, Averitt opened another facility in Tulsa, Oklahoma, featuring 33 dock doors.
The company has also recently increased compensation for its LTL and regional drivers. Regional drivers received a 2-cent-per-mile increase earlier this month, bringing their new top rate to 66 cents per mile. LTL drivers received a pay increase at the end of July.
Why it matters
Averitt’s new Jackson facility reinforces the carrier’s strategy of increasing network capacity while combining warehousing and fulfillment services with its existing LTL infrastructure. Its proximity to major highways, rail connections and ports gives the company additional flexibility in serving businesses whose distribution requirements can fluctuate throughout the year.
The project also illustrates Averitt’s wider effort to expand its physical network, with further warehouse capacity, dock doors and truck parking planned through 2027.
