Heartland Express Finalizes CFI Integration, Rebrands Operations
By Felecia Stratton | December 10, 2025
Heartland Express, Inc. has announced that it will fully integrate the U.S. operations of Contract Freighters, Inc. (CFI) into its broader fleet, effective December 31, 2025. The move brings to a close CFI’s run as a separate operating unit, as its operations are absorbed into Heartland Express.
The integration decision follows a period of system upgrades and operational alignment between the two companies over 2025. Earlier this year, CFI completed a conversion to Heartland’s transportation-management system and transitioned to a unified driver electronic-logging and communication platform.
Under the new structure, CFI’s U.S. fleet will be rebranded under the Heartland Express name. CFI’s Mexican subsidiary — CFI Logistica, S.A. de C.V. — will remain unaffected.
According to Heartland Express CEO Mike Gerdin, the integration was deemed the next logical step after seeing improved performance from CFI during 2025. “We are excited to announce the integration and rebranding of the U.S. operations of CFI into Heartland Express, similar to several of our prior acquisitions,” he said. “We believe that integrating and rebranding CFI into Heartland Express is the next logical step in enhancing our consolidated operating and financial performance.”
While CFI will cease to exist as an independent brand in the U.S., Heartland plans to maintain the existing CFI offices in Joplin, Missouri (CFI’s headquarters), West Memphis, Arkansas, and Laredo, Texas. Current CFI employees will be offered the opportunity to continue their employment under Heartland Express.
From a customer and operations perspective, the consolidation is expected to increase fleet capacity, streamline dispatch and operations, and provide access to Heartland’s broader network and resources. This includes enhanced compensation and benefit packages for former CFI drivers, aligned with Heartland’s legacy driver pay structure.
The integration rounds out the 2022 acquisition of CFI by Heartland Express. When the acquisition closed, Heartland noted that bringing CFI into its family of companies — along with other existing operating units — would help build a larger, more efficient truckload network.