WillItSurvive
Logistics and supply chain companies · United States

Radiant Logistics

radiantdelivers.com ↗

Asset-light freight broker built by rolling up small logistics agencies.

Losing its protection
Assessed 23 July 2026 · Evidence as of 23 July 2026
The structural protection is eroding.
On the recordSince 23 July 2026 · Checkable from September 2026 · Every call on the record Checkpoint: Q4 FY2026 earnings, next check on organic growth vs. margin trend
The call

Radiant keeps growing by buying agencies even as its per-shipment margin shrinks against bigger, more automated rivals.

Radiant Logistics arranges trucking shipments between customers and carriers, making money on the price difference. Larger competitors like C.H. Robinson and DHL are using AI robots to quote prices, match loads to trucks, and process paperwork faster and cheaper, which squeezes the profit margin that brokers like Radiant depend on. Radiant grew mostly by buying other brokers rather than winning new business on its own, and its profit margin dropped sharply in the latest quarter even though revenue stayed flat, suggesting that AI automation from bigger rivals is making the business harder to profit from. The one thing that could matter most is whether Radiant's own AI tools can keep its margins from falling further, or whether C.H. Robinson's AI systems become so good at handling standard shipments that there is simply less profit left for a smaller player to capture.

Why
01
AI pressure: C.H. Robinson's 30+ AI agents for quoting, load-matching, and document processing. Rival AI agents price and match loads faster and cheaper, squeezing the brokerage spread Radiant depends on. Could AI do the core job? Yes, likely.
02
Bigger players: C.H. Robinson, DHL, Echo Global Logistics. Bigger networks run automation at scale on quoting and paperwork, letting them undercut Radiant on mid-market lanes. Could a giant copy it? Yes, easily.
03
What protects it. Its web of independent agent stations gives local customer relationships and flexible capacity that raw automation hasn't replaced yet.
What would change this call
Radiant's adjusted EBITDA margin in FY2026 Q4 and FY2027 Q1 earnings reports. Continued decline below 13.8% would show AI-driven rivals are winning on price and efficiency.
Management discloses quantified Ray or Navegate automation impact metrics in next 2-3 earnings calls. Would show whether Radiant's own AI tools can offset margin compression from bigger rivals.
Reports of agent-station defections or loss of mid-market lanes to C.H. Robinson or Echo Global Logistics. Would confirm customers are actively switching to better-automated competitors.
Key numbers
  • Q3 FY2026 adjusted EBITDA margin fell 240bps to 13.8% (2026-03-31)
  • Q3 FY2026 revenue flat at $214.1M YoY (2026-03-31)
  • FY2025 revenue $902.7M, up 12.5% YoY (2025-06-30)
Named risks
  • EBITDA margin compression of 240bps YoY in Q3 FY2026 signals pricing pressure from larger AI-automated rivals. Severity: high
  • Growth dependent on continued acquisitions rather than proprietary technology or organic volume. Severity: medium
  • Customer bankruptcy exposure, as seen with $1.3M bad-debt charge from First Brands Group Chapter 11 in Q1 FY2026. Severity: medium
  • Tariff litigation uncertainty around July 2026 sunset could disrupt international freight-forwarding volumes. Severity: medium
  • AI deployment (Ray) is early-stage and unsized versus C.H. Robinson's 30+ shipped agents. Severity: high
Rivals, as read in July 2026
RivalDirectionEvidence
C.H. Robinsonlosing toDeployed 30+ AI agents with over 90% automation on some processes as of April 2026, vs Radiant's single Ray agent launched Feb 2026
DHL Supply Chainlosing toPartnered with HappyRobot for agentic AI in driver calls and warehouse coordination, reported April 2026
Echo Global LogisticscontestingComparable-size peer (~$914M revenue per vendor estimate) competing in same freight brokerage segment
Questions people ask
Is Radiant Logistics profitable in 2026?
Yes. Radiant reported Q3 FY2026 (ended March 31, 2026) net income of $4.7 million, up 83.8% year over year, on revenue of $214.1 million, though adjusted EBITDA margin fell 240 basis points to 13.8% amid margin pressure.
Could AI replace Radiant Logistics' freight brokers?
Core workflows like quoting, load matching, WISMO tracking, and customs document processing are prime AI automation targets. Radiant launched its first AI agent, Ray, in February 2026, but management has not yet disclosed quantified impact, while rival C.H. Robinson already runs 30+ AI agents at over 90% automation on some processes.
Who is Radiant Logistics' biggest competitor?
C.H. Robinson, the largest US freight broker, is Radiant's biggest competitive threat. As of April 2026, C.H. Robinson had deployed more than 30 autonomous AI agents executing millions of freight tasks, pushing some processes above 90% automation, well ahead of Radiant's newly launched Ray agent.
Is Radiant Logistics a safe company to join in 2026?
Radiant is debt-free (net debt about $2.0 million against a $200 million credit facility as of September 30, 2025) and profitable, but Q3 FY2026 adjusted EBITDA margin fell 240 basis points YoY to 13.8%, signaling margin pressure that could affect hiring or compensation stability.
Who owns Radiant Logistics?
Radiant Logistics is publicly traded on NYSE American under ticker RLGT with no controlling parent. Founder Bohn H. Crain, who incorporated the company on March 15, 2001, remains Chairman and CEO as of 2026.
Is Radiant Logistics growing through acquisitions or organic growth?
Growth has been primarily acquisition-driven. Recent deals include Universal Logistics (May 2025, Houston) and Transcon (March 2025, adding Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Shenzhen operations), with management citing acquisition-led transportation revenue growth over organic volume gains.
Timeline
  • 2026-05-11Q3 FY2026 results: revenue $214.1M flat YoY, EBITDA margin fell 240bps to 13.8%
  • 2026-02-09Q2 FY2026 results and launch of Ray, Radiant's first AI agent
  • 2025-11-10Q1 FY2026 results: revenue $226.7M, $1.3M bad-debt charge from First Brands bankruptcy
  • 2025-09-15FY2025 full-year results: revenue $902.7M, net income $17.3M
  • 2025-05-05Acquired Universal Logistics Inc. in Houston, folded into Airgroup brand
  • 2025-03-01Acquired Transcon, adding Hong Kong, Shanghai, Shenzhen gateway operations
  • 2024-09-01Acquired Foundation Logistics and Services
  • 2024-04-01Acquired Viking Logistics
  • 2001-03-15Company incorporated by Bohn H. Crain
Revision history
23 July 2026
First assessed. Losing its protection. The text above is fixed as of this date and is not edited afterwards.
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