COOKEVILLE, Tenn. (August 25, 2005) – According to a survey conducted by the editors of Inbound Logistics magazine, Cookeville-based freight transportation and supply chain management provider Averitt Express is among the world's "Top 100 Third-Party Logistics Providers" (3PLs).

The magazine's annual Top 100 3PL Provider Awards issue evaluates companies based on readers' demands paired with the capabilities of leading third-party logistics providers. Averitt was selected from more than 500 companies through a process of questionnaires and personal interviews.

A "3PL" is a company that functions as a mediator between freight shippers and transportation providers. Third-party logistics providers often execute a wide range of shipping functions on behalf of their customers, such as freight forwarding, logistics and transportation management, warehousing, transportation network design and operation and facility management.

"Averitt made the 2005 list because of its flexibility and leadership in expanding their solutions and offering excellent customer service," said Felecia Stratton, editor of Inbound Logistics. "It's tough to keep up with customer demands in any environment, but the speed with which change is happening is a testament to Averitt's ability to anticipate customers’ evolving needs. The companies chosen reflect leadership by answering our readers' needs for reliability, ROI and efficient implementation. Inbound Logistics is proud to recognize Averitt for leading the way in logistics excellence."

It is only one of seven companies listed in the annual market report that offers all available third-party logistics services including truckload, ocean, dedicated contract carriage, small package, air cargo, less than truckload, bulk, fleet acquisitions, and equipment/drivers and rail services.

About Inbound Logistics

Inbound Logistics magazine was established in 1981 with the educational mission of helping leading U.S. companies better manage corporate resources by speeding and reducing inventory, supporting infrastructure and better matching demand signals to supply lines. Today this concept is widely accepted as supply-chain management, and Inbound Logistics reaches more than 250,000 print and web readers in North America and around the world. More information can be found at http://www.inboundlogistics.com.

About Averitt Express

Established in 1971, Averitt Express is a leading provider of freight transportation and supply chain management with international reach to more than 100 countries. The company specializes in delivering customized solutions with a single source of accountability for service offerings that include less-than-truckload, truckload, time-critical, importing/exporting, and supply chain management. Backed by successful execution for hundreds of customers, Averitt’s supply chain capabilities include dedicated fleet operations, warehouse management services, portside distribution, transportation management, and transportation network design and operation. For more information, call 1-800-AVERITT or visit http://www.averittexpress.com/.