Investing in Transportation Stocks

By Lou Whiteman – Updated Oct 3, 2025 at 1:11 AM | Fact-checked by Frank Bass

Key Points

Invest in stocks of transportation companies to potentially profit from ongoing supply chain demands.
Consider companies with strong operational efficiency and low debt levels for long-term investments.
Diversify your portfolio with transportation stocks to leverage their cyclical nature for growth.

Moving people and things from place to place is big business, and many different transportation companies can take you and your stuff wherever you want. By investing in the stocks of those companies, you can profit from transportation.

Transportation companies have been in the news lately due to supply chain bottlenecks that have caused a wide range of companies to revise their estimates. Ports, railroads, and truckers have been affected. The strong demand has helped pricing power, but labor shortages have led to higher costs and limited the upside for these stocks.

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Tractor trailers being loaded behind a warehouse. — Image source: Getty Images.

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Ticker Information Table
Name and ticker	Market cap	Dividend yield	Industry
United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS)	$81.7 billion	6.79%	Air Freight and Logistics
Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP)	$130.7 billion	2.45%	Road and Rail
Old Dominion Freight Line (NASDAQ:ODFL)	$29.5 billion	0.78%	Road and Rail
Kirby (NYSE:KEX)	$5.8 billion	0.00%	Marine

Data as of Nov 2, 2025.

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NYSE: UPS

United Parcel Service

Today's Change

(1.65%) $1.57

Current Price

$96.63

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$82B

Day's Range

$94.61 - $96.90

52wk Range

$82.00 - $138.67

Volume

249K

Avg Vol

8.4M

Gross Margin

18.14%

Dividend Yield

0.07%

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Union Pacific

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NYSE: UNP

Union Pacific

Today's Change

(0.70%) $1.54

Current Price

$220.37

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$131B

Day's Range

$216.34 - $220.99

52wk Range

$204.66 - $256.84

Volume

2.6M

Avg Vol

4.1M

Gross Margin

45.82%

Dividend Yield

0.02%

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NASDAQ: ODFL

Old Dominion Freight Line

Today's Change

(2.31%) $3.17

Current Price

$140.42

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$30B

Day's Range

$134.58 - $141.27

52wk Range

$133.69 - $233.26

Volume

2.4M

Avg Vol

Gross Margin

31.83%

Dividend Yield

0.01%

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With a massive coverage network, this trucking company serves the continental U.S., Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. Old Dominion (ODFL +2.31%) specializes in "less-than-truckload" or LTL trucking, which involves hauling loads for more than one customer on one truck. It is a complex part of the business that, when done well, can generate higher margins than other parts of the trucking industry.

Kirby

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NYSE: KEX

Kirby

Today's Change

(-0.81%) $-0.85

Current Price

$103.48

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$6B

Day's Range

$102.01 - $105.18

52wk Range

$79.52 - $132.21

Volume

2.2M

Avg Vol

Gross Margin

25.84%

Dividend Yield

N/A

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This U.S. tank barge operator uses the entire Mississippi River watershed as a conduit for moving goods through the U.S. heartland. Kirby (KEX -0.81%) delivers bulk liquids to customers on the West, East, and Gulf of America coasts, as well as Alaska and Hawaii.

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About the Author

Lou Whiteman is a contributing Motley Fool industrials and financial services analyst covering aerospace, defense, transport, manufacturing, specialty finance, and bank stocks. Previously, Lou was a financial analyst and senior writer for TheStreet, a venture capital specialist for The Deal LLC, and a high school personal finance teacher. He holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Loyola University Maryland and completed a fellowship at the ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking.

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@louwhiteman

Lou Whiteman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Old Dominion Freight Line and United Parcel Service. The Motley Fool recommends Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, and Union Pacific. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.