The rebrand happened at the top of the company, not on the side of every trailer overnight.
The sale, dated
Two documents settle this cleanly: UPS's own announcement of the sale, and TFI International's own announcement of buying it.
| Question | What the record shows |
|---|---|
| Announced | January 25, 2021, per UPS's press release filed as Exhibit 99.1 to its Form 8-K |
| Closed | April 30, 2021, per TFI International's press release "TFI International Completes Previously Announced UPS Freight Acquisition," filed as Exhibit 99.1 to its Form 6-K |
| Price | 800 million USD enterprise value, cash-free and debt-free, per both companies' announcements |
| New name | TForce Freight, assigned by TFI International after the close |
| What changed hands | UPS's less-than-truckload and dedicated truckload businesses; the parcel network was not part of the sale |
UPS's own wording from that January 2021 release describes what stayed the same size of business it was: roughly 3 billion USD in 2020 revenue changing owners, sold as a going concern rather than broken up.
Why UPS still shows up in the story
The confusion has a real cause, not just a lingering brown paint job. UPS's own press release states the sale came with an operating agreement between the two companies, not just a clean handoff.
A five-year agreement
UPS's own announcement, written in January 2021 before the TForce Freight name existed, states the deal included “UPS Freight to continue to utilize UPS' domestic package network to fulfill shipments” for a set term after closing. That's an interline arrangement between two separate companies, not evidence of shared ownership.
Freight kept moving through UPS's lanes
Some TForce Freight shipments still touch UPS's package network under that agreement, which is exactly the kind of detail that keeps the two names tangled together years after the sale closed.
Ownership is the test, not the paint
An interline agreement is a commercial contract, terminable and time-bound. Ownership is what determines who runs the company, and that has been TFI International since April 30, 2021.
Who owns it, and what it ships
TForce Freight's own site, read 2026-08-31, identifies itself in its footer as a TFI International company and describes its business plainly: less-than-truckload freight, not parcels.
TFI International owns it
A publicly traded transportation holding company built around acquisitions like this one, running TForce Freight as part of its LTL business segment rather than as a UPS subsidiary.
LTL freight is the product
Pallets consolidated with other shippers' pallets in the same trailer, priced by freight class, weight and density rather than by a package rate card. Its site also lists standard and guaranteed service tiers and a truckload option.
Reach beyond the lower 48
TForce Freight's own site names service into Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Alaska and Guam alongside the contiguous states, the geography of an LTL carrier rather than a regional trucker.
A parcel that fits inside a package carrier's own weight and size limits is a different booking entirely, and searching for a “UPS freight quote” often means one of those two very different things. That confusion, from the package side rather than the TForce side, is covered on its own page below.
Getting a quote
SMKlog's own checkout prices and sells United States domestic parcel labels; it does not book or arrange LTL freight with TForce or any other freight carrier.
Where these facts come from
- United Parcel Service, Inc., press release “UPS Announces Agreement to Sell UPS Freight to TFI International Inc.,” filed as Exhibit 99.1 to UPS's Form 8-K, sec.gov — announcement date, price and the five-year package-network agreement (written as “UPS Freight,” the TForce Freight name did not exist yet). Read 2026-08-31.
- TFI International Inc., press release “TFI International Completes Previously Announced UPS Freight Acquisition,” filed as Exhibit 99.1 to its Form 6-K, sec.gov — the April 30, 2021 closing date, enterprise value and the new TForce Freight name. Read 2026-08-31.
- TForce Freight, tforcefreight.com — current ownership by TFI International and the LTL freight business description. Read 2026-08-31.
Both companies' sites are updated on their own schedules; the details above reflect what was published on the date read.
TForce Freight questions
What is TForce Freight?
An LTL freight carrier, not a UPS company. TForce Freight is the former UPS Freight division, sold to TFI International and renamed after the sale closed on April 30, 2021, per TFI International's SEC-filed closing press release, read 2026-08-31.
Is TForce Freight the same company as UPS?
No. UPS announced the sale on January 25, 2021, in an 800 million USD deal, filed with the SEC as Exhibit 99.1 to its Form 8-K and read 2026-08-31. TFI International, a separate publicly traded company, has owned the business since the deal closed.
Why does TForce Freight still look connected to UPS?
Because the two companies kept doing business with each other after the sale. UPS's own announcement, written before the TForce Freight name existed, states the deal included a five-year agreement for "UPS Freight to continue to utilize UPS' domestic package network to fulfill shipments," which is an interline arrangement, not shared ownership.
What does TForce Freight actually ship?
Less-than-truckload freight, palletized and consolidated with other shippers' pallets in the same trailer, plus truckload service. Its own site, read 2026-08-31, describes the business as LTL freight across the contiguous states, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Alaska and Guam, distinct from parcel delivery.
Can I get a TForce Freight quote through SMKlog?
No. SMKlog sells parcel labels only and does not arrange pallet or freight shipments.