Wisconsin native Jim Filter takes the wheel at Schneider as top executive

Jim Filter has been named CEO of Schneider, the Green Bay, Wisconsin-based freight and logistics giant, effective July 1, 2026. He replaces Mark Rourke, who will transition to executive chairman of the board. The appointment marks a homecoming for Filter, a Wisconsin native and the fifth CEO in the company’s 91-year history—and the first Wisconsinite to hold the post since Don Schneider. Filter joined Schneider 28 years ago as a maintenance team leader in Green Bay before rising through the ranks, including leadership roles in Detroit and Mexico. He returned to Green Bay in 2012. A former U.S. Marine Corps helicopter mechanic, Filter began his career at Schneider and later married his wife, Maria, who also worked for the company. Schneider went public in 2017 under then-CEO Chris Lofgren, who is now chairman of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and lives next door to the Filter family. Under Filter’s leadership, Schneider’s dedicated fleet has grown to nearly 8,600 tractors by the end of 2025, reversing the mix from 70% network and 30% dedicated in 2017. The shift was driven largely by acquisitions, including the $390 million purchase of Cowan Systems in November 2024, following earlier deals for Midwest Logistics Systems and M&M Transport Services in 2022 and 2023. Filter emphasized a strategy focused on differentiated growth, cost reduction, stronger customer loyalty, and disciplined mergers and acquisitions. He highlighted dedicated trucking as a key area of opportunity but did not rule out intermodal or logistics acquisitions, provided they align culturally and strategically. Schneider operates across three core segments: truckload, intermodal, and logistics (including contract logistics, brokerage, and power-only services). The company ranks No. 10 on Transport Topics’ Top 100 list of North America’s largest for-hire carriers, No. 5 among truckload/dedicated carriers, No. 4 in intermodal/drayage, and No. 18 among the largest logistics companies. Filter is already putting his stamp on the business, including the launch of Fast Track in November 2025—a service that integrates Schneider’s truckload and intermodal capabilities with rail partnerships to deliver faster transit times, often two days quicker than competitors on key U.S. and Mexico lanes. The initiative targets high-service customers, including automotive manufacturers, where on-time performance is critical. Schneider has also expanded intermodal lanes connecting Mexico with the Midwest and Southeastern U.S., catering to sectors such as automotive, consumer products, and paper goods.