Schneider National will take over Emerson's transportation division by the end of the year, providing the company a 300-driver dedicated fleet.

St. Louis, Mo.-based Emerson manufactures appliances and tools; electronics and telecommunications equipment; industrial automation and process control systems; and heating, ventilating and air conditioning equipment.

"In today's economic environment, operating a trucking company is tough enough when it's your core competency; it's even more challenging when it's not your specialty," said Mark Rourke, president of truckload services for Schneider National. "Companies like Emerson know that they can deploy their people and financial resources toward core strategies and leave the transportation work to us."

Schneider plans on hiring many of the drivers who previously worked for Emerson, Rourke said.

"Companies who transition their transportation work often assume that their professional, loyal drivers will be lost," Rourke said. "That's simply not the case. Schneider National recognizes that the collective experience and company knowledge these folks bring is invaluable and must be incorporated into the new transportation approach."

The Emerson Transportation Division was established in 1962 as the private fleet of Emerson. The division maintained 170 trucks in 29 locations across the U.S.