Old Dominion Freight Inc., a less-than-truckload shipping company, has named a new chief executive officer, according to a filing Friday with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Greg Gantt, current president and chief operations officer, will take on the role of chief executive officer while keeping his role as president, effective May 16.

The Thomasville-based company’s current chief executive officer, David Congdon, will become executive chairman of the board, and current chairman Earl Congdon will serve as senior executive chairman effective the same date.

The transitions are part of the company’s long-term leadership succession plan.

“A big part of Old Dominion’s success has been our consistent approach to operating with a long-term perspective, and today’s announcement reflects our board’s thoughtful approach to timely and careful succession planning,” said Earl Congdon in a statement.

Old Dominion offers less-than-truckload shipping across the continental United States. The company has 227 shipping service centers, 32 transfer points and employs over 18,000 people.

Gantt has served in various leadership roles at Old Dominion beginning as a regional vice president in 1994. In 2002 he became senior vice president of operations and in 2011 he became chief operating officer and executive vice president, becoming president in May 2015.

David Congdon has served as chief executive officer since 2008 and vice chairman since 2015. He served as president of the company from 1997 to May 2015.

Earl Congdon, son of the Old Dominion founders, has been executive chairman of Old Dominion since 2008 and a board member since 1952.

The company is trading at $146.10, up 2.52 percent in Friday morning trading.