Revenue. Total revenue decreased 14.6% to $333.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 from $391.0 million for the same period in 2020. The exit of the Aveda operations resulted in a $42.0 million, or 10.7%, reduction in total revenue. The remaining decrease in total revenue was due primarily to decreases in company freight, fuel surcharge and brokerage revenue. Company freight revenue decreased $35.8 million, or 19.8%, to $145.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 from $180.9 million for the same period in 2020. The decrease in company freight revenue was a result of a 1.8% decrease in rate per mile and an 11.8% decrease in total miles driven, in conjunction with a $25.2 million reduction due to the exit of the Aveda operations. Brokerage revenue decreased $13.2 million, or 21.4%, to $48.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 from $61.7 million for the same period in 2020 due to a $9.9 million reduction due to the exit of the Aveda operations combined with a decrease in customer sales volumes. Fuel surcharge revenue, decreased $3.8 million, or 12.5%, to $26.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 from $30.5 million for the same period in 2020 due to a decrease in loaded miles.
The Company’s Specialized Solutions segment’s revenue decreased 23.6% to $183.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 from $240.4 million for the same period in 2020. The exit of the Aveda operations resulted in a $42.0 million, or 17.5%, reduction in the Specialized Solutions segment’s revenue. The remaining decrease was primarily due to decreases in brokerage revenue and company freight. Company freight revenue decreased $29.4 million, or 22.3%, to $102.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 from $132.1 million for the same period in 2020. The decrease in company freight revenue was primarily a result of a 14.0% decrease in rate per mile and a 8.7% decrease in total miles driven compared to the same period in 2020, in conjunction with a $25.2 million reduction due to the exit of the Aveda operations. The decrease in rate per mile was primarily driven by the exit of Aveda operation which historically had the highest rate per mile within the segment. Brokerage revenue decreased $16.2 million, or 37.9%, to $26.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 from $42.8 million for the same period in 2020 primarily due to a $9.9 million reduction due to the exit of the Aveda operations combined with a decrease in customer sales volumes.
The Company’s Flatbed Solutions segment’s revenue decreased $1.7 million, or 1.1%, to $153.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 from $155.2 million for the same period in 2020, which was primarily due to a decrease in miles driven. Company freight revenue decreased $6.6 million, or 12.8%, to $44.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 from $51.4 million for the same period in 2020. Owner operator freight revenue increased $4.9 million, or 7.4%, to $71.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 from $66.1 million for the same period in 2020. Brokerage revenue increased $2.5 million, or 12.8%, to $22.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 from $19.6 million for the same period in 2020 due to increase in customer volumes. The decrease in overall freight revenue was a result of a 14.4% decrease in total miles driven compared to the same period in 2020, offset by a 15.1% increase in rate per mile. Fuel surcharge revenue decreased $2.9 million, or 16.8%, to $14.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 from $17.3 million for the same period in 2020 due to a decrease in loaded miles.
Salaries, Wages and Employee Benefits. Salaries, wages and employee benefits expense, which consists of compensation for all employees, is primarily affected by the number of miles driven by Company drivers, the rate per mile paid to Company drivers, employee benefits including, but not limited to, health care and workers’ compensation, and to a lesser extent, the number of, and compensation and benefits paid to, non-driver employees. In general, the Specialized Solutions segment drivers receive a higher driver pay per total mile than Flatbed Solutions segment drivers due to the former requiring a higher level of training and expertise.
Salaries, wages and employee benefits expense decreased 17.8% to $90.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 from $110.4 million for the same period in 2020. The decrease in salaries, wages and employee benefits expense was primarily due to decreased employee headcount related to Project Pivot and Project Synchronize and driver pay due to the decrease in company miles compared to the same period in 2020. Salaries, wages and employee benefits expense, as a percentage of consolidated revenue (excluding brokerage revenue), decreased 1.8% for the three months ended March 31, 2021 as compared to the same period in 2020.
The Company’s Specialized Solutions segment had a $17.6 million, or 23.7%, decrease in salaries, wages and employee benefits expense for the three months ended March 31, 2021 compared to the same period in 2020, primarily as a result of the decreased employee headcount related to Project Synchronize and driver pay due to the decrease in company miles compared to the same period in 2020. Salaries, wages and employee benefits expense, as a percentage of Specialized Solutions revenue (excluding brokerage revenue), decreased 1.5% for the three months ended March 31, 2021 as compared to the same period in 2020.
The Company’s Flatbed Solutions segment had a $4.8 million, or 14.4%, decrease in salaries, wages and employee benefits expense for the three months ended March 31, 2021 compared to the same period in 2020, primarily as a result of the decreased employee headcount related to Project Synchronize and driver pay due to the decrease in company miles compared to the same period in 2020. Salaries, wages and employee benefits expense, as a percentage of Flatbed Solutions revenue (excluding brokerage revenue), decreased 2.9% for the three months ended March 31, 2021 as compared to the same period in 2020.
Fuel. Fuel expense consists primarily of diesel fuel expense for company-owned tractors and fuel taxes. The primary factors affecting fuel expense are the cost of diesel fuel, the miles per gallon realized with company equipment and the number of miles driven by Company drivers.