> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.tread.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Companies & Hierarchy

> Single companies vs parent/child structures, and when to use each.

## What it is

A Tread account is a Company. Most Tread customers run as one company. A Company can also be a Parent with Child companies underneath — used when a company has true regional splits with separate dispatchers, fleets, or books.

## Why it matters

Hierarchy decides where your data lives. Drivers, equipment, customers, vendors, and rates all attach to one Company.

## How Tread models it

* **Flat company** — one record. Everything lives at this level. Default for \~90% of customers.
* **Parent / Child** — one Parent, two or more Child companies.
  * Typically the Parent company will act as a "Holding Company", where the operations will live at individual child company levels.
    * For example
      * Hold Co 1 - Hold Co users, who should have access to all children, added here
        * Regional Operating Co A
        * Dispatch Data & regional Co A users live here
        * Regional Operating Co B
          * Dispatch Data & regional Co B users live here
  * Users assigned to the parent can navigate "down" to every Child company.
  * Users added directly to Child companies can not see the data at the parent company level.
  * Child companies can be connected with each other, as vendors and customers to each other
* **Sharing** data across companies
  * Operational Data should be added at the most relevant operational company level
  * If Trucks and Equipment, Foreman, Drivers, and Sites are all used across child companies, it makes sense to create master data at the Parent level and shared down via [Company Shares](/concepts/connected-ecosystem).
  * If Child companies are truly independent regions, with minimal to no overlap, data should be managed at each child co level
  * Connected Vendors, Connected Customers can be shared across the hierarchy
  * Sites should be shared from the Parent co down to child companies
  * Drivers, Foreman, and Equipment can be shared to any connected company

| Use flat when                           | Use parent/child when                  |
| --------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------- |
| One office, one fleet, one set of books | Multiple regions with separate P\&Ls   |
| Dispatchers cover all work              | Each region has its own dispatcher     |
| Single accounting export                | Each region exports reports separately |

## Common pitfalls

<Tip>
  Hierarchy is hard to undo. Confirm the structure with your Tread implementation lead before creating master data.
</Tip>

## Related

* [Connected Ecosystem](/concepts/connected-ecosystem) — how shared entities flow between companies
* [Roles & Permissions](/concepts/roles-permissions) — who can see and edit data across the hierarchy
* [Onboarding: Company Hierarchy](/onboarding/company-hierarchy) — step-by-step setup