What The Bertling Group does

The Bertling Group is a privately-held global logistics and shipping company founded in 1865 and headquartered in Hamburg, Germany. It operates through three global divisions: Bertling Logistics (project logistics, general freight forwarding, air, sea, road, and rail transport, heavy lift, and warehousing), Shipping & Chartering (ship owning, chartering, brokerage, and fleet management including stand-alone dry bulk operator Bertling Bulk Services headquartered in Singapore), and IT/Digitalization via in-house subsidiary BESITEC. The company owns a fleet of modern ocean-going vessels across multiple classes, including the 51,500 DWAT Navarra open-hatch carriers, 36,100 DWAT Aquitania geared bulk carriers, 40,000 DWAT Dolphin handysize bulk carrier, and 45,000 DWT tankers, and acts as a major broker for MSC and house broker for various shipowners, charterers, and operators.

The firm runs an international network of 50 offices and approximately 700 worldwide employees plus dedicated sub-contractors, serving enterprise customers in oil & gas, petrochemical, power generation, mining, agriculture, and industrial plant equipment sectors. Its core technology is the BLU Transport Management System, an in-house built platform combining project management functions (PO line item management, expediting, tracking) with operational freight-forwarding features (freight booking, shipping documents, warehouse, and packing modules). The customer-facing counterpart BLU4U provides real-time shipment tracking and supply-chain visibility; BLU4U Pro extends this with Invoice Approval workflows. BESITEC, the ISO 27001-certified in-house IT division, develops these systems alongside blockchain and API digitalization services for clients. The company also offers sustainability-focused tools including the Eco Footprint Tracker (pre- and post-transport emissions calculation) and circular logistics solutions via the Bertling Enviro subsidiary, with airfreight products structured under the B. brand (B. Express, B. Reliable, B. Green, B. Cargo, B. Essential).

Bertling makes money through three core revenue streams: (1) freight forwarding and logistics services billed on quote-based, customized project pricing across air, sea, road, and rail modes; (2) shipping and chartering services including freight trading, cargo operating, ship operating, parceling, and charter brokerage on a transaction/fee basis, supported by owned vessel capacity; and (3) IT and digitalization solutions from BESITEC on subscription/recurring terms. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales through the global office network and the BLU4U digital platform. Ownership remains with the founding Bulmahn family, with Hendrik Bulmahn as Director and Julia Bulmahn as shareholder, and no private equity or institutional investor ownership is evidenced. The customer base is enterprise and project-driven, with named relationships including MSC, Tekniska Verken Linköping, Skaraslättens Transport, AVICO Group, and various undisclosed oil & gas and bulk commodity clients.

Name

The Bertling Group

Legal name

F.H. Bertling Holding GmbH

Website

https://bertling.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1865

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

The Bertling Group is a Hamburg-based, family-owned global logistics and shipping company founded in 1865, operating 50 offices and 700+ employees across project logistics, ship-owning/chartering/brokerage, and proprietary BLU/BLU4U transport-management technology for enterprise clients in oil & gas, power, mining, and bulk commodities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Project Freight Forwarding and Shipping Services

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510), Other Support Activities for Water Transportation (48839)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Project & OOG/Breakbulk Ocean Forwarding (Out-of-Gauge, RoRo) (TLACABAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Tug Chartering, Brokerage & Dispatch Services (TLAHAHAL)

Keywords

• Project freight forwarding
• Ship chartering brokerage
• Heavy lift transport
• Transport management software
• Global logistics services

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Freight Forwarding and Logistics Services: Core logistics services including project freight forwarding, GFF (General Freight Forwarding), and resupply transports. Services cover air freight, sea freight, road freight, rail freight, heavy lift & engineering, warehousing & material management, and project management.
2. Shipping and Chartering Services: Ship-owning, chartering, and brokerage services. Bertling owns a fleet of modern ocean-going vessels operating worldwide. Services include freight trading, cargo operating, ship operating, and parcelling through Bertling Bulk Services.
3. IT and Digitalization Solutions: BESITEC provides tailormade IT solutions including digitalization services, API standards, blockchain technology implementation, and transport management software (BLU/BLU4U).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Bertling Group is a global logistics and shipping company providing end-to-end project freight forwarding, multi-modal transport (air, sea, road, rail), ship chartering and brokerage, and vessel ownership services. It operates an in-house Transport Management System (BLU) and a customer-facing tracking platform (BLU4U) developed by its BESITEC IT division, serving enterprise clients in oil & gas, power, mining, and agriculture.

Product overview

The Bertling Group is a global logistics and shipping company operating three global business divisions: Logistics (project logistics, air freight, sea freight, road freight, rail freight), Shipping & Chartering (ship owning, chartering, and brokerage), and IT/Digitalization (BLU platform and BESITEC IT services). The core technology platform is BLU, an in-house developed Transport Management System, with its web-based counterpart BLU4U providing shipment tracking and supply chain visibility. BLU4U Pro extends the platform with invoice approval features. The company also operates a dedicated fleet of ocean-going vessels and provides specialized air freight services under the B. brand (B. Express, B. Reliable, B. Green, B. Cargo, B. Essential). The Eco Footprint Tracker enables emissions calculation and compensation. BESITEC handles internal IT development and digitalization projects for clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BLU: Bertling's in-house developed Transport Management System combining project management and operational freight forwarding features
• BLU4U
• Bertling Bulk Services
• Bertling Enviro
• BESITEC
• B. Green
• B. Essential
• B. Cargo

Products and services

• Project Logistics Solutions End-to-end turnkey project logistics solutions developed on a tailor-made basis for complex project freight forwarding, GFF, and resupply transports to and from worldwide locations. Serves industrial clients in oil & gas, petrochemical, power, mining, and agricultural sectors.
• Air Freight Services (B. Express, B. Reliable, B. Green, B. Cargo, B. Essential) Air freight services comprising B. Express (fastest, highest destination priority), B. Reliable (direct flight connections), B. Green (sustainable air freight using SAF and emission compensation), B. Cargo (heavy lift, oversized, and dedicated charters), and B. Essential (combined transit/transport time service). For time-sensitive and critical shipments to worldwide destinations.
• Ship Chartering and Broking Chartering and brokerage services handling large volumes of steel, fertilizer, grain, coal, project cargo, and industrial plant equipment through the Hamburg office and Shanghai representative office. Bertling acts as a major broker for MSC and house broker for various ship owners, charterers, and operators.
• Bertling Bulk Services (BBS) Worldwide active dry bulk operator headquartered in Singapore, transporting mineral concentrates, rice, coal, iron ore, forestry products, steels, fertilizers, and grains. Operates handy, supra, and UltraMax size vessels on period and trip charter basis with freight trading, cargo operating, ship operating, and parcelling services across Americas, Asia, Middle East, and Europe.
• Ship Owning and Fleet Management Technical management of Bertling's owned fleet of modern ocean-going vessels including the Navarra Class (51,500 DWAT), Aquitania Class (36,100 DWAT), Dolphin Class (40,000 DWAT), and Tanker Vessels (45,000 DWT). Services include vessel inspections, maintenance planning, dry dock supervision, crew provision, safety and security training, and new-building supervision.
• Heavy Lift and Engineering Specialized heavy lift and engineering services for oversized and overweight cargoes, including industrial machinery, mining equipment, and high-value project cargoes.
• Warehousing and Material Management Warehousing, packing, and material management services supporting project logistics operations worldwide.
• BESITEC IT and Digitalization Services Tailormade IT solutions and digitalization services from Bertling's in-house IT division (Bertling EDI Services & IT GmbH). Designs new interfaces, applications, and workflows and implements concepts within customer IT environments. ISO 27001 certified.
• Bertling Bulk Liquids Specialized division providing bulk liquid logistics operations including gas tanker operations through Bertling Transgas Tankers S.A.C.
• Eco Footprint Tracker In-house developed tool to calculate pre- and post-flight emissions, identify opportunities to reduce emissions, and compensate for unavoidable emissions through preferred global compensation projects. Supports Bertling's sustainability offering.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20-30% operational cost reductions through logistics outsourcing (industry benchmark from Chile 3PL market research)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and major.

• PLANT-MY-TREE®coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Environmental partnership for reforestation and climate action. Bertling has been working with PLANT-MY-TREE® since 2022 in Germany. In 2026, Bertling donated 500 trees for tree-planting initiative in Bokhorst, Northern Germany. Partnership supports forest protection, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration.
• Tekniska Verken Linköping (TVL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCircular collaboration for waste-to-energy solutions. TVL processes waste into district heating and produces biogas, which fuels the trucks transporting waste. Creates a closed-loop model where energy production and logistics are integrated within the same system.
• Skaraslättens TransportcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLogistics partner in circular collaboration with TVL and Bertling Enviro. Invested in two biogas-powered trucks dedicated to transporting baled RDF (waste fuel) to TVL's energy from waste plant in Linköping.
• AVICO GroupsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAir freight partner specializing in sensitive and complex air freight operations around the globe. Provided loading supervision for AN-124 charter to Kazakhstan, supporting successful air transport execution.
• BESITEC (Bertling EDI Services & IT GmbH)coreTechnology or IntegrationIn-house IT division that developed BLU and BLU4U systems. Analyzes organizational challenges, designs new interfaces, applications and workflows, and implements concepts within IT environments. Committed to innovative and disruptive ideas for long-term market advantage.
• Major Airlines and Cargo CarrierssupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExcellent relationships maintained with all major commercial airlines, cargo carriers and charter services worldwide. Particularly important when cargo transports need to change modes due to market disruptions.
• MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOne of the biggest clients for Bertling's chartering and brokerage division. MSC charter container vessels through Bertling on a regular basis.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Imperial Logistics: African-headquartered freight forwarding and logistics provider with growing project logistics business and owned fleet activities. Comparable in the multi-modal forwarding plus asset-based logistics model Bertling employs.
• Navig8 Group: Independent ship owner-operator providing tanker and dry bulk vessel commercial management. Compares to Bertling Bulk Services' ship operating and chartering operations, though more focused on pooling and commercial management.

Broad incumbents

• DHL Global Forwarding: Division of Deutsche Post DHL providing worldwide air, ocean, road freight forwarding with project logistics capabilities. Comparable service mix to Bertling Logistics, but at significantly greater scale as part of DHL's global network.
• DSV A/S: Global transport and logistics company providing air, sea, road freight forwarding and project solutions. Acquired Schenker and Panalpina; comparable multi-modal forwarding with project logistics specialism similar to Bertling's portfolio.
• Kuehne + Nagel: World's largest freight forwarder with deep ocean, air, and road freight forwarding plus project logistics capabilities (KN Project Logistics). Directly comparable to Bertling's forwarding and project logistics business but operates at vastly greater scale and global footprint.
• Expeditors International: US-listed global logistics company focused on air and ocean freight forwarding with proprietary tracking technology. Comparable to Bertling's asset-light forwarding book and BLU/BLU4U platform ambitions.

Direct peers

• Oldendorff Carriers: Family-owned German-headquartered dry bulk shipping operator with owned fleet plus chartering services. Closest peer to Bertling Bulk Services in combining ship-owning with chartering/brokerage in dry bulk markets.
• Hellmann Worldwide Logistics: German-headquartered global logistics provider offering air, sea, road, and rail forwarding plus contract logistics. Closest mid-sized peer to Bertling in scale, heritage, and mix of freight forwarding with project cargo capabilities.
• Fr. Meyer's Sohn: Privately-held German freight forwarding and logistics company with global reach in ocean, air, and project logistics. Highly comparable to Bertling in size, mid-cap private ownership, German heritage, and forwarding-plus-project mix.
• BBC Chartering: German-based global project cargo and breakbulk shipping specialist with owned and chartered fleet. Highly comparable to Bertling's heavy lift / project cargo and general cargo carrier operations (Navarra, Aquitania classes).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Bertling Group