a hartrodt
a. hartrodt is a Hamburg-based, family-owned international freight forwarder founded in 1887, offering door-to-door sea, air, land, project, and warehousing logistics through 69+ subsidiaries and partners across 47 countries to industrial, trading, F&B, and oil & gas clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1887
- HeadquartersHamburg, Germany
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What a hartrodt does
a. hartrodt is a Hamburg-headquartered international freight forwarding and logistics company founded in 1887 and still operating as an owner-managed, family-run business. It provides door-to-door transport services across sea freight (FCL, LCL, hazardous materials, food), air freight, land transport, project logistics, and warehousing, executed through more than 69 operative subsidiaries and partners in 47 countries (with broader references to 100+ offices in 80 countries) and a workforce of more than 2,000 employees worldwide, of which roughly 420 are based in Germany.
The company's technology layer centers on operational freight management rather than a software platform; its principal digital product is a Global Tracking Portal, which lets shippers follow consignments by sender reference, consignee reference, job number, or HAWB/BL, and which is integrated with Wakeo via single sign-on. There is no public API, SDK, or mobile application. Specialized service enhancements — D2D Highspeed, Golden Services for Northeast Asia, Stars on Rails LCL, Short Sea shipping, temperature monitoring, reefer insulation, and transport insurance — sit on top of the five core product lines and target time-sensitive, cold-chain, and complex project cargo.
The business model is transaction-fee based, with quote-driven pricing tailored per shipment and per client; air and sea freight rates are tiered (various tariffs and transit times), while warehousing operates on managed-services terms. Go-to-market is direct-sales-led in Germany (field sales in Hamburg, Frankfurt/Kelsterbach, Munich, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf, Hanover, and Inside Sales in Freising and Nuremberg), supplemented by the global subsidiary and partner network. Customers are primarily industrial and trading companies, with dedicated verticals for Food & Beverage (wine from Europe, tequila from Mexico, temperature-controlled cargo) and Oil & Gas (project cargo, hazardous materials). Marketing is largely content-driven: a weekly newsletter, a careers portal, and social channels on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
a hartrodt firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- a hartrodt
- Legal name
- a. hartrodt (GmbH & Co) KG
- Website
- https://hartrodt.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1887
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- a. hartrodt is a Hamburg-based, family-owned international freight forwarder founded in 1887, offering door-to-door sea, air, land, project, and warehousing logistics through 69+ subsidiaries and partners across 47 countries to industrial, trading, F&B, and oil & gas clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where a hartrodt is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hamburg
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices16 records
Markets served
a hartrodt business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Freight Forwarding Services: International sea freight (FCL, LCL, hazardous materials, capital goods) and air freight services with various tariffs and transit times for cost-effectiveness. First-class service with various rate options.
- Land Transport: European and international land transport solutions including trucking with CO2 information and toll systems.
- Project Logistics: Specialized logistics for large-scale project cargo and industrial equipment.
- Warehousing and Logistics: Storage and logistics services including Oceania warehouse overview and temperature-controlled facilities.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Per shipment | Air freight services with multiple tariff options |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
a hartrodt product offering
Product offeringCore offering
a. hartrodt is an international freight forwarding and logistics company offering door-to-door transport and logistics services to industrial and trading companies worldwide. The core portfolio comprises five service lines—Sea Freight (FCL, LCL, hazardous materials, food), Airfreight, Land Transport, Project Logistics, and Warehousing—augmented by value-added services including D2D Highspeed expedited delivery, Golden Services for Northeast Asia air cargo, Stars on Rails LCL rail-sea combinations, Short Sea shipping, Temperature Monitoring, Reefer Insulation Equipment, and Transport Insurance. Services are executed through a global network of 69+ subsidiaries and partners across 47 countries and delivered via direct sales to business customers.
Product overview
a. hartrodt is an international freight forwarding and logistics company offering a comprehensive suite of transport and logistics services from door to door. The core product portfolio consists of five main service lines: Sea Freight (handling FCL, LCL, hazardous materials, and food shipments), Airfreight (priority worldwide air cargo), Land Transport (trucking and rail), Project Logistics (oversized/cargo solutions), and Warehousing and Logistics (storage and distribution). These core services are complemented by specialized value-added offerings including D2D Highspeed for expedited door-to-door delivery, Golden Services for Northeast Asia air cargo, Stars on Rails LCL for rail-sea combinations, Short Sea shipping, temperature monitoring and reefer equipment for cold chain, and transport insurance. The company operates a global network through 69 operative subsidiaries and partners across 47 countries, providing interconnected door-to-door transport and logistics services tailored to individual client requirements.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Sea Freight International sea freight services covering Full Container Load (FCL), Less than Container Load (LCL), capital goods, hazardous materials, and food shipments to any port worldwide, including seaworthy packaging services. Designed for industrial and trading companies needing reliable ocean transport with multimodal reach.
- Airfreight Priority air freight services worldwide with multiple tariff options and transit times for cost-effectiveness, featuring first-class service for time-sensitive shipments. Designed for industrial and trading companies needing rapid global air transport.
- Land Transport Ground transportation services including trucking and rail solutions for European and international overland freight, with CO2 information and toll systems. Designed for customers needing cost-effective cross-border or last-mile ground transport as part of a multimodal solution.
- Project Logistics Specialized logistics services for complex, oversized, or high-value project cargo requiring custom transport solutions. Designed for oil & gas, heavy industry, and capital project customers with bespoke multimodal requirements.
- Warehousing and Logistics Storage and logistics services including temperature-controlled facilities, reefer equipment, and comprehensive warehouse management. Designed for customers needing integrated warehousing as part of international supply chain execution.
- D2D Highspeed Door-to-door high-speed transport service for expedited shipments requiring the fastest possible transit times. Designed for time-critical cargo across multimodal legs.
- Golden Services Specialized air cargo service for shipments to and from the Northeast Asia region. Designed for customers moving air freight on the Northeast Asia trade lane.
- Stars on Rails LCL Less-than-container-load rail freight service combining sea and rail transport for cost-effective shipments. Designed for shippers seeking economical multimodal options.
- Short Sea Short sea shipping services for European coastal and inter-island transport. Designed for customers needing efficient short-sea alternatives within European waters.
- Temperature Monitoring Temperature monitoring services for cold chain logistics, providing visibility and control of temperature-sensitive cargo such as food and pharmaceuticals throughout transport.
- Reefer Insulation Equipment Refrigerated container insulation equipment for temperature-sensitive cargo. Designed for shippers requiring enhanced thermal protection for reefer containers.
- Transport Insurance Cargo insurance coverage for shipments during transport. Designed for customers seeking risk protection on international freight movements.
Quantifiable outcome
- Alternative transport solutions for Middle East situation (land bridge to Persian Gulf via Belgium)
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use a hartrodt
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
a hartrodt technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature4 records
a hartrodt partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Global Food & Beverage Industry PartnerscoreModernized Global Agreement offering business opportunities for the F&B sector and other industries. Enables wine transport from Europe and tequila from Mexico, creating bilateral trade lane opportunities.
Scale indicators6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
a hartrodt competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Kuehne+Nagel: One of the world's largest freight forwarders headquartered in Switzerland, offering sea freight, airfreight, road logistics, and contract logistics. Direct competitor to a. hartrodt across all five service lines, though at materially larger scale.
- DHL Global Forwarding: The air and ocean freight forwarding arm of Deutsche Post DHL Group, providing international airfreight, ocean freight, road, and rail forwarding plus customs services. Closely comparable offering to a. hartrodt's core portfolio with global network reach.
- DB Schenker: German-headquartered global logistics provider offering land transport, air and ocean freight, and contract logistics. Direct peer given German origins, multi-mode service portfolio, and family/owner-managed heritage (acquired by DSV in 2024-2025).
- Hellmann Worldwide Logistics: Osnabrück-based, family-owned international freight forwarder founded in 1871, providing airfreight, sea freight, road, and contract logistics. Highly comparable to a. hartrodt on size, German heritage, family ownership, and full-service product portfolio.
- DSV: Danish-headquartered global freight forwarder with a M&A-driven growth model, offering air, sea, road, and project logistics. Comparable service portfolio and customer segments, though much larger scale and acquisitive posture post-DB Schenker.
- CEVA Logistics: Global third-party logistics provider owned by CMA CGM, offering air and ocean freight forwarding, contract logistics, and ground transportation. Overlaps directly with a. hartrodt's sea/air/land/project service lines.
- Expeditors International: US-based global logistics company specializing in air and ocean freight forwarding plus customs brokerage. Comparable asset-light forwarder model with focus on international freight and customs services, competing for similar multinational shippers.
- Röhlig Logistics: German family-owned international freight forwarder with sea freight, airfreight, and project logistics capabilities. Highly comparable mid-sized German forwarder with similar heritage, ownership structure, and product offering.
Regional players
- Kerry Logistics: Asia-based logistics provider with freight forwarding, warehousing, and supply chain solutions, primarily serving Asia-Pacific trade lanes. Comparable service mix but focused on Asia flows rather than European/Trans-Atlantic lanes like a. hartrodt.
Emerging players
- Flexport: US-based digital freight forwarder offering air, ocean, and road freight with a proprietary technology platform. Represents the digitally-native competitive threat to traditional forwarders like a. hartrodt in the mid-market segment.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
a hartrodt social profiles
Digital presencea hartrodt financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
a hartrodt leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
a hartrodt subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
a hartrodt funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
a hartrodt M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about a hartrodt
What does a hartrodt do?
a. hartrodt is an international freight forwarding and logistics company offering door-to-door transport and logistics services to industrial and trading companies worldwide. The core portfolio comprises five service lines—Sea Freight (FCL, LCL, hazardous materials, food), Airfreight, Land Transport, Project Logistics, and Warehousing—augmented by value-added services including D2D Highspeed expedited delivery, Golden Services for Northeast Asia air cargo, Stars on Rails LCL rail-sea combinations, Short Sea shipping, Temperature Monitoring, Reefer Insulation Equipment, and Transport Insurance. Services are executed through a global network of 69+ subsidiaries and partners across 47 countries and delivered via direct sales to business customers.
Is a hartrodt a public or private company?
a hartrodt is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was a hartrodt founded?
a hartrodt was founded in 1887. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is a hartrodt based?
a hartrodt is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does a hartrodt make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Freight Forwarding Services are the primary driver. The others are land Transport, project Logistics and warehousing and Logistics.
Who are a hartrodt's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Kuehne+Nagel, DHL Global Forwarding, DB Schenker, Hellmann Worldwide Logistics, DSV, CEVA Logistics, Expeditors International and Röhlig Logistics. Kerry Logistics is listed as a regional player. Flexport is listed as an emerging player.
Does a hartrodt have an API?
No public API is recorded for a hartrodt.