Rotra
Rotra is a family-owned Dutch digital freight forwarder specializing in air and ocean freight for B2B shippers across aerospace, automotive, fashion, and machinery verticals, served through its proprietary rotraNext API-first platform across the Benelux and globally via partner networks.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1909
- HeadquartersDoesburg, Netherlands
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Rotra does
Rotra is a family-owned Dutch digital freight forwarder specializing in international air and ocean freight forwarding, headquartered in Doesburg with five offices across the Netherlands and Belgium. Founded in 1909 as a horse-and-wagon transport company, Rotra divested its road transport division in 2020 to focus exclusively on becoming a fully digital forwarder, leveraging its proprietary rotraNext platform — an API-first system developed in-house since 1998 that provides real-time shipment tracking, exception control, quick quoting, GLEC/ISO-14083 certified CO2 emissions tracking, document management, and ERP integration. The company serves exclusively B2B customers across four primary verticals — Aerospace, Automotive, Fashion, and Machinery — alongside general industrial shippers, with named customers including Quooker, VDL, Vanderlande, Nomad Foods, ATAG, and Revit. Rotra monetizes through transaction-based air and ocean freight services, customs clearance (AEO-certified), special services for time-critical/AOG shipments, climate-neutral shipping (Rotra Green Footprint in partnership with Anthesis), biofuel options, and optional cargo insurance. The business carries AEO, ISO 9001:2015, ISO-14083, IATA, UN Global Compact, and Fenex/Forward Belgium certifications, and operates under the Koninklijk (Royal) designation granted in 2009 by the Commissioner of the King for the Netherlands.
Rotra firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Rotra
- Legal name
- Rotra Air & Ocean BV
- Website
- https://rotra.eu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1909
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Rotra is a family-owned Dutch digital freight forwarder specializing in air and ocean freight for B2B shippers across aerospace, automotive, fashion, and machinery verticals, served through its proprietary rotraNext API-first platform across the Benelux and globally via partner networks.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Rotra industry classification
Industry- Product category
- International Freight Forwarding
- NAICS
- Freight Transportation Arrangement (48851), Nonscheduled Chartered Freight Air Transportation (481212), Marine Cargo Handling (488320)
- SIC
- Deep Sea Foreign Transportation Of Freight (4412)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Charter Air Freight Forwarding (Full/Part Charter, ACMI Brokerage) (TLACAAAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Document Digitization, eDocs & eBL/eAWB Enablement (Platforms/Compliance) (TLACAHAI), Rules of Origin & Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Management (TLAEAOAE)
Keywords
Where Rotra is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Doesburg
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
Rotra business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Air Freight Services: International air cargo transportation including routine shipments and special cargo handling. Services include consolidated and dedicated air freight solutions.
- Ocean Freight Services: Sea freight transportation including FCL (Full Container Load) and LCL (Less than Container Load) shipments. NVOCC container and consolidation services.
- Customs Services: Complete customs clearance handling including import, export, and EU-compliance data. AEO certified for expedited customs processing.
- Special Services: 24/7-365 handling of urgent shipments and project cargo via sea or air transport.
- Climate-Neutral Shipping (Rotra Green Footprint): CO2-neutral shipping through certified emission reduction and compensation projects. Biofuel options available for sea freight shipments.
- Cargo Insurance: Optional transport insurance starting from 1.75 per mille on commercial value of goods, minimum EUR 40.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Digital Self-Service Platform Access |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Air and Ocean Freight Services |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Cargo Insurance |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Rotra product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Rotra is a digital freight forwarder that arranges and manages international air and ocean freight shipments through its proprietary platform rotraNext, providing booking, real-time tracking, exception alerts, quick quoting, CO2 emissions reporting, and document management. Services are complemented by AEO-certified customs clearance, 24/7 special cargo handling, climate-neutral shipping (Rotra Green Footprint), and biofuel options for ocean freight.
Product overview
Rotra operates as a digital freight forwarder offering a unified platform (rotraNext) combined with personal service across air and ocean freight. The product portfolio centers on the rotraNext digital logistics platform, which serves as the control tower for all shipments, complemented by the myRotra customer portal. Services include sea freight (LCL/FCL), air freight, AEO-certified customs clearance, Special Services (24/7 urgent/project cargo), Rotra Green Footprint (CO2-neutral shipping), Rotra Biofuel, and parcel air services. The company serves industries including aerospace, automotive, fashion, and machinery.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- rotraNext: Digital logistics platform offering control tower for sea and air freight shipments, quick quotes, exception control, CO2 tracking, and document management in a single digital dashboard.
- myRotra
- Rotra Green Footprint
- Container Terminal Doesburg
Products and services
- rotraNext Platform Proprietary digital logistics platform providing real-time air and ocean freight management in a single dashboard, with exception control, quick quote, CO2 insight, document management, secure sharing, and API-first ERP integration for enterprise B2B shippers worldwide.
- myRotra Customer Portal Login portal providing access to the rotraNext platform for booking shipments, real-time tracking, and managing freight documentation for B2B customers.
- Sea Freight (Zeevracht) Full-service ocean freight handling worldwide, including LCL (Less than Container Load) and FCL (Full Container Load) shipments, NVOCC container and consolidation services, managed through the rotraNext digital platform.
- Air Freight (Luchtvracht) International air cargo services ranging from routine consolidated shipments to special cargo handling, with 24/7 America Desk support for time-critical deliveries for enterprise shippers.
- Customs (Douane) AEO-certified customs clearance services handling import, export, and EU-compliance data for expedited customs processing of international shipments.
- Special Services 24/7-365 handling for urgent shipments and project cargo via sea or air transport, including Aircraft on Ground (AOG) spare parts logistics and time-critical aerospace shipments.
- Rotra Green Footprint Climate-neutral shipping certification program enabling CO2-neutral shipments through certified reduction and compensation projects in partnership with Anthesis, with GLEC-certified door-to-door CO2 emission calculations.
- Parcel Air Service Air parcel delivery service for smaller shipments requiring expedited international delivery for B2B shippers.
- Rotra Biofuel Sustainable shipping option using biofuel for ocean freight shipments, automatically applied to all sea freight bookings regardless of destination or shipment size (FCL or LCL).
- Cargo Insurance Optional transport insurance for shipments handled via Rotra, starting from 1.75 per mille on commercial value of goods with a minimum charge of EUR 40.
Quantifiable outcome
- 25% reduction in pallet space requirements
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Rotra
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Rotra technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Rotra partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Solar Team TwenteminorRotra served as logistics partner for Solar Team Twente participating in the World Solar Challenge 2025, providing freight forwarding services for solar vehicle transportation to Australia.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves12 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Rotra competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Hellmann Worldwide Logistics: Hellmann is a German family-owned global freight forwarder with similar heritage to Rotra, offering air and ocean freight services across Europe and worldwide. It is comparable in family-business character and Benelux operations but at much larger global scale.
- Expeditors International: Expeditors is a US-listed global freight forwarder with strong air and ocean freight services and proprietary technology. It competes for the same multinational enterprise customers as Rotra but operates at significantly larger scale with global owned infrastructure.
- DSV: DSV is a Danish global freight forwarder with strong air and ocean freight capabilities, recently further strengthened by the DB Schenker acquisition. It competes with Rotra for European enterprise customers with broader service offerings and global owned infrastructure.
- DHL Global Forwarding: DHL Global Forwarding is part of Deutsche Post DHL Group and offers comprehensive air and ocean freight services with digital tools. It is a broad incumbent competing for the same European enterprise shipper accounts as Rotra, with vastly greater scale.
- Kuehne+Nagel: Kuehne+Nagel is the world's largest freight forwarder with extensive air and ocean freight services and digital initiatives including the myKN platform. It competes with Rotra for the same enterprise customers but at significantly larger scale and with global owned infrastructure.
Direct peers
- Flexport: Flexport is a leading US-based digital freight forwarder offering air and ocean freight services through a proprietary technology platform. It is the most prominent direct competitor to Rotra's digital forwarding model and competes for similar enterprise shipper customers globally.
- Zencargo: Zencargo is a UK-based digital freight forwarder focused primarily on ocean freight with a proprietary platform for booking, tracking, and supply chain visibility. It is comparable to Rotra in offering tech-forward forwarding to enterprise customers in Europe.
- iContainers: iContainers is a Spanish digital freight forwarder specializing in ocean freight with online booking and tracking capabilities. It is comparable to Rotra in offering digital self-service ocean freight forwarding to B2B shippers in Europe.
- Twill (Maersk): Twill is the digital freight forwarding arm of Maersk, offering online air and ocean freight booking. It competes directly with Rotra's digital-first model and benefits from Maersk's global carrier capacity, posing a serious competitive threat.
- Forto: Forto is a Berlin-based digital freight forwarder offering similar air and ocean freight services with an API-first platform model. Closely comparable to Rotra in targeting European mid-market and enterprise shippers with technology-driven forwarding solutions.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Rotra social profiles
Digital presenceRotra compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance8 records
Rotra financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Rotra leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Rotra subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Rotra funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Rotra 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 Rotra
What does Rotra do?
Rotra is a digital freight forwarder that arranges and manages international air and ocean freight shipments through its proprietary platform rotraNext, providing booking, real-time tracking, exception alerts, quick quoting, CO2 emissions reporting, and document management. Services are complemented by AEO-certified customs clearance, 24/7 special cargo handling, climate-neutral shipping (Rotra Green Footprint), and biofuel options for ocean freight.
Is Rotra a public or private company?
Rotra is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Rotra founded?
Rotra was founded in 1909. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Rotra based?
Rotra is headquartered in Doesburg, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does Rotra make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Air Freight Services are the primary driver. The others are ocean Freight Services, customs Services, special Services, climate-Neutral Shipping (Rotra Green Footprint) and cargo Insurance.
Who are Rotra's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Hellmann Worldwide Logistics, Expeditors International, DSV, DHL Global Forwarding and Kuehne+Nagel. Direct peers are Flexport, Zencargo, iContainers, Twill (Maersk) and Forto.
Does Rotra have an API?
Yes. API-first technology enabling seamless integration with all major existing ERP systems. Every update is directly available on every platform. Developed with customers, for customers. rotraNext connects to organizations through multi-organization and multi-user access integrated with the supply chain. Developer documentation is at rotra.eu/informatie-aanvraag.
What industry is Rotra in?
Rotra's product category is International Freight Forwarding. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLACAAAC, Charter Air Freight Forwarding (Full/Part Charter, ACMI Brokerage), with a secondary code of TLACAHAI, Document Digitization, eDocs & eBL/eAWB Enablement (Platforms/Compliance). Its NAICS code is 48851 and its SIC code is 4412.