nox NightTimeExpress

What nox NightTimeExpress does

nox NightTimeExpress operates the largest European night distribution network, providing time-critical overnight logistics in which shipments collected late in the day are delivered before the start of the recipient's business day, typically by 7 or 8 AM. Founded in 1964 in Munich (originally as Kutzner NachtExpress Termindienst), the company has consolidated through the TNT Innight brand and rebranded as nox NightTimeExpress in 2016, becoming part of Groupe STERNE in 2022. The network spans 26 countries through 6 subsidiaries and 19 long-term partnerships, with 61 operational locations, approximately 2,600 contracted vehicles driving nightly, roughly 1,500 employees, and about 181,000 packages processed per night. It serves four primary B2B verticals — Automotive, Agriculture, Healthcare, and Service Logistics — with strong concentration on automotive OEMs and aftermarket parts distributors. A management buyout of nox Belgium and nox Netherlands from Groupe STERNE was announced in July 2026.

The core product is NightTimeExpress (Nachtdistributie), complemented by nox Time Critical (direct drive for urgent shipments with quote generation within 15 minutes), TagExpress (daytime delivery by 12:00 or 17:00), ReturnExpress (reverse logistics), and Pick-up & Drop-off Points (garage, in-car, depot, PUDO, nox Safe options). Revenue is generated through individually quoted B2B contracts (multi-year) for the core distribution service plus fee-based Value Added Services including Dangerous Goods handling, Engineer-to-Engineer delivery, Branch-to-Branch transfers, RFID, SMS notifications, specific sorting activities, and Work'in Mobile workwear logistics. Proprietary technology includes the ready2nox platform managing 76,000+ drop-off points with digital key/access management, Find-the-Car GPS tracking, Open-the-Car Bluetooth keyless access, My nox App, Track & Trace, Web Shipping, Retouren App, and RFID-based shipment registration deployed since 2010. Operations hold ISO 9001, 14001, and 45001 certifications and achieved a record 78 points in the EcoVadis sustainability rating in 2026, with fleet electrification progressing past one million electric kilometers by June 2026.

Go-to-market is direct enterprise sales targeting manufacturers, wholesalers, and service companies, with dedicated regional sales teams (e.g., Benelux sales at +31 30 608 38 70) and account management, supplemented by a subsidiary and partner network for international reach. Marketing channels include a multi-language corporate website (DE/NL/EN), press releases, industry trade media engagement (DVZ podcast, FREIE WERKSTATT magazine), LinkedIn/Xing presence, sustainability/ESG communications aligned with SBTi-validated climate targets, and employer branding. Customer concentration sits across four verticals with enterprise-style quote-based contracts. Revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

nox NightTimeExpress

Legal name

nox Netherlands B.V.

Website

https://nox-nighttimeexpress.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

nox NightTimeExpress is Europe's largest dedicated night distribution network, providing time-critical overnight B2B logistics with delivery before 7-8 AM across 26 countries for automotive, agriculture, healthcare, and service logistics customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Night Express Logistics Services

NAICS

Couriers and Express Delivery Services (4921), Couriers and Express Delivery Services (492110)

SIC

Trucking & Courier Services (No Air) (4210)

akta.pro primary industry

Dry Van (General Freight) TL Carriers (TLADADAA)

Keywords

• Night express logistics
• Overnight freight services
• Spare parts delivery
• Reverse logistics
• Time-critical transportation

Headquarters

HQ city

Nieuwegein

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Night Distribution Services: Core overnight delivery service transporting time-critical shipments so they arrive before the start of the workday (typically by 7:00 or 8:00 AM). Late order pickup and early morning delivery model allows customers to minimize decentralized inventories.
2. Value Added Services: Additional fee-based services including Dangerous Goods handling, Engineer-to-Engineer delivery, Branch-to-Branch direct transfer, Interactive Voice Response, Next Day Solution, RFID, SMS notifications, Specific Sorting Activities, and Work'in Mobile (workwear delivery and collection).
3. ReturnExpress: Reverse logistics and returns management across Europe via door-to-door returns handling, including customized handling of goods for exchange, replacement, repair, or processing.
4. Pick-up & Drop-off Points: Flexible delivery options including garage/shop, in-car delivery to service vehicles, door-to-door courier handover, depot delivery, nox Safe (24-hour accessible drop point), and PUDO/PickPoint locations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

nox operates a pan-European night express logistics network transporting time-critical shipments (primarily spare parts, medical devices, automotive components, and agricultural machinery parts) overnight so they arrive before the start of the customer's workday (typically 7-8 AM). The network spans 26 countries via 6 subsidiaries and 19 long-term partnerships, handling approximately 181,000 packages per night using proprietary digital tools for tracking, drop-point management, and keyless vehicle access.

Product overview

nox NightTimeExpress is a pan-European overnight distribution network offering time-critical logistics solutions. The core product is NightTimeExpress (Nachtdistributie) for overnight delivery before business hours. The portfolio includes specialized services like nox Time Critical for urgent shipments, TagExpress for daytime delivery, ReturnExpress for reverse logistics, and Abstellplatzmanagement (via ready2nox platform) for contactless drop point delivery. Technology-enabled services include Open-the-Car (keyless access), Find-the-Car (GPS tracking), RFID, My nox App, Web Shipping, and Track & Trace. The company serves key industry verticals including Automotive, Agriculture, Healthcare, and Service Logistics with value-added services like weekend delivery, dangerous goods handling, and Engineer-to-Engineer logistics. The network spans 26 countries with 61 locations, approximately 2,600 vehicles, and manages over 72,000 keys and 181,000 parcels per night.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NightTimeExpress: Core night distribution service enabling delivery before start of work day
• ReturnExpress
• Pick Up & Drop off Points
• FindTheCar
• Open-the-Car
• Work'in Mobile
• ready2nox

Products and services

• NightTimeExpress (Nachtdistributie)

Quantifiable outcome

• In the Eneco pilot, FindTheCar located service vehicles 65% more often than before, even when vehicles were not parked at agreed locations
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Management of nox Belgium & nox Netherlands (MBO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 July 2026The management teams of nox Belgium and nox Netherlands reached an agreement with Groupe STERNE to acquire both companies via a management buyout. This marks a new chapter for both organizations, transitioning ownership from the parent group to the local management.
• Kuhlmann (Transport Partner)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 March 2025Transport partner that co-launched the first electric tractor unit in daily factory traffic for Scania between Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands on March 27, 2025. Kuhlmann is one of four transport partners operating electric vehicles in nox's network as of June 2026. Together they have driven over 1 million electric kilometers.
• JUNA (Project Partner)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 March 2025Project partner in the electric mobility pilot launched March 27, 2025 alongside transport partner Kuhlmann and Scania. Contributed to the development of the scalable electric heavy-duty transport concept within nox's night logistics network.
• Scania (Vehicle Supplier)supportingOthersElectric tractor units from Scania are used in the daily factory traffic between Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands as part of nox's electric mobility initiative. The pilot with Scania vehicles marked the start of the electric heavy transport operations.
• HEERO MotorssupportingOthersGerman electric commercial vehicle manufacturer producing electric service vehicles with own software, hardware, and battery technology. nox received two electric vans from HEERO in Munich with a range of 400+ km and 110 kWh battery. HEERO converts former diesel vehicles to electric as part of a second-life concept.
• Thom & Co. GmbH (IvoiceAI)supportingTechnology or IntegrationSwiss provider of the IvoiceAI Voicebot solution used by nox for customer communication. The voicebot converts speech to text, processes queries, and converts responses back to speech. Data is stored exclusively in EU/EWR/Switzerland. A data processing agreement (Auftragsverarbeitungsvertrag) has been concluded.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• DHL Express: DHL Express is the global leader in international express shipping and the dominant B2B time-definite delivery provider in Europe. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering overlapping time-critical express capabilities, but DHL operates a much wider portfolio (air, ocean, supply chain) versus nox's night-only specialization.
• Geodis: Geodis is a major French-headquartered global logistics provider with strong European road freight and contract logistics operations. Comparable as a broad incumbent in European B2B freight and contract logistics, including automotive and industrial customers.
• DSV A/S: DSV is a global transport and logistics company with strong European road, air, and sea freight operations. Comparable as a broad incumbent serving enterprise B2B logistics with time-sensitive road freight, but DSV's portfolio spans full supply chain solutions versus nox's night-specialist focus.
• DB Schenker: DB Schenker is a major German-headquartered global logistics provider with strong European land transport and contract logistics operations. Comparable on European B2B freight scale and customer base, though DB Schenker spans air, ocean, and contract logistics broadly.

Direct peers

• GLS (General Logistics Systems): GLS operates one of Europe's largest ground-based parcel and express delivery networks across 40+ countries with similar B2B focus. Closely comparable to nox on geographic breadth, target customer profile (enterprises, SMEs), and parcel/express courier model — though GLS is broader and offers more general parcel services versus nox's night-specialist position.
• Hermes (Evri): Hermes/Evri operates a major European parcel and B2B delivery network with strong UK/Germany presence. Comparable as a European parcel courier/express provider with B2B customer overlap, though more B2C-weighted than nox's pure B2B automotive/agriculture/healthcare focus.
• Raben Group: Raben Group is a European contract logistics and road freight provider with comparable operations across multiple European countries and B2B focus on automotive, retail, and industrial customers. Closely comparable on pan-European road freight and contract logistics model.
• Dachser: Dachser is a leading European road logistics provider specializing in B2B distribution and contract logistics with deep automotive and industrial customer penetration. Comparable on customer verticals, contract logistics model, and pan-European road freight operations.
• DPD (GeoPost/DPDgroup): DPDgroup operates one of Europe's largest B2C and B2B parcel networks across 230+ countries with a strong focus on European express delivery. Closely comparable in pan-European parcel/express operations and direct customer overlap in automotive/retail/healthcare verticals.

Regional players

• PostNL: PostNL is the leading mail and parcel operator in the Netherlands, with growing focus on time-critical and B2B logistics in Benelux. Comparable on the Dutch market and on parcel/returns logistics, but PostNL is regionally concentrated while nox operates across 26 countries.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nox-nighttimeexpress-netherlands
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/noX

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 nox NightTimeExpress