What Capelle Groupe does

Capelle Groupe (legal entity: Transports Capelle) is a privately held French road transport and logistics group founded in 1951 by René Capelle in the Gard region of France and currently led by Jean-Daniel Capelle as CEO and Chairman of the Management Board. Headquartered in Vézénobres, the group operates 47 agencies across France plus subsidiaries in 7 European countries (including Spain, the United Kingdom, and Germany) and employs approximately 2,000 people. The company specializes in conventional road freight alongside exceptional (oversized, heavy, and out-of-gauge) transport for industrial clients in nuclear energy, aerospace and defense, energy production, BTP (construction/public works), railway, nautical, and agricultural sectors, and reports approximately €280 million in annual revenue serving 10,000+ active clients.

The company's service portfolio spans Transport Exceptionnel and Transport Conventionnel, complemented by logistics and warehousing (notably Montereau and St Maclou/Le Havre hubs with multi-modal road/river/rail access), crane and lifting services, truck and equipment rental with drivers, and a 2019-launched Pôle Industriel et Innovation Capelle (PIIC) combining engineering design, sheet metal fabrication, and rolling-equipment reconstruction. Its technology backbone consists of a centralized operating system with onboard computing and real-time order tracking applications used for fleet management and transport cost optimization. Subsidiaries include Dangexpress (dangerous and radioactive materials for the nuclear sector), Euroteam Capelle (driver and operator training academy), ESI/EPC (pilot vehicle services), KM-H (heavy transport), and DVI Prod (IT/website services).

Capelle operates a B2B enterprise field-sales go-to-market model targeting major industrial accounts such as Airbus, with direct sales via its 47-agency French network and European subsidiaries. Revenue is generated primarily on a transaction-fee basis — quote-based per project for transport, and per-service for logistics, rental, and industrial services — with multi-year contracts typical in industrial sectors. The group has historically pursued growth through a roll-up M&A strategy (acquisitions of Transports Aprin, Transport Dauphin, Les Marins de la Route, Transports Morlin, and Transports Vallas between 2005 and 2009) and geographic expansion into European markets (2010).

Name

Capelle Groupe

Legal name

Transports Capelle

Website

https://groupe-capelle.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1951

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Capelle Groupe is a privately held French road transport and logistics group operating 47 agencies in France and subsidiaries in 7 European countries, offering conventional and exceptional heavy-cargo transport, warehousing, and industrial services to nuclear, aerospace, defense, and energy clients, generating approximately €280M in annual revenue.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heavy Haulage & Logistics

NAICS

Specialized Freight (except Used Goods) Trucking, Long-Distance (484230), Specialized Freight (except Used Goods) Trucking, Long-Distance (48423)

SIC

Trucking (No Local) (4213)

akta.pro primary industry

Flatbed & Open-Deck TL Carriers (TLADADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Chartering & Heavy-Lift Vessel / Barge / RoRo Solutions (TLACAIAJ), Building Materials & Oversized E-commerce (Residential) Delivery (TLAAAKAH)

Keywords

• Exceptional transport services
• Heavy haulage logistics
• Industrial freight transport
• Oversized cargo transport
• Warehousing logistics services

Headquarters

HQ city

Vézénobres

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Transport Services: Revenue generated from conventional and exceptional road transport services, including custom transport solutions for oversized and heavy cargo. Services billed on a per-transaction basis based on distance, cargo type, and operational complexity.
2. Logistics and Storage Services: Warehouse storage, inventory management, and order fulfillment services
3. Equipment Rental: Rental of truck ensembles with drivers, test loads, and road marking equipment
4. Industrial Pole Services: Engineering studies, workshop fabrication, and mobile equipment reconstruction services

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Capelle Groupe provides road transport services specializing in exceptional (oversized, heavy, and out-of-gauge) and conventional freight for industrial sectors including nuclear, aerospace, defense, energy, and construction. The company complements its core transport activities with logistics and warehousing, crane and lifting services, equipment rental with drivers, and an industrial innovation pole (PIIC) for engineering studies, sheet metal fabrication, and rolling equipment reconstruction.

Product overview

Transports Capelle operates as a unified, full-service transport and logistics company offering a comprehensive portfolio of services under a single operational umbrella. The core offerings include Transport Exceptionnel (specialized oversized cargo transport) and Transport Conventionnel (standard freight), complemented by logistics and storage services with facilities in Montereau and St Maclou, crane/lifting services, and truck rental with drivers. The group also operates a dedicated Industrial and Innovation Center (PIIC) combining design engineering, sheet metal fabrication, and equipment reconstruction. The subsidiary portfolio includes Dangexpress (dangerous/radioactive materials), Euroteam Capelle (training center), ESI and EPC (pilot vehicle services), and KM-H (heavy transport). The company employs approximately 2,000 staff across 47 agencies, generating €280 million in annual revenue.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Dangexpress: Specialized transport service for dangerous and radioactive materials (nuclear sector).
• Euroteam Capelle
• Pôle Industriel et Innovation Capelle (PIIC)

Products and services

• Transport Exceptionnel Specialized transport for oversized, out-of-gauge cargo and heavy equipment serving nuclear, aerospace, defense, energy, BTP, railway, nautical, and agricultural industries, including custom solutions for sensitive sites and challenging access constraints.
• Transport Conventionnel Standard road freight transport for goods meeting specific weight and dimension criteria, utilizing a fleet of trailers, flatbeds, car carriers, light commercial vehicles, and heavy goods vehicles for construction, agriculture, nuclear, energy production, and railway sectors.
• Logistics and Storage Services Warehouse storage services with outdoor and indoor surfaces equipped with cranes, mobile hoists, and unloading docks, including inventory management, order processing, and delivery services at logistics hubs near road, river, and rail access (Montereau, Le Havre).
• Crane and Lifting Services (Bras-Grue) Crane and lifting services for handling and hoisting operations, complementing transport and logistics services for industrial clients.
• Equipment Rental with Drivers Rental of road train combinations with drivers, offering customized rental solutions for equipment type, duration, and additional fittings; includes rental of test loads (ballast weights from 10 to 500 kg, assemblies up to 260 tonnes) and DBA/SMV signaling equipment for road works.
• Pôle Industriel et Innovation Capelle (PIIC) Industrial and innovation center comprising an integrated design office, sheet metal workshop (steel, aluminum, stainless steel fabrication), and rolling equipment reconstruction workshop, supporting sustainable development initiatives and custom engineering solutions.
• Dangexpress (Dangerous & Radioactive Materials Transport) Specialized transport of dangerous and radioactive materials for the nuclear sector, operated through wholly-owned subsidiary Dangexpress.
• ESI (Europilotcar) - Pilot Vehicle Services Pilot vehicle services subsidiary providing escort vehicles for oversized load transport operations.
• KM-H Heavy Transport Subsidiary operating in the heavy transport sector, supporting exceptional cargo movements.

Quantifiable outcome

• 75 million km covered annually
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• DangexpresscoreOthersSpecialized subsidiary focused on transport of dangerous and radioactive materials for the nuclear sector

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• T.E.A.M. (TEAM SA): French specialist in exceptional/oversized road transport for industrial and energy clients — the closest French-headquartered direct competitor to Capelle's core 'Transport Exceptionnel' activity, with overlapping customer base in nuclear, BTP, and energy.
• Mammoet: Dutch-based global leader in heavy lifting and specialized transport, directly comparable in moving oversized industrial cargo (energy, petrochem, civil engineering); stronger internationally than Capelle but narrower in conventional freight.
• Sarens: Belgian heavy lifting and crane rental group with significant transport capabilities for oversized and super-heavy loads; comparable to Capelle's exceptional transport plus Bras-Grue lifting services.
• Daher: French industrial and logistics group serving aerospace/defense and energy clients with transport, logistics and manufacturing services — overlapping significantly with Capelle's Airbus-adjacent and industrial-customer base.
• Friderici Special AG: Swiss specialist in heavy and exceptional road transport across Europe; direct competitor in oversized industrial cargo with comparable European footprint and customer verticals.
• Collé Transports Exceptionnels: Dutch/French cross-border heavy and exceptional transport operator; comparable in equipment rental, oversized load moves, and European industrial customer base to Capelle.

Broad incumbents

• Norbert Dentressangle / DSV Heavy & Specialized: French-origin heavy-transport specialist now part of DSV; competes with Capelle in oversized/industrial road freight across France and Europe, while also serving general freight customers at much larger scale.
• Geodis: France's largest logistics operator with industrial project and heavy transport capabilities; comparable to Capelle in serving French nuclear, aerospace and BTP clients, but operates a far broader portfolio including contract logistics and freight forwarding.
• DB Schenker: Global logistics provider with European special transport capabilities; competes for industrial and oversized freight tenders where Capelle also bids, offering much larger scale but less niche specialization.

Emerging players

• Haulotte: French aerial work platform and material handling equipment manufacturer that requires specialized heavy transport — a buyer-comparable in scale and end-markets to Capelle's construction/agricultural equipment transport clients, representing adjacent ecosystem exposure rather than direct competition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CapelleRecrutement
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/transports-capelle

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

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

M&A5 records

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Capelle Groupe