What Koch International does

Heinrich Koch Internationale Spedition GmbH & Co. KG (operating as Koch International) is a privately held German freight forwarder and logistics service provider headquartered in Osnabrück, with origins dating to 1900 and a current headcount of 850+ employees from more than 40 nationalities. The company offers a full-stack logistics portfolio covering less-than-truckload (LTL) and full-truckload (FTL) road transport, sea and air freight, rail transport, express, heavy goods and ADR-certified dangerous goods transportation, temperature-controlled transport (HACCP- and SQAS-compliant), and contract logistics including cross-docking, distribution, warehousing, and supply chain management. Revenue is generated primarily on a per-shipment, transaction-based model with tiered premium products organized under two branded lines — NightLine (Germany) and NightLineEurope (~30 European countries) — including NightLinePlus, NightLineFix, NightLineNextDay, B2CLine/B2CLinePlus, ThermoLine, ServiceLine, and OrderLine, supplemented by separately billed consulting (dangerous goods, packaging) and customs services.

Distribution operates through three layers: a self-serve Transportshop for SMB and individual shippers, an inside-sales/customer-service operation for mid-market accounts, and direct field sales for enterprise logistics contracts, all backed by the CargoLine cooperative network of approximately 80 international partners (55 system partners in Germany) handling roughly 1,300 direct transports daily. Customers manage shipments through the Koch Portal (Cepra), a 24/7 self-service tool for tracking, tariff lookup, invoicing, and carbon footprint monitoring. The go-to-market also spans an active employer brand across LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, XING, TikTok, YouTube, and Kununu, supported by the 2023 signing of the Charta der Vielfalt (Diversity Charter) and 2025 IHK "Top Ausbildungsbetrieb" certification (2025–2028).

On the technology stack, Koch runs the integrated Transportshop booking engine, the Cepra/MyKoch customer portal with real-time track-and-trace, and — since November 2024 — an AI-powered telephone assistant (Digitaler Telefonassistent) using NLP and speech technology from BOTfriends GmbH. The company has introduced the Better Circular sub-brand for CO2-reduced or CO2-offset sea freight, and offers cross-border B2C shipment notification via B2CLine Europe across 11 European countries. Reported 2024 revenue is in the hundreds of millions of EUR (exact figure partially legible in source materials). The company is led by Managing Directors Heinrich Koch, Heinz-Peter Beste (CIO), Uwe Fieselmann, and Ingmar Reisige, with no disclosed external equity, private equity, or venture capital ownership.

Name

Koch International

Legal name

Heinrich Koch Internationale Spedition GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://koch-international.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1900

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Heinrich Koch Internationale Spedition GmbH & Co. KG is a privately held German freight forwarder offering LTL/FTL road, sea, air, rail, and contract logistics across ~30 European countries via the CargoLine cooperative, serving industrial, consumer goods, chemical/pharmaceutical, and e-commerce shippers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Freight Forwarding & Logistics Services

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (4885), Specialized Freight (except Used Goods) Trucking, Long-Distance (484230), Specialized Freight (except Used Goods) Trucking, Long-Distance (48423), Specialized Freight Trucking (4842), General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance (48412)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Trucking & Courier Services (No Air) (4210), Deep Sea Foreign Transportation Of Freight (4412), Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

Cross-Border Freight Brokerage (USMCA/EU, etc.) (TLADAMAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

FCL (Full Container Load) Ocean Forwarding (TLACABAA), Trade Compliance & Ocean Regulatory Services (Sanctions/Export Controls) (TLACABAL), Heavy Haul / Oversize / Project Cargo Brokerage (TLADAMAJ), Project & Heavy-Haul / Oversize Road Forwarding (Permits/Escorts) (TLACACAH)

Keywords

• Freight forwarding services
• Contract logistics
• Supply chain management
• Warehousing services
• Transport logistics

Headquarters

HQ city

Osnabrück

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Freight and Transportation Services: Core revenue from national and international freight services including LTL (Stückgut), FTL/part-load (Teil- und Komplettladungen), sea freight, air freight, rail transport, and express transport. Pricing is transaction-based per shipment, calculated by weight, distance, and service tier. Storage fees of €2.00 per 100 kg per calendar day apply from the 3rd working day for undeliverable goods.
2. Contract Logistics and SCM Services: Revenue from warehousing, cross-docking, contract logistics, and distribution logistics services. Includes supply chain management consulting and custom logistics solutions.
3. Premium Service Products: Add-on premium service products including NightLine, NightLinePlus, NightLineFix, NightLine NextDay, NightLineEurope (Priority, Fix, NextDay, Receipt), B2CLine, B2CLine Plus, B2CLine Europe, ThermoLine, ServiceLine, OrderLine. These carry additional service fees on top of base transport rates.
4. Consulting and Value-Added Services: Dangerous goods consulting (Gefahrgutberatung), packaging consulting (Verpackungsberatung), customs service (Zoll-Service), and customs clearance. These professional services are invoiced separately per a dedicated price list.
5. Pallet Shop: Direct sale of pallets (Euro pallets, pallet exchange) to customers, alongside pallet shipping services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Koch International provides national and international freight forwarding and contract logistics services, including less-than-truckload (LTL/Stückgut), partial and full truckload transport, sea freight, air freight, rail transport, and specialized services such as temperature-controlled, dangerous goods (ADR), express, and heavy goods transport. The company operates premium service brands (NightLine domestically and NightLineEurope internationally) for time-defined, B2C-optimized, and temperature-controlled deliveries, and offers warehousing, cross-docking, contract logistics, supply chain management, customs clearance, and consulting services through its headquarters in Osnabrück and the CargoLine cooperative network across Europe.

Product overview

Koch International is a German logistics company (Heinrich Koch Internationale Spedition GmbH & Co. KG) offering a comprehensive logistics service portfolio organized around a unified platform with branded product lines. The core services include General Cargo/LTL (Stückgut) shipping for shipments up to 2,500 kg, Partial and Full Truckload transport for larger shipments, Sea Freight and Air Freight for international cargo, Rail Transport, and specialized services including Express Transport, Heavy Goods Transport, Dangerous Goods Transport (ADR-certified), and Temperature-Controlled Transportation. The logistics division encompasses Supply Chain Management, Cross Docking, Contract Logistics, and Distribution Logistics. The company operates two premium service brands: NightLine (national Germany-wide services) and NightLineEurope (international European services), each offering tiered sub-products like NightLine NextDay, NightLinePlus, NightLineFix, B2CLine, ThermoLine, ServiceLine, and OrderLine. Additional services include the Transportshop online booking platform, Track-and-Trace shipment tracking via the Koch Portal (Cepra), Customs Service, Packaging Consulting, Dangerous Goods Consulting, Pallet Shop, and Better Circular sustainability solutions for carbon-conscious shipping. The company serves industries including Chemicals, Consumer Goods, Industry, and Pharmaceuticals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Transportshop Self-serve online platform for calculating freight prices in real time and booking LTL, FTL, express, and pallet shipments for business customers.
• General Cargo / LTL (Stückgut) Less-than-truckload shipping including pallet shipping and forwarding for shipments up to 2,500 kg, 6 pallet spaces, or 2.5 loading meters within Germany.
• Partial and Full Load (Teil- und Komplettladungen) Truckload and less-than-truckload road transport services for shipments from 2,501 kg or 7 pallet spaces onwards.
• Sea Freight (Seefracht) International ocean freight services including Less Container Load (LCL) groupage shipments and Full Container Load (FCL) options for importers and exporters.
• Air Freight (Luftfracht) International air cargo transportation for time-sensitive shipments requiring rapid delivery across global destinations.
• Rail Transport (Schienenverkehr) Intermodal rail transport services complementing road transport for long-distance European shipments.
• Express Transport (Expresstransport) Expedited transport services for time-critical shipments requiring faster than standard delivery times.
• Heavy Goods Transport (Schwerlasttransport) Specialized transport services for oversized and heavy cargo exceeding standard dimensional limits.
• Dangerous Goods Transport (Gefahrguttransport) ADR-certified hazardous materials transport services with compliance to international dangerous goods regulations.
• Temperature-Controlled Transportation (Temperaturgeführte Transporte) Temperature-controlled road transport for goods requiring specific temperature ranges during transit, including the ThermoLine brand operating at minimum +5°C with HACCP and SQAS compliance.
• Supply Chain Management End-to-end supply chain coordination and optimization services for managing complex logistics networks.
• Cross Docking Warehouse consolidation service where incoming shipments are sorted and directly reloaded for outbound transport with minimal storage time.
• Contract Logistics (Kontraktlogistik) Customized logistics solutions tailored to specific customer requirements with dedicated resources and processes.
• Distribution Logistics (Distributionslogistik) Regional and national distribution services for efficient delivery of goods to multiple destinations.
• Removals (Umzugslogistik) Relocation and moving services for household goods and office moves.
• NightLineEurope (International Premium Services) International premium transport services across approximately 30 European countries including NightLineEurope Priority, Fix, NextDay, Receipt, and B2CLine Europe with various time guarantees.
• NightLine (National Premium Services) National premium transport services within Germany including NightLine, B2CLine, ThermoLine, ServiceLine, OrderLine, NightLineFix, NightLinePlus, and NightLine NextDay.
• Dangerous Goods Consulting (Gefahrgutberatung) Expert advisory services for compliance with dangerous goods transport regulations including ADR documentation requirements.
• Packaging Consulting (Verpackungsberatung) Advisory services for optimal packaging solutions to ensure transport safety and damage prevention.
• Customs Service (Zoll-Service) Customs clearance services for international shipments including documentation handling, duty calculation, and country-specific compliance support.
• Pallet Shop (Palettenshop) Online shop for purchasing pallets including Euro pallets for shipping needs.
• Koch Portal (Cepra / MyKoch) Customer portal for 24/7 shipment tracking, tariff lookup, delivery receipt downloads, invoice access, carbon footprint calculations, and direct communication with CargoLiner partners.
• Better Circular Climate-friendly transport solutions for sea freight under the Better Circular brand, offering CO2-reduced transport options via alternative fuels or certificate-based carbon offsetting for climate-conscious importers and exporters.
• Digitaler Telefonassistent (AI Phone Bot) AI-powered digital telephone assistant that receives incoming calls, understands caller inquiries through natural language processing, and routes them to appropriate contacts. Implemented using BOTfriends GmbH technology.

Quantifiable outcome

• Germany-wide delivery within 24 to 48 hours via NightLine service
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• CargoLinecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKoch International is a member of the CargoLine cooperative network, which comprises approximately 80 well-known logistics partners at home and abroad. The network provides binding standard delivery times across Europe, enabling Koch International to offer NightLineEurope premium products (Priority, Fix, NextDay, Receipt) and B2CLine Europe in ~30 European countries. The CargoLine brand also provides shared marketing materials, a partner directory, and collective bargaining power for freight rates.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• DSV: Global freight forwarding and logistics provider headquartered in Denmark, with major European road, air, and sea freight operations. Significant overlap with Koch in European LTL/FTL, air, and sea freight forwarding for mid-market customers.
• DB Schenker: Major German-origin global freight forwarder and logistics provider with extensive European land transport, air, ocean, and contract logistics. Recently acquired by DSV. Direct overlap with Koch across European road, air, sea, and contract logistics.
• Kuehne+Nagel: One of the world's largest freight forwarders with global sea, air, road, and contract logistics. Significantly larger than Koch with ~80,000 employees worldwide, but overlaps directly in European road freight forwarding, sea/air freight, and contract logistics served by Koch.
• DHL Global Forwarding: Division of Deutsche Post DHL Group, one of the largest global freight forwarders with comprehensive air, ocean, and road freight services plus supply chain solutions. Overlaps with Koch across every product line but at vastly greater scale and global reach.

Direct peers

• Dachser: German family-owned logistics company offering European road freight, air and sea freight forwarding, contract logistics, and warehousing. Comparable to Koch in product portfolio (LTL, FTL, contract logistics, industry specialization) and target market (European mid-market shippers).
• Hellmann Worldwide Logistics: German family-owned freight forwarder and logistics provider headquartered in Osnabrück, Germany — same city as Koch International. Operates road, air, sea, and rail freight forwarding with similar product breadth and mid-market European focus, making it the closest direct peer.
• Rhenus Logistics: German mid-sized logistics company providing road, rail, air, and sea freight, contract logistics, and port logistics. Directly comparable to Koch in operating model, European geographic focus, and multi-vertical customer base.
• Gebrüder Weiss: Austrian family-owned logistics provider with German operations, offering road, air, and sea freight, contract logistics, and home delivery services. Comparable mid-sized forwarder with similar European network and diversified product portfolio.
• Emons Spedition: German family-owned freight forwarder with multimodal road, sea, and air freight services plus contract logistics. Similar mid-market positioning, product portfolio, and customer segments as Koch International.

Regional players

• Noerpel Group: German mid-sized family-owned logistics company based in southern Germany (Ulm), offering road freight forwarding, contract logistics, and customs services. Comparable size and product mix to Koch, focused on the German market and selected European corridors.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@Koch-International
• Facebookfacebook.com/kochinternational
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/koch-international-heinrich-koch-internationale-spedition-gmbh-co-kg
• Instagraminstagram.com/kochinternational
• TikToktiktok.com/@kochinternational?lang=de-DE

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Koch International