Sallaum Lines

What Sallaum Lines does

Sallaum Lines is a privately held, family-owned international ocean transportation company founded in 1993, specializing in Roll-on/Roll-off (RoRo) shipping of finished vehicles, trucks, buses, heavy equipment, and project cargo via Pure Car and Truck Carriers (PCTCs). Headquartered in Limassol, Cyprus since October 2025 (relocated from Switzerland), it operates from country offices in Cyprus, Belgium, the UAE, Lebanon, South Africa, and China, with a stated workforce of 440-500+ spanning more than 19 nationalities. The company positions itself as one of the largest vehicle carriers in the world, calling 37+ ports across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, the Americas, and Asia, with primary trade routes linking Europe to West and South Africa, Europe to the United States, and the United States to West Africa.

The company's core offering is a vertically integrated finished vehicle logistics (FVL) stack: ocean transportation, terminal operations at Sallaum Terminal Antwerp (€20 million reinvestment programme), supply chain management, and inland transportation via rail, road, and shortsea. Its next-generation Ocean Class fleet comprises LNG dual-fuel PCTCs in the 7,400-7,500 CEU range, and it has ordered 8,600 CEU dual-fuel ammonia-ready newbuilds from Xiamen Shipbuilding — its largest vessels to date. Differentiated technology includes the VESPER fleet performance management platform (by Vessel Performance Solutions), AI-powered voyage optimization, FuelOpt propulsion control, shore power, ballast water treatment systems, SOx scrubbers, and the proprietary Carbon Emission Calculator underpinning its Blue Corridor sustainability program on the Europe-Africa lane.

Sallaum Lines generates revenue primarily through freight contracts with global automotive OEMs, vehicle manufacturers, freight forwarders, and Chinese exporters, supplemented by terminal handling and inland logistics services. Pricing is quote-based, route and cargo-specific, and contracted under multi-year terms. The company is governed by Chairman Sami Sallaum with CEO Abed Stouhi and a family-plus-executive leadership team, has remained privately held without external institutional funding, and reports revenue growth of 3.4x at a 28% CAGR between 2016 and 2022 alongside ESG credentials including EcoVadis Bronze Medal (top 35% globally, 2025), UN Global Compact membership, and UN SDG alignment.

Name

Sallaum Lines

Legal name

Sallaum Lines LTD SA

Website

https://sallaumlines.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Sallaum Lines is a family-owned RoRo shipping company operating Pure Car and Truck Carriers that transport finished vehicles, heavy equipment, and project cargo across Europe, Africa, the Americas, the Middle East, and Asia, serving global automotive OEMs, commercial vehicle manufacturers, freight forwarders, and Chinese exporters through integrated ocean, terminal, and inland logistics.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

RoRo Shipping Services / Finished Vehicle Logistics

NAICS

Deep Sea Freight Transportation (483111), Marine Cargo Handling (488320), Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation (48311), Coastal and Great Lakes Freight Transportation (483113)

SIC

Deep Sea Foreign Transportation Of Freight (4412), Water Transportation (4400), Public Warehousing & Storage (4220)

akta.pro primary industry

Finished Vehicle Ocean RoRo & Deep-Sea Vehicle Carriers (TLADAJAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ro-Ro / Pure Car & Truck Carrier (PCTC) Operators (TLADABAH), Project & OOG/Breakbulk Ocean Forwarding (Out-of-Gauge, RoRo) (TLACABAH), High & Heavy / Project Ro-Ro Handling (Construction, Mining & Oversize Equipment) (TLAHACAI), Marine Terminals & Cargo Handling Infrastructure (RoRo, Bulk, Container) (IMAFAJAF)

Keywords

• Ocean transportation services
• Roll-on roll-off shipping
• Finished vehicle logistics
• Car carrier services
• Roro cargo shipping

Headquarters

HQ city

Stalden

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ocean Freight / Ocean Transportation: Core revenue stream from transporting vehicles, trucks, buses, trailers, heavy equipment, and project cargo via Roll-on/Roll-off (RoRo) vessels across established trade lanes connecting Europe, Africa, the Middle East, the Americas, and Asia. Revenue is generated through freight contracts with OEMs, vehicle manufacturers, dealers, and freight forwarders.
2. Terminal Operations: Revenue from operating RoRo terminals at major ports (Antwerp, Belgium), including cargo handling, storage, warehousing, pre-delivery inspection (PDI), carwash, dewaxing, car document services, and truck/rail handling. Includes 20-million-euro investment in terminal expansion.
3. Inland Transportation: Revenue from port-to-factory and port-to-dealer inland transport services, including rail and road transport, freight audit services, carbon emissions reporting, and specialty rigging and load consolidation services.
4. Supply Chain Management: Finished vehicle logistics (FVL) services including end-to-end supply chain optimization, made-to-order services, and prioritized vehicle receipt for automotive manufacturers and logistics providers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sallaum Lines provides international Roll-on/Roll-off (RoRo) ocean transportation services for finished vehicles, trucks, buses, trailers, heavy equipment, and project cargo using a fleet of specialized Pure Car and Truck Carriers (PCTCs). The company offers an end-to-end finished vehicle logistics platform combining ocean shipping, terminal operations at Antwerp, supply chain management, and inland transportation across trade lanes connecting Europe, Africa, the Middle East, the Americas, and Asia.

Product overview

Sallaum Lines is a global Roll-on/Roll-off (RoRo) shipping company operating a fleet of Pure Car and Truck Carriers (PCTCs) for finished vehicle logistics. The company offers a unified platform of shipping and logistics services comprising Ocean Transportation (core vessel operations with current fleet of 14 vessels and newbuildings), Terminal Operations (antwerp-based facilities), Supply Chain Management, and Inland Transportation. The Ocean Class Fleet represents the company's next-generation vessels featuring LNG dual-fuel propulsion for environmental performance. New ammonia-ready 8,600 CEU PCTCs on order expand capacity. Digital capabilities include the VESPER performance management platform for fleet optimization and the Blue Corridor initiative providing verified emissions tracking. Trade routes span Europe, Americas, Africa, and Middle East with interactive route planning, scheduling, tracking, and quotation tools supporting customer operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Wavemakers Initiative: Corporate Social Responsibility initiative encompassing company values and CSR actions focused on employees, future wavemakers (humanitarian work for youth), and ocean conservation
• Blue Corridor

Products and services

• Ocean Transportation (RoRo Shipping) International Roll-on/Roll-off (RoRo) shipping services for automobiles, trucks, heavy equipment, and project cargo using a fleet of specialized Pure Car and Truck Carriers (PCTCs) with extensive global port coverage across Europe, Africa, Middle East, Americas, and Asia.
• Terminal Operations Operation of terminals at major RoRo ports including Antwerp, providing cargo processing, handling, storage, pre-delivery inspection (PDI), carwash facilities, dewaxing, and CarDoc services with rail, road, and shortsea inland connections.
• Supply Chain Management

Quantifiable outcome

• 14% reduction in CO2 emissions from 2024 to 2025
• +4 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

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Xiamen Shipbuilding Industry Co., Ltd. (XSI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 June 2026Sallaum Lines signed a shipbuilding contract with Xiamen Shipbuilding Industry for 2 firm and 2 optional 8,600 CEU LNG/VLSFO/MGO dual-fuel, ammonia-ready PCTC newbuilds—representing the company's largest vessel size to date. The vessels are designed to support the company's fleet renewal programme and expansion of global automotive logistics operations.
• China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 June 2026China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd. built and delivered MV Ocean Express and MV Ocean Navigator (7,400 CEU LNG dual-fuel PCTCs). The shipyard is a key strategic shipbuilding partner for Sallaum Lines' Ocean Class newbuilding programme, which also included MV Ocean Explorer and MV Ocean Legacy.
• Anji Logistics EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 December 2025Sallaum Lines and Anji Logistics Europe signed a Strategic Framework Cooperation Agreement covering collaboration across terminal and warehousing operations at the Port of Antwerp, ocean freight and return cargo flows, and European inland logistics. This strategic alignment strengthens automotive and RoRo supply chain integration, reinforces multimodal transport corridors connecting Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, and supports Antwerp's role as a leading global hub for vehicle logistics.
• Wallenius WilhelmsencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 June 2025Wallenius Wilhelmsen signed a 20-year strategic partnership agreement with the Georgia Port Authority. Sallaum Lines was noted as a Switzerland-based carrier that added the Port of Brunswick to its Atlantic network as part of the broader infrastructure investment and strategic RoRo port development at Colonel's Island Terminal.
• Vessel Performance Solutions (VPS)coreTechnology or IntegrationSallaum Lines selected and deployed the VESPER performance management platform developed by Vessel Performance Solutions (VPS) across its LNG Ocean Class fleet. The platform integrates high-frequency vessel data streams and provides real-time operational intelligence for voyage optimization and condition-based maintenance.
• Port of Antwerp / Sallaum TerminalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSallaum Lines operates Sallaum Terminal at the Port of Antwerp, one of Europe's largest RoRo hubs. A €20-million reinvestment programme was underway in 2025 to expand terminal capacity and technical standards. The terminal features rail connections, barge services, wind turbines for renewable energy, and electric vehicle port infrastructure.
• Emirates Shipping AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSallaum Lines participated in the Emirates Shipping Association Maritime Reception held at a landmark venue in Dubai, serving as a forum for industry dialogue, partnership building, and brand visibility within the UAE maritime community.

Scale indicators20 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• UECC (United European Car Carriers): European short-sea PCTC operator jointly owned by Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) and Wallenius Wilhelmsen. Competes with Sallaum Lines on European finished vehicle distribution, particularly intra-Europe and Europe-North Africa trade.
• Wallenius Wilhelmsen: The world's largest RoRo and vehicle carrier operator, headquartered in Norway. Operates a global PCTC fleet serving automotive OEMs across the same trade lanes as Sallaum Lines, including Europe-USA, Europe-Africa, and intra-Asia routes, and is the most direct head-to-head competitor.
• Hyundai Glovis: Korean logistics arm of Hyundai Motor Group with a large PCTC fleet and global finished vehicle logistics operations. Directly comparable on the China-Asia-Europe automotive export flow that Sallaum Lines is targeting with its new China office and Anji partnership.
• Höegh Autoliners: Pure-play global PCTC operator (publicly listed in Oslo) with a fleet of modern deep-sea car carriers. Directly comparable to Sallaum Lines' finished vehicle focus, dual-fuel newbuild programme (Aurora Class), and global OEM customer base.
• Eukor Car Carriers: Specialized global PCTC operator majority-owned by Wallenius Wilhelmsen and focused on finished vehicle transport for Korean OEMs (Hyundai, Kia). Direct competitor on Europe-Asia transpacific and intra-Asia automotive trade lanes.

Emerging players

• Grimaldi Lines: Italian RoRo and short-sea shipping operator with significant European and Mediterranean coverage. Has overlapping presence on Europe-North Africa and intra-Europe finished vehicle routes that intersect with Sallaum Lines' Antwerp and Mediterranean operations.

Broad incumbents

• NYK Line (Nippon Yusen Kaisha): Japanese global shipping conglomerate with a significant PCTC and finished vehicle logistics division. Broader portfolio includes container, bulk, and LNG shipping but the automotive logistics arm is a direct comparator to Sallaum Lines' core business.
• Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL): Japanese diversified shipping group with PCTC and finished vehicle logistics services. Operates in the same global vehicle shipping market as Sallaum Lines with a broader portfolio spanning containers, tankers, and LNG.
• K Line (Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha): Japanese shipping major with PCTC operations as part of a diversified fleet portfolio. Operates car carriers on global routes serving Asian OEMs, overlapping with Sallaum Lines' trade lanes and customer profile.

Others

• Anji Logistics Europe: Strategic Framework Cooperation partner of Sallaum Lines at Port of Antwerp. Chinese logistics arm (SAIC Motor affiliate) with growing European automotive logistics footprint — adjacent partner rather than competitor, but material to Sallaum Lines' China-Europe trade lane strategy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sallaum-lines
• Facebookfacebook.com/sallaumlinesinternational

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Sallaum Lines