Thermotraffic
Thermotraffic is a German temperature-controlled logistics provider (Versmold, founded 1983) operating 750 vehicles across 19 European locations and 46 countries, serving food, pharmaceutical, plant, and specialty cargo customers via road, sea, and air freight as a Nichirei subsidiary.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1983
- HeadquartersVersmold, Germany
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Thermotraffic does
Thermotraffic GmbH is a German temperature-controlled logistics specialist headquartered in Versmold, founded in 1983 and operating since February 1984. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Japan's Nichirei Corporation (acquired 1989) and operates 19 locations across Europe with a 750-vehicle fleet, serving 46 European countries and parts of Asia. Its service portfolio spans five transport modes - multi-temperature land transport (LTL/FTL), Sprinter express delivery, reefer container trucking at major European ports, global ocean freight, and air freight based at Frankfurt Airport - supplemented by a European cold storage network and import/export customs services.
The technology backbone relies on a multi-temperature fleet with Bi-Temp vehicles, GPS tracking across all vehicles, Thermomapping to validate temperature uniformity, 24-hour EDT monitoring for pharmaceutical shipments, and integrated telematics for route and temperature management. Specialized infrastructure includes a Pharma Competence Center in Gelsenkirchen (GDP-certified, TAPA security, +2 C to +8 C and +15 C to +25 C ranges), Genset-equipped reefers for -60 C to +25 C, and cold storage with shock-freezing, cross-docking, and Bio/Halal certifications.
Thermotraffic runs a direct B2B enterprise sales model, targeting food producers and retailers, pharmaceutical manufacturers, plant growers, and specialty cargo shippers through a dedicated sales team. Revenue is transaction-based (per-shipment fees for transport and managed-services fees for cold storage and customs) with quote-based pricing tailored to cargo type, temperature range, distance, and volume. Certifications across GDP, IFS Logistics, BRCGS, AEO, ISO 9001/27001/50001, QS, BIO, EcoVadis Bronze, and Lean and Green form a key procurement qualification layer, especially for pharma and major food customers.
Thermotraffic firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Thermotraffic
- Legal name
- Thermotraffic GmbH
- Website
- https://thermotraffic.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1983
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Thermotraffic is a German temperature-controlled logistics provider (Versmold, founded 1983) operating 750 vehicles across 19 European locations and 46 countries, serving food, pharmaceutical, plant, and specialty cargo customers via road, sea, and air freight as a Nichirei subsidiary.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Thermotraffic industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cold Chain Logistics
- NAICS
- Specialized Freight Trucking (4842), Refrigerated Warehousing and Storage (493120), Support Activities for Transportation (488), Transportation and Warehousing (48-49)
- SIC
- Trucking (No Local) (4213), Public Warehousing & Storage (4220)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Temperature-Controlled (Reefer) Road Forwarding (TLACACAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Pharma & Life Sciences Cold Chain Transport (GDP) (TLADAHAI), Fresh Produce & Perishables Cold Chain Forwarding (TLACAMAE), Pharmaceutical Cold-Chain Delivery (2–8°C / CRT) (TLAAAJAC), Expedited Cold Chain / Temperature-Controlled Expediting (TLADANAJ)
Keywords
Where Thermotraffic is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Versmold
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices11 records
Markets served
Thermotraffic business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Land Transport Services: European LTL (Less than Truckload) and FTL (Full Truckload) transport services with multi-temperature capabilities across 46 European countries and parts of Asia
- Sprinter/Express Transport: Temperature-controlled express transport services using 3.5-tonne Sprinter vehicles for time-critical deliveries within 48 hours across Europe
- Container Trucking: Port-to-inland container transport services for reefers using proprietary tractor units and chassis at European ports
- Sea Freight: Global ocean freight services with allocated container space at major shipping lines, providing door-to-door temperature-controlled solutions
- Air Freight: Air cargo transport services based at Frankfurt Airport, handling perishable goods, ADR/DGR cargo, and dry cargo
- Cold Storage Logistics: European network of cold storage facilities for temperature-controlled warehousing, cross-docking, and value-added services
- Import/Export Services: Customs clearance, phytosanitary/veterinary processing, and trade compliance services at major European ports
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Thermotraffic product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Thermotraffic is a specialized freight forwarder (Fachspedition) providing temperature-controlled transport and storage of perishable and temperature-sensitive goods across Europe and globally. Its core offering is multi-modal cold chain logistics: Europe-wide LTL/FTL road transport with a multi-temperature fleet, Sprinter express service, container trucking of reefer containers from European ports, global sea and air freight, customs clearance and a European cold storage network. Specialized industry solutions cover food (IFS/BRCGS/QS/BIO certified), pharmaceuticals (GDP-certified Pharma Competence Center at Gelsenkirchen with 24-hour EDT monitoring), plants and flowers, and special cargo.
Product overview
Thermotraffic is a temperature-controlled logistics company operating as a unified platform with multiple transport modes (land, air, sea) and specialized services. The core offering consists of Landtransporte (multi-temperature fleet transport across Europe), Sprinter-Service (express delivery vehicles), Container Trucking (port-to-destination transport), Seefracht (global ocean freight), Luftfracht (air freight from Frankfurt), and Kühlhauslogistik (cold storage network). Specialized divisions include the Pharma Competence Center for pharmaceutical cold chain, and industry-focused services for food, plants, and specialty products. Supporting services include Import/Export customs clearance at major European ports. The company also offers a WebPortal for digital order processing. All services are unified under one operational umbrella with shared infrastructure, fleet, and network capabilities across 16 European locations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Land Transport (Landtransporte) Multi-temperature fleet transport services covering Europe-wide delivery of food, pharmaceuticals, plants, and specialty products with LTL (Less than Truckload) and FTL (Full Truckload) capabilities in 46 European countries and parts of Asia. Includes Bi-Temp vehicles, GPS tracking, Thermomapping, and qualified import/export clearance for third-country traffic.
- Sprinter Service Thermo/cold Sprinter vehicles (3.5 tonnes) for pan-European express transport, courier and special transport services with temperature range -20 °C to +25 °C, equipped with Bi-Temp capability (two separate temperature zones), GPS tracking and Thermomapping. Can carry up to seven Euro pallets or 950 kg gross and reach all European destinations within 48 hours.
- Container Trucking Transport of refrigerated containers (20', 40', 45') at European ports and inland locations with proprietary tractor units and chassis. Genset-equipped equipment enables continuous cold chain transport in -60 °C to +25 °C range. All equipment GPS-tracked. Service covers locations in Germany, UK and the Netherlands to all European ports.
- Import / Export Comprehensive customs clearance and logistics services at major European ports (Belgium, Germany, UK, Netherlands). Includes HRL, phytosanitary and veterinary clearance, AGRIM and quota management, bonded administration, licensing procedures, customs warehousing, VAT/Intrastat reporting, fiscal representation, 3PL supply chain solutions, and onward transport via road, inland waterway, and rail.
- Sea Freight (Seefracht) Global temperature-controlled ocean freight services with reefer specialists worldwide, door-to-door solutions, pick-up in country of origin, sea transport, customs clearance, storage, and distribution within Europe. Allocated container quotas with leading shipping lines enable flexible and short transit times with sustainable and innovative equipment.
- Cold Storage Logistics (Kühlhauslogistik) European network of cold storage facilities for temperature-controlled warehousing, cross-docking, and value-added services. Temperature range -60 °C to +25 °C; offers shock freezing, controlled thawing, cross-docking, quality checks, and labeling services, with Bio and Halal certifications.
- Air Freight (Luftfracht) Air freight services based at Frankfurt Airport for perishable goods, ADR (Accord européen relatif au transport international des marchandises Dangereuses par Route), DGR (Dangerous Goods Regulations), and Dry-Cargo shipments. Equipment includes roller bed systems with up to 3 meters interior height. FRC (Freight Routing and Classification) approval; GPS-equipped vehicles.
- Pharma Competence Center Specialized pharmaceutical cold transport at +2 °C to +8 °C and/or +15 °C to +25 °C for pharmaceutical, medical, and medical technology products including narcotics. GDP-certified, with 24-hour EDT monitoring, telematics, and TAPA-certified security facilities. Based at the dedicated Pharma Competence Center in Gelsenkirchen (established 2014).
- Food Logistics (Lebensmittellogistik) Specialized food logistics services for frozen, chilled, and non-temperature-controlled food products distributed through 16 dedicated European branches. Certified to IFS Logistics, ISO, AEO, BRCGS (Brand Reputation through Compliance Global Standards), QS, BIO, and GDP-Logistics standards.
- Plant Transport (Pflanzentransport) Temperature-controlled transport of flowers and plants from overseas ports, international airports, and European growing regions. Covers young plants, potted plants, bedding plants, balcony plants, and cut flowers; deliveries to garden centers and retail distribution platforms.
- Specials Transport Transport services for products requiring special handling, including chemicals, oils, animals (bees), pet food, dry goods, automotive accessories, and high-value goods.
- WebPortal Digital web portal for freight forwarders enabling online order processing, shipment tracking, and digital workflow management. Registration requires email and username with automatic deletion after six months of inactivity.
Quantifiable outcome
- Customer satisfaction rating of 1.59 (on German school grading scale, 1=best) in 2025, improved from 1.65 in 2023
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Thermotraffic
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Thermotraffic technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Thermotraffic partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- FrigologisticsminorPolish cold storage and logistics partner visible in group logos, indicating collaboration within the Nichirei/Thermotraffic network
- GodfroyminorFrench logistics partner shown in group logos. Godfroy participated together with Thermotraffic at Anuga 2023
- HiwaminorDutch logistics partner in the Thermotraffic network, shown in group logos section
- EurofrigominorSister company within the Nichirei/Thermotraffic group, participated together at Anuga 2023 trade fair
- Thermotraffic Holland B.V.coreFounded in 1987 as a subsidiary in the Netherlands. Peter Kraan serves as second managing director. Provides Dutch market operations and container trucking services.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves14 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Thermotraffic competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Eurofrigo: Sister company within the Nichirei/Thermotraffic group, providing temperature-controlled warehousing and logistics across Europe. Directly comparable as a Nichirei-owned reefer specialist with similar customer base in frozen and chilled foods.
- Lineage Logistics: World's largest temperature-controlled warehousing and logistics company, operating cold storage plus transportation in Europe and globally. Directly comparable on cold storage and integrated reefer transport, though Lineage is significantly larger and primarily a warehousing-led platform.
- JF Hillebrand: Specialist freight forwarder focused on beverage, food, and other temperature-sensitive liquid and dry bulk logistics with strong European reefer capabilities. Comparable in niche specialization, multi-modal approach, and food/beverage customer base.
- Frigologistics: Polish cold storage and logistics partner within the Nichirei/Thermotraffic group network. Comparable as a reefer specialist with European cold storage and transport operations, though focused on Eastern European geographies.
Broad incumbents
- Kühne+Nagel: One of the world's largest freight forwarders with a significant KN PharmaChain and temperature-controlled logistics division. Competes with Thermotraffic on cross-border European reefer transport, though K+N operates as a much broader generalist 3PL.
- Dachser: German-headquartered logistics provider with a dedicated Food Logistics business line (Dachser Food Logistics) offering temperature-controlled European distribution. Comparable in customer overlap (European food producers/retailers) and Bi-Temp reefer capabilities, though Dachser is a much larger generalist.
- DSV: Global freight forwarder with a strong European road transport and cold chain offering following its Schenker integration. Competes directly for European reefer FTL/LTL contracts with a much larger global footprint.
- GEODIS: French global logistics provider with a dedicated Healthcare and cold chain division serving pharma and food customers across Europe. Comparable in pharma GDP-certified reefer capabilities and pan-European network, though much broader in scope.
Regional players
- Hankepall: Note: Excluded — not confident of verifiable current existence as a direct reefer peer.
Emerging players
- Royal FloraHolland Logistics: Dutch flower auction and logistics platform with significant temperature-controlled transport for plants and cut flowers. Comparable to Thermotraffic's plant/nursery vertical, though operating as a regional flower-specific specialist rather than full cold-chain operator.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Thermotraffic social profiles
Digital presenceThermotraffic compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance12 records
Thermotraffic financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Thermotraffic leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Thermotraffic subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Thermotraffic funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Thermotraffic 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 Thermotraffic
What does Thermotraffic do?
Thermotraffic is a specialized freight forwarder (Fachspedition) providing temperature-controlled transport and storage of perishable and temperature-sensitive goods across Europe and globally. Its core offering is multi-modal cold chain logistics: Europe-wide LTL/FTL road transport with a multi-temperature fleet, Sprinter express service, container trucking of reefer containers from European ports, global sea and air freight, customs clearance and a European cold storage network. Specialized industry solutions cover food (IFS/BRCGS/QS/BIO certified), pharmaceuticals (GDP-certified Pharma Competence Center at Gelsenkirchen with 24-hour EDT monitoring), plants and flowers, and special cargo.
Is Thermotraffic a public or private company?
Thermotraffic is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Thermotraffic founded?
Thermotraffic was founded in 1983. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Thermotraffic based?
Thermotraffic is headquartered in Versmold, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Thermotraffic make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. Land Transport Services are the primary driver. The others are sprinter/Express Transport, container Trucking, sea Freight, air Freight, cold Storage Logistics and import/Export Services.
Who are Thermotraffic's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Eurofrigo, Lineage Logistics, JF Hillebrand and Frigologistics. Broad incumbents are Kühne+Nagel, Dachser, DSV and GEODIS. Hankepall is listed as a regional player. Royal FloraHolland Logistics is listed as an emerging player.
Does Thermotraffic have an API?
No public API is recorded for Thermotraffic.
What industry is Thermotraffic in?
Thermotraffic's product category is Cold Chain Logistics. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLACACAI, Temperature-Controlled (Reefer) Road Forwarding, with a secondary code of TLADAHAI, Pharma & Life Sciences Cold Chain Transport (GDP). Its NAICS code is 4842 and its SIC code is 4213.