Karl Heinz Dietrich

What Karl Heinz Dietrich does

Karl Heinz Dietrich GmbH & Co. KG (KHD) is a privately held, family-owned international freight forwarder and contract logistics provider founded in 1945 in Bavaria, Germany, and now in its third generation of family management. The company delivers multi-modal logistics across air, sea, road, and rail transport, complemented by owned warehousing and value-added services such as assembly, packaging, labeling, cleaning of reusable plastic containers (including cleanroom-grade), temperature-controlled storage, and customs clearance. KHD holds Bavaria's first IATA license (1950), operates approximately 24 company-owned branches across Europe (Germany, Romania, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Turkey) and the Americas (Mexico), and extends its reach through a partner network covering roughly 75 representations in 23 countries, with strategic alliances since 1985 with Delmar International (North America and China) and Capricorn Logistics (India and UAE). Its core physical footprint is 255,000 sqm of owned warehouse space, of which 210,000 sqm is concentrated in Romania, making it a major hub for European distribution and nearshoring-related flows into Mexico.\n\nKHD's revenue model is transaction-based across freight forwarding streams (air, sea, road, rail) and managed-services for warehousing and contract logistics, with quote-based pricing on every shipment and no publicly disclosed pricing tiers. The technology stack is built around a Track & Trace portal, a Warehouse Management System (WMS) with real-time inventory control, and per-container GPS plus reefer temperature tracking on the China–Europe rail product (New Silk Road / Trans-Siberian Railway, 16–18 day transit, up to 65% cheaper than air). GTM is predominantly enterprise field sales through 24 company-owned offices with dedicated personal contacts, supplemented by WCA conference participation, a Mexico-focused content/blog channel, and a network of agents and JV partners for local operational coverage in Americas and Asia. The company is ISO 9001, 14001, and 27001 certified, is an Authorized Economic Operator (AEO F) in Germany and Romania, holds EcoVadis Silver (top 8% globally, 2024), and serves enterprise customers across automotive, retail, manufacturing, dental/medical, and nearshoring segments.

Name

Karl Heinz Dietrich

Legal name

Karl Heinz Dietrich GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://dietrich-logistic.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Karl Heinz Dietrich (KHD) is a family-owned international freight forwarder and contract logistics provider offering multi-modal air, sea, road, and rail transport plus 255,000 sqm of owned warehousing across 24 branches in Europe and the Americas. It serves enterprise manufacturers, automotive, retail, and nearshoring customers via Delmar and Capricorn partner networks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Freight Forwarding and Logistics Services

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510), General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance (48412)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro primary industry

International Fulfillment, Forwarding & Consolidation Services (CRAFAJAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cross-Border Freight Brokerage (USMCA/EU, etc.) (TLADAMAN), Export/Import Documentation Preparation (Commercial Invoice, Packing List, Shipper’s Letter of Instruction) (TLACAHAD), Customs Brokerage for Ocean Shipments (Import/Export Clearance) (TLACABAG)

Keywords

• International freight forwarding
• Air freight services
• Sea freight logistics
• Contract logistics
• Rail freight transport

Headquarters

HQ city

Gomaringen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices24 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Air Freight: International air cargo transportation services including direct movements, airport-to-airport, door-to-door, consolidation, charter, and project shipments. KHD has been IATA agent since 1950.
2. Sea Freight: Full container load (FCL) and less than container load (LCL) shipping, port-to-port and door-to-door services, heavy cargo and project shipping, dangerous goods, complete customs clearance
3. Trucking/Road Freight: National and international road transport including FTL/LTL, refrigerated transport, special and heavy cargo, express and courier services, and intermodal transport with Just-In-Time deliveries
4. Rail Transport: Rail freight between China and Europe via the New Silk Road (Trans-Siberian Railway), taking 16-18 days, up to 65% cheaper than air freight with GPS tracking
5. Warehousing and Contract Logistics: Own warehouses in Germany and Romania with short and long-term storage, cross-docking, supply chain solutions, and value-added services including assembly, packaging, and labeling
6. Value-Added Services: Assembly, packaging, labeling, cleaning of reusable plastic containers (including cleanroom-grade), temperature-controlled storage, customs clearance
7. Specialized Services: Time-critical shipments (NFO, AOG, Handcarry & Charter), container consolidation, customs brokerage, and supply chain consulting

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Karl Heinz Dietrich (KHD) is an international freight forwarding company providing end-to-end multi-modal logistics services including air freight, sea freight, trucking (road), rail transport between China and Europe via the New Silk Road, and warehousing/contract logistics. The company operates 24 company-owned locations across Europe and the Americas with approximately 255,000 sqm of warehouse space, complemented by value-added services such as assembly, packaging, labeling, customs clearance, and Just-In-Time deliveries.

Product overview

Karl Heinz Dietrich (KHD) operates as an international freight forwarding company offering five core logistics services: Air Freight, Trucking (road transport), Sea Freight, Rail Transport, and Warehousing and Contract Logistics. The company also provides supplementary services including Track & Trace shipment monitoring, an online Freight Inquiry system, and Value Added Services such as assembly, packaging, and labeling. With 24 company-owned locations across Europe, the Americas, and Asia, plus partnerships with Delmar International (North America/China) and Capricorn Logistics (India/UAE), KHD offers end-to-end logistics solutions along the complete supply chain.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Air Freight International air cargo transportation services for time-critical shipments, including direct traffic, airport-to-airport and door-to-door deliveries, consolidation services, partial and full charter with transport monitoring, project loading, and Just-In-Time transport. Targeted at manufacturers, traders, and shippers with urgent international shipping needs.
• Sea Freight Full container load (FCL) and less-than-container load (LCL) shipments, consolidated container services on selected routes, port-to-port or door-to-door services, heavy cargo and project shipments, dangerous goods handling, and complete customs clearance. Targeted at international manufacturers and trading companies moving large-volume cargo.
• Trucking (Road Freight) National and international road freight transport including refrigerated transport, special and heavy cargo transport, express and courier services, and intermodal transport with a modern fleet and selected cooperation partners. Includes FTL/LTL options and Just-In-Time deliveries. Targeted at shippers needing European road distribution and cross-border trucking.
• Rail Transport

Quantifiable outcome

• One delivery in Europe every 5 minutes
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Delmar InternationalflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1985Exclusive partnership since 1985 for North America (USA and Canada) and China operations. Delmar International is a family business founded in 1965 with over 40 years of partnership with KHD. They provide local operational business for KHD customers across North America and operate 9 offices in China (Xiamen, Dalian, Shenzhen, Qingdao, Tianjin, Beijing, Guangzhou, Ningbo, Shanghai) and Hong Kong.
• Capricorn LogisticscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic cooperation providing KHD access to markets in India and the United Arab Emirates. Capricorn Logistics operates in Pune, Chennai, Hyderabad, New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Dubai.
• Royal CargominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner network in UAE (Dubai), Thailand (Bangkok), Philippines (Manila), and Singapore for local logistics operations.
• Delmar Total Transportation Ltd.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner in Bangladesh (Dhaka) for local transportation operations.
• Dietrich-Honold S.R.L.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture in Romania (Sacalaz/Timisoara) with Honold Logistic, expanding the distribution center by additional 10,000 sqm warehouse space. Operations include collaboration with Heraeus-Kulzer-Dental.
• World Cargo Alliance (WCA)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKHD is member of WCA worldwide network of freight forwarders. Participation in annual WCA conferences provides opportunities for new market development, strengthening existing partnerships, and initiating strategic projects. Dietrich-Logistics Mexico participated in 2024 and 2025 conferences.
• Royal Cargo Inc.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner in UAE (Dubai) for local logistics operations.
• PT. Royal Logistics IndonesiaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner in Indonesia (Jakarta) for local logistics operations.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves17 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hellmann Worldwide Logistics: German-headquartered, family-influenced multi-modal freight forwarder with air, sea, road, and rail services plus contract logistics. Closely comparable to KHD in scale, geographic footprint (Europe, Americas, Asia), and offering breadth including value-added services.
• Röhlig Logistics: German family-influenced mid-sized international freight forwarder specializing in air, sea, and road freight forwarding with warehousing. Comparable to KHD in mid-market positioning, multi-modal capability, and owner-influenced governance.
• Logwin: German-headquartered international logistics provider offering freight forwarding (air, sea, road) and contract logistics with warehouses across Europe. Similar scale to KHD with comparable mid-market positioning across multiple geographies.

Broad incumbents

• Kuehne+Nagel: World's largest freight forwarder headquartered in Switzerland, offering air, sea, road, and contract logistics globally. Significantly larger than KHD with broader service portfolio and technology investments.
• DHL Global Forwarding: Deutsche Post DHL's freight forwarding division, one of the world's largest forwarders with air, ocean, and road freight plus supply chain solutions. Competes with KHD across multi-modal forwarding but at vastly greater scale.
• DSV: Danish global transport and logistics company and one of the largest forwarders globally following the DB Schenker acquisition. Directly competes with KHD across freight forwarding services but operates at much greater scale.
• DB Schenker: Large German-headquartered freight forwarder and logistics provider (now under DSV ownership). German domestic competitor to KHD with significantly larger network and multimodal capabilities.
• CEVA Logistics: Global third-party logistics provider owned by CMA CGM, offering freight forwarding and contract logistics worldwide. Comparable service portfolio to KHD at substantially larger scale.
• Expeditors International: US-headquartered global freight forwarding and logistics company with air, ocean, and customs brokerage services. Technology-forward competitor operating in similar international trade lanes as KHD.
• Yusen Logistics: Japanese-headquartered global logistics company offering international freight forwarding, contract logistics, and supply chain solutions. Competes with KHD on Asia-Europe trade lanes and warehousing services at significantly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/karl-heinz-dietrich-international-logistics
• Instagraminstagram.com/khd_dietrich_logistics
• Xx.com/khd_de

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Karl Heinz Dietrich