What DACHSER does

DACHSER is a family-owned global system logistics provider headquartered in Kempten, Germany, founded in 1930 and operating today through 427 wholly-owned branch locations across 42 country organizations with a workforce of 37,452. The company runs an integrated transport and warehousing network combining road, air, sea, and rail services, and reported record revenue of EUR 8.3 billion in 2025 from 86.2 million shipments and 46.7 million metric tons of cargo. Its revenue is generated primarily through transaction-fee-based road logistics (EUR 6.9 billion, +7% YoY) — including a temperature-controlled Food Logistics segment that grew 10.1% to EUR 1.8 billion following acquisitions of Müller, Frigoscandia, and Brummer — with Air & Sea Logistics contributing EUR 1.4 billion (-12.6% YoY) and Contract Logistics embedded within Road Logistics.

DACHSER's competitive position rests on a wholly-owned, vertically integrated network model with no franchise or reseller layer, supported by proprietary IT including the Mikado warehouse management system, Domino transportation management system, eLogistics customer portal, EDI Center, ActiveReport supply chain event management tool, and the award-winning @ILO digital twin (developed jointly with Fraunhofer IML using AI and optical scanning). The company serves enterprise and mid-market B2B customers across five core verticals — chemicals (Chem-Logistics, VCI partner since 2009), food (Food Logistics, European Food Network), life sciences and healthcare (IATA CEIV Pharma and GDP certified on three continents), cosmetics, and automotive — via direct field sales with dedicated account management and a self-service portal.

Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with rates negotiated per shipment, lane, and volume. Growth has been driven by a combination of organic European groupage expansion and an active M&A program targeting food logistics specialists (Müller 2023, Frigoscandia 2023-24, Brummer 2024, FERCAM Italia 2024, plus full ownership of DACHSER South Africa). The company is privately held with no external equity ownership, led by CEO Burkhard Eling and a five-member Management Board, with family oversight through Chairman of the Supervisory Board Bernhard Simon.

Name

DACHSER

Legal name

DACHSER SE

Website

https://dachser.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1930

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

DACHSER is a family-owned global system logistics provider founded in 1930, operating 427 wholly-owned branches in 42 countries. It serves enterprise B2B customers in food, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and automotive with integrated road, air, sea, and rail transport plus contract logistics.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Logistics Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Transportation (488), General Warehousing and Storage (493110)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Trucking & Courier Services (No Air) (4210), Public Warehousing & Storage (4220)

akta.pro primary industry

Hazmat & Dangerous Goods Warehousing (Regulated Storage) (TLAIACAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Dedicated / Captive Frozen Warehousing (Manufacturer/Retailer-Owned) (TLALACAK)

Keywords

• Freight forwarding services
• Contract logistics
• Warehousing solutions
• Cold chain logistics
• Groupage transport

Headquarters

HQ city

Kempten

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices15 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. Road Logistics (European Land Transport): Groupage (less-than-truckload) and full-load road transport across Europe and globally, organized through DACHSER's European Logistics network. Includes temperature-controlled (Food Logistics) and industrial goods transport. Revenue of EUR 6.9 billion in 2025 (+7% YoY), with Food Logistics growing 10.1% to EUR 1.8 billion. This is the dominant revenue stream.
2. Air & Sea Logistics: International air freight and ocean freight forwarding services providing door-to-door transportation globally. Revenue of EUR 1.4 billion in 2025 (-12.6% YoY) due to declining freight rates. Includes full container loads (FCL), less-than-container loads (LCL), and time-sensitive air freight.
3. Contract Logistics / Warehousing: Customized warehousing and contract logistics services including storage, value-added services (picking, packaging, display-build, returns management), and specialized storage for hazardous materials and pharmaceuticals. Revenue embedded within Road Logistics division.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

DACHSER provides integrated system logistics services combining road, air, sea, and rail transport with warehousing and contract logistics through a wholly-owned network of 427 locations in 42 countries. Core revenue lines are Road Logistics (groupage and full-load European land transport, EUR 6.9 billion in 2025) and Air & Sea Logistics (EUR 1.4 billion in 2025), supplemented by industry-specific solutions in food, chemicals, life sciences, and cosmetics, plus value-added contract logistics and supply chain visibility tools.

Product overview

DACHSER is a global system logistics provider offering an integrated network of transportation, warehousing, and supply chain management services. The core offering consists of three main business lines: European Logistics (road freight and groupage), Food Logistics (temperature-controlled food transport), and Air & Sea Logistics (global freight). Industry-specific solutions include Chem-Logistics, Cosmetics Logistics, Contract Logistics, Rail Services, and Industry Solutions. The portfolio is supported by proprietary digital platforms including eLogistics (customer portal for freight costs, orders, and tracking), the DACHSER Platform, EDI Center, ActiveReport, Mikado warehouse management, and Domino transportation management. The @ILO digital twin system, developed with Fraunhofer IML, provides AI-powered operational visualization. The company operates across 42 country organizations with 427 locations, handling 86.2 million shipments and 46.7 million metric tons annually, generating EUR 8.3 billion in 2025 revenue.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DACHSER Chem-Logistics: Industry solution for chemical logistics launched in 2007, combining standardized network services with tailored chemical logistics expertise for packaged chemical products.
• DACHSER Cosmetics Logistics
• DACHSER Life Science and Healthcare Logistics

Products and services

• DACHSER European Logistics Core overland transport and groupage logistics service covering road freight across Europe, providing daily routes, hub consolidation, and standardized transit times across 42 country organizations and 427 wholly-owned locations.
• DACHSER Food Logistics Temperature-controlled food logistics service for transporting chilled and frozen foods across Europe, integrated into the European Food Network with ambient, chilled, and frozen zone facilities in Germany, Austria, Netherlands, Italy, and Nordic countries.
• DACHSER Air & Sea Logistics Global air freight and ocean freight forwarding services providing door-to-door transportation worldwide, including full container loads (FCL), less-than-container loads (LCL), and time-sensitive air freight solutions, with IATA CEIV Pharma, GDP, and IATA DGR certifications.
• DACHSER Chem-Logistics Specialized logistics solution for packaged chemical products combining standardized network services with chemical logistics expertise, including dangerous goods handling, custom hazmat storage (48,000 storage locations at Malsch), and regulatory compliance support; VCI partner since 2009.
• DACHSER Cosmetics Logistics Industry-specific transport and logistics services for the cosmetics sector including value-added services such as delivery planning, returns management, special packaging solutions, inventory monitoring, secure storage facilities, and vehicle sealing/digital surveillance.
• DACHSER Contract Logistics Integrated logistics solutions combining transport and warehousing with comprehensive value-added services including picking, packaging, finishing, display-build, returns management, replenishment management, and inventory monitoring for industrial and consumer goods customers.
• DACHSER Rail Services Rail freight services including Europe-China rail connections providing alternative transport routes for chemical and industrial goods shipments, integrated with DACHSER's European road network.
• DACHSER Industry Solutions Industry-specific logistics services tailored to the requirements of sectors including DIY, automotive, and other industrial sectors, with gear towards specific customer needs.
• DACHSER Life Science and Healthcare Logistics Temperature-sensitive logistics services for pharmaceuticals, healthcare, and medical technology products certified according to IATA CEIV Pharma (Atlanta, Frankfurt, Shanghai, Mumbai, Hyderabad) and GDP (Barcelona, Madrid, Frankfurt, Mumbai), including ultra-low temperature storage (-75°C) and batch traceability.

Quantifiable outcome

• Revenue of EUR 8.3 billion in 2025, up 3.1% YoY, despite European market stagnation and US tariff uncertainty — a company record
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

AI capability3 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, flagship, minor and core.

• Daimler Truck / Mercedes-Benz TrucksstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026DACHSER is the first company in the world to deploy the Mercedes-Benz NextGenH2 Truck featuring innovative liquid hydrogen technology. First truck tractor to be deployed at end of December 2026, with two more following by mid-2027. Vehicles based at DACHSER's Karlsruhe logistics center, operating primarily in long-distance transport to demonstrate range and flexibility of hydrogen fuel cell technology for logistics.
• Tafel DeutschlandflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Cooperation agreement (until end of 2027) to improve collection and delivery of food donations. DACHSER Food Logistics facilitates efficient transportation of donated food from manufacturers to Tafel regional units using IT systems and transport capacity optimization. Tafel currently rescues 265,000 metric tons of food annually for ~1.6 million people. Initiative aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals to halve food waste in Germany by 2030.
• TH Wuerzburg-Schweinfurt (Professor Christian Kille) and Andreas BackhausminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Academic research partnership supporting a study titled 'Logistics as a sales pitch in the chemical industry.' DACHSER Chem Logistics sponsored the research which identified 69 new logistics services that chemical companies can leverage as strategic differentiators. Findings to be presented in an online webinar on March 5, 2026.
• European Food NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024DACHSER Food Logistics is integrated into the European Food Network, a cooperative network of food logistics specialists across Europe. Müller Fresh Food Logistics joined the network on January 1, 2024 following DACHSER's acquisition of Müller. The network provides consolidation and distribution services for general cargo food transportation across European countries.
• Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IMLcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Joint development partnership for the @ILO digital twin project, which uses AI and optical scanning technology to create real-time digital twins of logistics operations. The project operates at seven live DACHSER locations. This collaboration has produced the German Logistics Award 2023 and the European Logistics Association Award 2025.
• terre des hommes GermanyflagshipOthers · 1 January 2005Long-term partnership (since 2005) with international children's aid organization terre des hommes Germany. DACHSER supports education, vocational training, and sustainable development projects for disadvantaged children in India, Nepal, Brazil, Namibia, and Zambia. DACHSER has invested over EUR 1.1 million in local aid projects across these regions. Joint youth exchange programs bring together DACHSER apprentices and local youth from project countries for cross-cultural learning.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Kuehne+Nagel: Swiss-based global freight forwarder with road, air, sea, and contract logistics services; comparable scale (CHF 25B revenue) and product overlap in groupage forwarding, industry verticals, and digital customer platforms.
• DSV A/S: Danish global freight forwarder that recently completed the EUR ~14B acquisition of DB Schenker; highly comparable business model in road, air & sea, and contract logistics, with similar inorganic growth strategy.
• DB Schenker: German-headquartered road, rail, air, and sea logistics provider; direct competitor in European land transport and contract logistics, now part of DSV following 2024 acquisition.
• Hellmann Worldwide Logistics: German family-owned global logistics company founded in 1871; very comparable profile to DACHSER with road, air & sea forwarding, contract logistics, and industry-specific verticals, with a similar family-ownership governance model.
• Geodis: French global logistics provider owned by SNCF; comparable in road, air & sea forwarding and contract logistics, with strong European distribution and supply chain optimization offerings.
• GLS (General Logistics Systems): European parcel and groupage logistics provider, subsidiary of Royal Mail/IDS; comparable European road parcel and groupage network though more focused on B2C parcels than DACHSER's B2B-heavy mix.
• XPO Logistics: European road freight and contract logistics operator (post-RXO/GXO spin); directly comparable in European less-than-truckload, full truckload, and contract logistics with similar customer base.

Broad incumbents

• DHL Group (Deutsche Post DHL): World's largest logistics company offering express, freight forwarding, supply chain, and e-commerce; overlaps with DACHSER in road forwarding and contract logistics but operates a much broader portfolio including global parcel and express.
• CEVA Logistics: Global contract logistics and freight management provider owned by CMA CGM; directly comparable in contract logistics and freight forwarding, with ocean carrier parentage providing differentiation DACHSER lacks.

Others

• Maersk Logistics & Services: Ocean carrier Maersk's integrated logistics arm; not a direct competitor in groupage but increasingly overlapping in end-to-end supply chain and contract logistics; represents the kind of integrated competitor DACHSER faces as ocean carriers move inland.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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• Xx.com/dachser_news

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 DACHSER