Dettmer Reederei

What Dettmer Reederei does

B. Dettmer Reederei GmbH & Co. KG is a privately held, family-owned inland waterway transport company founded in 1947 and headquartered in Bremen, Germany. It operates two core business lines: tanker shipping (Tankschifffahrt) for liquid goods including mineral oil, chemicals, lubricating oils, sulphuric acid, and oil-containing waste; and dry shipping (Trockenschifffahrt) for bulk goods, general cargo, hazardous waste, exceptional/special transports, and animal feed/crops. Customers are industrial enterprises in the chemical, mineral oil, waste management, and food/feed sectors across Western Europe (Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium).

The fleet comprises modern double-hulled motor tankers and tug-barges in the 900–2,000 tonne capacity range, including a new build series of 86-metre Type C tankers launched in 2017 with a 10% cargo capacity uplift, Tier III-compliant Volvo engines, and remote diagnostics capability for MTU drive motors. The Dettmer Tanker 140 was co-developed with DST Duisburg and features redundant drive and control systems. Operations are supported by an in-house Technical Center in Lauenburg providing 24/7 maintenance, repair, damage processing, class supervision, and inspections, and by a wholly owned subsidiary, Dettmer Reederei Lux S.á.r.I., which manages long-distance vessels and crew from Luxembourg.

Revenue is generated on a per-transaction freight basis (quote-based pricing) under direct B2B sales relationships, with three primary distribution channels aligned to the Hamburg branch (tanker shipping), the Bremen branch (dry shipping), and certified waste transport services. The company is part of the broader Dettmer Group, an integrated logistics network that includes Dettmer Rail, the MUT tank terminal at Magdeburg, and other affiliated entities enabling complete multimodal transport chains. Certifications include DIN EN ISO 9001/2015 (DNV), Green Award, GMP+ for animal feed, ADN dangerous goods competence, and waste-transport registrations in the Netherlands (NIWO) and Flanders (OVAM). Dettmer Reederei operates with 51–100 direct employees and is led by Managing Partner Heiner Dettmer alongside Managing Directors Dr. Günter Dettmer, Andreas Niemeyer, and Sebastian Poser.

Name

Dettmer Reederei

Legal name

B. Dettmer Reederei GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://dettmer-reederei.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

B. Dettmer Reederei is a privately held, family-owned German inland waterway shipping company founded in 1947 that provides tanker and dry cargo transport of liquid goods (mineral oil, chemicals, sulphuric acid, waste) and bulk goods for industrial enterprise customers across Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Inland Waterway Freight Transport

NAICS

Inland Water Freight Transportation (483211), Inland Water Transportation (48321), Water Transportation (483)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400), Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Wholesale-Petroleum Bulk Stations & Terminals (5171)

akta.pro primary industry

Crude Oil & Petroleum Products Tanker Transport (TLADALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Bulk Water & Wastewater/Sludge Hauling (TLADALAF), Intermodal Drayage Coordination & Port/Rail Ramp Transfers (TLACAEAH)

Keywords

• Inland waterway shipping
• Tanker transport services
• Dry cargo shipping
• Chemical logistics transport
• Hazardous waste barge transport

Headquarters

HQ city

Bremen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tanker Shipping Freight Services: Transport of liquid goods including mineral oil, chemical products, lubricating oils, sulphuric acid, and waste materials via inland waterways. Services include direct transshipment from tank wagons and mineral oil transports on the Elbe in Hamburg Port and canal area.
2. Dry Cargo Shipping Services: Transport of bulk goods, general cargo, hazardous waste, exceptional/special transports, and complete transport chains via inland waterways. Includes coaster (Kümo) transport services.
3. Waste Transport Services: Licensed international waste transport services for oil-containing waste products, including discharge to certified tank terminals or Dettmer's MUT tank terminal in Magdeburg

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

B. Dettmer Reederei provides inland waterway freight transport on European waterways via two core service lines: tanker shipping for liquid goods (mineral oil, chemicals, lubricating oils, sulphuric acid, waste) and dry cargo shipping for bulk goods, general cargo, hazardous waste, exceptional transports, and animal feed/crops. Operations are delivered with an owned modern double-hulled fleet (900–2,000 tonne capacity), 24/7 dispatch, and an in-house Technical Center, complemented by multimodal options (storage, transshipment, rail, road) through the Dettmer Group.

Product overview

B. Dettmer Reederei operates as a family-owned inland waterway shipping company offering two primary service lines: Tanker Shipping (Tankschifffahrt) for liquid goods including mineral oil, chemicals, lubricating oils, sulphuric acid, and waste; and Dry Shipping (Trockenschifffahrt) for bulk goods, general cargo, hazardous waste, exceptional transports, and agricultural products. The portfolio includes specialized sub-services for direct transshipment, waste transport, and complete transport chains. Operations are supported by a proprietary Technical Center in Lauenburg providing 24/7 maintenance, repair, and inspection services. The fleet comprises modern double-hulled vessels with capacities between 900-2,000 tonnes. The company was founded in 1947 and maintains branches in Hamburg (tanker shipping), Bremen (dry shipping), and a Technical Center in Lauenburg, with a Luxembourg subsidiary for long-distance vessel management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tanker Shipping (Tankschifffahrt) Inland waterway tanker shipping service for liquid goods including mineral oil, chemicals, lubricating oils, sulphuric acid, and waste products, operated with a modern double-hulled fleet across European waterways.
• Dry Shipping (Trockenschifffahrt) Dry cargo shipping service transporting bulk goods, general cargo, hazardous waste, exceptional transports, and agricultural products via inland waterways with integrated logistics solutions.
• Technical Center (Technik Center) 24/7 technical support center in Lauenburg providing maintenance, repair, damage processing, class supervision, project planning, and in-house inspections for the barge fleet.
• Mineral Oil & Chemical Transports Specialized tanker transport for mineral oil and chemical products on the Elbe, Port of Hamburg, German canal area, Rhine, and ARA region.
• Direct Transshipment Ship + Tank Wagon (Direktumschlag Schiff + KWG) Split transport via direct transshipment from tank wagons into tankers and vice versa, connecting Eastern Europe with ARA seaports via Dettmer Rail partnership.
• Lubricating Oil Transports Dedicated barge service for transporting lubricating oils, with specialized equipment including heating pipes, tank coating, and capacity for up to 7 products simultaneously.
• Sulphuric Acid Transports Specialized acid barge fleet for safe sulphuric acid transportation adhering to highest safety standards, including vessel Dettmer Tank 47.
• Waste Transports (Abfalltransporte) Licensed international waste transport service for oil-containing waste products with discharge to certified tank terminals or the MUT terminal in Magdeburg.
• New Build Series (Neubauserie) Fleet expansion series featuring 86-metre Type C tankers with 1,631 tonne loading capacity, redesigned hull and stern, 5° inward-bend shafts, triple Van der Velden rudder system, Tier III Volvo engines, and remote MTU diagnostics.
• Bulk Goods, General Cargo & Hazardous Waste Dry cargo transport of bulk goods, general cargo, and hazardous waste with end-to-end cargo tracking and GMP+ certification for animal feed transport.
• Exceptional Transports (Sondertransporte) Specialized transport for oversized goods and projects involving low bridge clearance challenges or large-quantity contaminated soil disposal.
• Entire Transport Chains (Komplette Transportketten) Comprehensive intermodal transport solutions including pre- and onward carriage, storage, and transshipment services in addition to core barge transport.
• Animal Feed & Crops (Getreide und Futtermittel) Safe transport of food for humans and animals with GMP+ certification across all covered vessels for agricultural products.

Quantifiable outcome

• 24/7 availability ensures uninterrupted operations and emergency response capability
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Dettmer RailcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDettmer Rail provides rail logistics services enabling split transport via direct transshipment from tank wagons into tankers. Partnership enables multimodal transport connections between Eastern Europe and ARA seaports (Netherlands/Belgium). Part of Dettmer Asset Holding network.
• MUT Tank Terminal (Magdeburg)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMUT (Mittelelbe Umwelt Technologie) tank terminal in Magdeburg is a crucial hub for product flows, enabling cross-carrier transport chains and bidirectional multimodal transport to Eastern Europe. Dettmer Group is sole owner of MUT terminal.
• Dettmer Asset HoldingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent holding company providing integrated network of services including rail logistics, cargo handling, container packing, and storage. Enables swift and comprehensive solutions from a single source.
• BDB (Federal Association of German Inland Navigation)minorOthersTechnical Center participates in BDB associations as member of 'Transport for Dangerous Goods' technical committee and EBU (European Barge Union) technical committees.
• EBU (European Barge Union)minorOthersTechnical Center maintains membership in EBU 'Explosion Prevention on Inland Tankers' technical committee ensuring up-to-date ADN standards compliance.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Imperial Logistics International: Imperial Logistics International (now part of DP World) is a large European contract logistics provider that operates inland waterway capacity as part of a much broader automotive, chemical, and consumer goods logistics portfolio — comparable to Dettmer's industrial barge services but at significantly greater scale and scope.
• Rhenus Logistics & Co. KG: Rhenus is a major European logistics group with extensive inland waterway barge operations across the Rhine, Elbe, and ARA regions, transporting dry and liquid bulk. It is directly comparable to Dettmer as a multimodal European barge operator, but operates at much larger scale and with a broader service portfolio.

Regional players

• Compagnie Fluviale de Transport (CFT): CFT is one of France's largest independent inland waterway shippers, operating a fleet of tankers and dry cargo barges on French and Benelux waterways. Comparable to Dettmer in service mix (liquid bulk, dry bulk, containers) but geographically focused on the French and Seine/Rhine corridor rather than Germany.

Direct peers

• MSG eG (Main-Schifffahrts-Genossenschaft): MSG is a leading German cooperative of inland waterway shippers operating tankers and dry cargo vessels on Rhine, Main, and German waterways. Comparable to Dettmer in core inland liquid and dry bulk transport, with overlapping customer base in chemicals, mineral oil, and agricultural products.
• De Boer Internationaal Transport B.V. De Boer is a Dutch inland shipping operator providing liquid and dry cargo transport across Benelux and German waterways, including hazardous goods capabilities. Comparable to Dettmer in scope of services, dangerous goods expertise, and Benelux/German operating geography.
• Tankrederij Rensen B.V. Tankrederij Rensen is a Dutch family-owned inland waterway tanker operator specializing in liquid bulk — mineral oils, chemicals, and waste products — across Rhine, ARA, and Benelux waterways. Closely comparable to Dettmer in business model, fleet profile, and European inland tanker focus.
• Wessels + Müller GmbH & Co. KG: Wessels + Müller is a German inland waterway tanker operator focused on mineral oil, chemicals, and lubricants on the Rhine and German canal network. Directly comparable to Dettmer's tanker shipping business with overlapping customer segments and similar fleet scale.
• HGK Shipping (Häfen und Güterverkehr Köln AG): HGK Shipping is a German inland waterway shipping company operating a fleet of tankers and dry cargo barges on Rhine and European waterways, with similar mineral oil, chemical, and dry cargo service lines to Dettmer Reederei and comparable geographic focus on Western Europe.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/b.-dettmer-reederei-gmbh-co.-kg

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Dettmer Reederei