What Spedition Kübler does

Spedition Kübler GmbH is a family-owned German heavy cargo logistics company founded in 1930 and headquartered in Michelfeld-Erlin, Baden-Württemberg. The company specializes in trimodal transport — road, rail, and inland waterway — of extreme and oversized cargo, operating a vertically integrated service stack that combines project engineering, equipment ownership, terminal operations, storage, and on-site assembly. The Schwergutzentrum Mannheim at Rheinauhafen is the operational centerpiece: a 9.3-hectare, trimodal-connected terminal featuring Europe's only 500-ton indoor crane, 150,000+ sqm of storage with specialized oil-containing transformer basins, and direct Rhine waterway access; it was expanded in October 2025 with an additional 14,600 sqm hall and 10 cranes. Kübler owns Germany's only heavy rail transport fleet for loads exceeding 60 tons — 100+ Schnabel and flatbed wagons — operated through its EVU-certified subsidiary Kübler Heavy Rail, formalizing a monopoly position in this segment. The company has co-developed proprietary equipment with TII Scheuerle, including the STB 320 Seitenträgerbrücke (320-ton payload, axle load under 14 tons), enabling transformer transport over deteriorating European infrastructure, and holds a patented mobile hydraulic lifting system developed with Riga-Mainz.

The business runs a project-based, direct-sales motion targeting large industrial clients in energy/grid (TenneT, TransnetBW, Alstom Power), mechanical engineering, rail vehicles (Deutsche Bahn), aviation (Airbus), maritime, container construction, and museums/heritage projects. Marquee engagements include the 730-ton transformer transport for TenneT's BorWin5 offshore wind grid connection, A380 sections via the Elbe, ICE double-decker swaps, and the historic Landshut aircraft repatriation. Revenue is generated through customized multi-year contracts on a "one-call service" basis, with pricing determined per project based on cargo weight, dimensions, route complexity, and equipment. Spedition Kübler holds ISO 9001, ISO 14001, SCC**, AEO, and RegB certifications, operates two wholly-owned subsidiaries (Kübler Heavy Rail, KPS / Kübler Projects Spedition), and is managed by three family Geschäftsführer (Heinz Rößler, Silvana Rößler, Anke Rößler-Grimm). The company has won BSK industry awards for heavy transport five times between 2019 and 2024 and ranks 2nd in Germany for heavy transport market share.

Name

Spedition Kübler

Legal name

Spedition Kübler GmbH

Website

https://kuebler-spedition.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1930

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Spedition Kübler is a family-owned German heavy cargo logistics specialist providing trimodal (road, rail, water) transport, terminal handling, and assembly services for extreme and oversized industrial cargo, primarily serving energy, mechanical engineering, rail, aviation, and maritime clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heavy Cargo Logistics

NAICS

Specialized Freight (except Used Goods) Trucking, Long-Distance (484230), Specialized Freight Trucking (4842), Freight Transportation Arrangement (48851), Marine Cargo Handling (488320)

SIC

Trucking & Courier Services (No Air) (4210), Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Railroads, Line-Haul Operating (4011), Industrial Trucks, Tractors, Trailors & Stackers (3537)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Plants & Process Equipment (EPC/Turnkey Projects) (TLACAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialized Trailer & Heavy Transport Equipment Providers (SPMT, Lowboy, Multi-Axle) (TLADAGAM), Rail Project Cargo & Oversized/Heavy-Lift Forwarding (TLACADAH), Chartering & Heavy-Lift Vessel / Barge / RoRo Solutions (TLACAIAJ), Project Cargo Packing, Crating & Securing (Lashing/Dunnage) (TLAIAKAJ)

Keywords

• Heavy cargo transport
• Trimodal logistics
• Project forwarding
• Specialized rail freight
• Industrial warehousing

Headquarters

HQ city

Michelfeld

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Schwertransporte (Heavy Transport Services): Core business: specialized road transport using own fleet of low-loaders, modular axle lines, and kettle bridges for loads up to 600 tons. Includes route planning, permit acquisition, and infrastructure coordination.
2. Bahntransporte (Rail Transport): Rail-based heavy cargo transport using proprietary Schnabel wagons and specialized flatbed fleet. Includes rail infrastructure access and traction coordination.
3. Schwergutumschlag (Heavy Cargo Handling): Loading, unloading, and transshipment services at the trimodal terminal in Mannheim with 500-ton crane capacity and direct Rhine water access.
4. Lagerung & Logistik (Storage & Logistics): Storage of heavy cargo in covered halls and open storage areas exceeding 150,000 square meters. Includes specialized basins for oil-containing transformers.
5. Montagen (Assembly Services): On-site assembly services for industrial equipment and heavy cargo at dedicated assembly areas directly on the water.
6. Weltweite Projektlogistik (Global Project Logistics): Worldwide heavy cargo and project logistics coordination for international industrial clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Spedition Kübler is a family-owned German heavy cargo logistics company specializing in trimodal (road, rail, water) transport of extreme heavy and oversized cargo. The company operates a Schwergutzentrum (heavy cargo center) in Mannheim equipped with what it describes as Europe's strongest trimodal indoor crane, managing an owned fleet of specialized equipment including lowbed trailers, modular axle lines, and Schnabel rail wagons across more than 150,000 square meters of storage and handling space.

Product overview

Spedition Kübler is a trimodal heavy cargo logistics provider operating a unified service portfolio centered on Schwertransporte (heavy transport), Schwergutumschlag (heavy cargo handling), and the Schwergutzentrum Mannheim (multimodal terminal). The core offering combines road transport using own lowbed trailers and modular axles (up to 600 tons), rail transport via the Schnabell wagon fleet, and waterway transport through the Rhine-connected terminal. Supporting services include storage (150,000+ sqm), assembly, and feasibility studies. The company's proprietary Seitenträgerbrücke STB 320 (320-ton capacity side carrier bridge) represents a key equipment innovation. A key differentiator is Kübler Heavy Rail, the company's monopoly position in Germany for heavy rail transport, enabling unique trimodal solutions for cargo exceeding road weight limits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kübler Heavy Rail: Subsidiary focused on heavy rail transportation and railway logistics services.
• KPS (Kübler Projects Spedition)

Products and services

• Heavy Road Transport (Schwertransporte Straße) Road-based heavy and oversized cargo transport services using the company's owned fleet of lowbed trailers, modular axle lines, and tractor units for industrial clients requiring moves that exceed standard legal dimensions or weights.
• Heavy Rail Transport (Schienentransporte)
• Heavy Water/Barge Transport (Schiffstransporte)
• Schwergutzentrum Mannheim Terminal Services
• Storage & Logistics (Lager & Logistik)
• Project Forwarding (Projektspedition)
• Assembly Services (Montagen)
• Feasibility Studies (Machbarkeitsstudien)

Quantifiable outcome

• 730-ton record transport achieved for BorWin5 offshore wind project
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

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 major.

• TII ScheuerlecoreTechnology or IntegrationKey equipment supplier for the STB 320 Seitenträgerbrücke (side beam bridge). TII Scheuerle developed the 320-ton capacity bridge specifically for Kübler's transformer transport needs, representing a significant technology partnership for heavy transport innovation.
• NeSA (NeSA Rail GmbH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRail traction partner for rail transport operations. NeSA provides locomotive services for rail cargo transport using Kübler's specialized wagons. Collaboration enables seamless rail transport solutions.
• Scholpp Kran und Transport GmbHmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCrane and transport partner for heavy lifting operations. Scholpp provides crane services for loading/unloading operations at Kübler's facilities and customer sites, including tandem lifts and specialized crane operations.
• DAHER PROJECTS GmbHmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2020, Kübler acquired the heavy cargo division of DAHER PROJECTS GmbH, expanding capabilities and customer base in project logistics.
• Kübler Heavy Rail (Tochterunternehmen)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSubsidiary company focused on heavy rail transport. Received EVU (Eisenbahnverkehrsunternehmen) approval, enabling Kübler to operate as a railway transport company for heavy cargo.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sarens: Belgian global heavy lifting, engineered transport, and crane rental specialist. Closely comparable business model and customer base to Kübler, including energy, civil, and industrial projects requiring >500-ton capacity.
• Hansa Heavy Lift: German-based global heavy lift shipping specialist. Comparable focus on heavy and project cargo, particularly via multipurpose vessels; complementary to Kübler's water-based transport capability but addressing different legs of the same value chain.
• Fagioli: Italian heavy lift and specialized transport engineering firm. Comparable to Kübler in providing engineered transport solutions for oversized industrial cargo (power generation, oil & gas, civil infrastructure) across Europe and globally.
• Mammoet: Dutch-headquartered global leader in heavy lifting, transport, and crane rental. Directly comparable to Kübler as both specialize in engineered heavy-lift and oversized cargo transport for industrial clients (energy, petrochemical, infrastructure).
• Gruber Logistics: Italian project cargo and heavy haul division with global operations. Similar project-forwarding model serving energy and industrial clients with oversized equipment moves, overlapping with Kübler's industrial client segments.
• Coli Logistics: Italian heavy lift, project cargo, and specialized transport provider. Similar focus on engineered solutions for oversized industrial cargo, including transformers and generators, with comparable service-line breadth to Kübler.
• Scholpp Kran und Transport: German crane and heavy transport specialist headquartered in Stuttgart. Direct domestic competitor in heavy lift and crane services, and a named operational partner for Kübler's loading and unloading operations—making it both peer and partner.

Broad incumbents

• Rhenus Logistics: German-headquartered global logistics group with project cargo and heavy transport capabilities. Comparable in providing multimodal heavy lift solutions for industrial clients in Germany, though within a much broader contract logistics portfolio.
• DB Schenker (DSV): Recently acquired by DSV, DB Schenker offers project cargo and heavy transport as part of a global forwarding portfolio. Comparable in serving German industrial clients with heavy/out-of-gauge cargo, though the project cargo division is one segment within a broad logistics business.
• DHL Industrial Projects: Division of Deutsche Post DHL specializing in industrial project logistics. Broad incumbent offering project cargo forwarding with global reach; competes with Kübler on energy and industrial project logistics but as part of a much larger portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Spedition Kübler