Hales Freight
Hales Freight is a privately held UK-Ireland freight forwarder founded in 1978 that runs four owned depots, a private fleet, in-house customs clearance, and pallet, warehousing, and European freight services for 1,000+ business customers across the British Isles and continental Europe.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1978
- HeadquartersDublin, Ireland
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Hales Freight does
Hales Freight is a privately held, vertically integrated freight forwarding company founded in 1978 and headquartered operationally between the UK and Ireland, with four owned depots in Dublin, Wednesbury, Widnes, and Harlow and a fleet of curtainsiders, step frames, and flat-beds operated by 100+ in-house staff. The company moves more than 19 million kilograms of freight annually, runs 20+ daily express trailers between the UK and Ireland, and serves over 1,000 pallet-network customers and 125+ Central European customers. Its core product is end-to-end freight forwarding — booking, collection, in-house customs clearance, sea/road transit, and final-mile delivery — with specialized sub-services for express/overnight freight, groupage, full loads, oversized and hard-to-handle cargo, and emergency freight.
The underlying platform is largely physical infrastructure rather than software: a 100,000+ sq ft depot network equipped with multi-level storage racking, container dock levellers, NetWatch 24-hour security, and IT inventory tracking systems, supported by 40+ year premier-customer relationships with Irish Ferries (Holyhead) and P&O (Liverpool) for priority ferry capacity. Digital surface area is limited but growing: a Customer Hub portal handles online payments, credit applications, and document requests, integrated with Stripe for GBP/EUR billing. Customs clearance is performed in-house, processing 2,500+ declarations weekly and clearing €500m of commercial value annually — a post-Brexit capability that has become a structural differentiator.
Revenue mechanics are transaction-based across multiple streams: freight forwarding and pallet delivery fees, customs clearance professional fees, and managed warehousing/storage fees. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with 30-day end-of-month credit terms and multi-year contracts implied by named enterprise relationships (Respa Beds, Excel Industries, Vtech Electronics EU, Reeds Carpets, Middleton Foods). The go-to-market is sales-led and direct, combining dedicated account managers, depot-level phone sales, a website quote-request form, and a customer testimonials program — a structure typical of an established mid-market B2B logistics provider rather than a digital-native freight platform.
Hales Freight firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hales Freight
- Legal name
- Hales Freight
- Website
- https://halesfreight.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1978
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Hales Freight is a privately held UK-Ireland freight forwarder founded in 1978 that runs four owned depots, a private fleet, in-house customs clearance, and pallet, warehousing, and European freight services for 1,000+ business customers across the British Isles and continental Europe.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Hales Freight industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Freight Forwarding and Logistics Services
- NAICS
- Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510), Freight Transportation Arrangement (4885), Freight Transportation Arrangement (48851), Couriers and Express Delivery Services (492110), Couriers and Express Delivery Services (4921)
- SIC
- Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Trucking & Courier Services (No Air) (4210)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Dry Van (General Freight) TL Carriers (TLADADAA)
Keywords
Where Hales Freight is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dublin
- HQ country
- Ireland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Hales Freight business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Freight Forwarding Services: Full load and groupage freight forwarding between UK, Ireland and Europe with daily departures and express/overnight delivery options
- Pallet Delivery Services: Pallet courier network including overnight, 24-hour, and 48-hour delivery services to/from UK and Ireland
- Customs Clearance: In-house customs clearance services handling documentation, duty payments, and compliance for UK-EU/Ireland shipments
- Storage and Warehousing: Long and short term storage solutions in UK and Ireland depots with pallet storage, fulfillment services, and JIT delivery
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom quote-based pricing tailored to shipment requirements |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Hales Freight product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Hales Freight provides end-to-end freight forwarding between the UK, Ireland, and continental Europe using its own depot network, fleet, and in-house customs clearance team. Its core offerings cover full-load and groupage transport, pallet courier services with overnight and 24/48-hour options, customs documentation and duty payment for UK-EU shipments, and long- and short-term pallet storage and warehousing. The company operates 20+ daily express trailers between the UK and Ireland and serves over 1,000 pallet network customers.
Product overview
Hales Freight operates a freight forwarding platform offering comprehensive logistics services for UK, Ireland, and European routes. The core offering centers on Freight Forwarding as the main service, supported by three major sub-categories: Pallets (including Pallet to Ireland, Pallet to UK, Pallet to Europe, Pallet Delivery Overnight, and Pallet Network), Customs Clearance (in-house service), and Storage (encompassing Pallet Storage and Warehousing). Additional specialized freight services include Express Freight, Emergency Freight, Full Loads, Groupage, and Hard to Handle cargo. Shipping services cover routes to Ireland and UK, with dedicated European Freight coverage. The company runs its own infrastructure including 4 depots, fleet of trailers/trucks, and operates daily departures with ferry partnerships via Irish Ferries and P&O.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Freight Forwarding End-to-end logistics service providing collection, transportation, customs clearance, and delivery of goods between the UK, Ireland and continental Europe. Operates daily UK-Ireland departures and weekly European departures using the company's own fleet, depots and staff. Customers are UK, Ireland and European businesses needing reliable cross-border freight.
- Pallet Delivery Network Pallet courier network offering overnight and standard pallet collection and delivery between the UK and Ireland, with dedicated routes covering pallet-to-Ireland, pallet-to-UK and pallet-to-Europe. Customers are sole traders and large industry leaders shipping palletized goods cross-border.
- Customs Clearance In-house customs clearance service handling documentation, duty payments, and compliance for UK-EU (post-Brexit) shipments, processing over 2,500 declarations weekly and €500m of commercial value annually. Customers are businesses needing customs admin handled as part of their freight movement.
- Storage and Warehousing Long- and short-term storage solutions across 60,000+ sq ft of warehouse space in UK and Ireland locations, offering pallet storage and bespoke warehousing with pick, pack, ship fulfillment and Just-in-Time delivery. Customers are businesses needing inventory staging, bulk purchasing with JIT call-offs, or general palletized goods warehousing.
Quantifiable outcome
- 20+ express trailers daily between UK and Ireland
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Hales Freight
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Hales Freight technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature4 records
Hales Freight partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Irish Ferries (Holyhead Port)corePremier customer relationship spanning over 40 years with Irish Ferries operating from Holyhead Port. This partnership provides priority ferry access for overnight trailer services between UK and Ireland, enabling express 24-hour delivery. Hales Freight ships from Holyhead port as part of their premium night service for UK-Ireland freight.
- P&O (Liverpool Port)corePremier customer relationship spanning over 40 years with P&O operating from Liverpool Port. Similar to Irish Ferries partnership, this provides priority ferry access for overnight and express freight services between Ireland and UK. Used alongside Holyhead route for flexible routing based on destination and depot efficiency.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Hales Freight competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Pall-Ex: UK-headquartered pallet network with Irish and European membership offering next-day and economy pallet services. Directly comparable pallet network model serving similar SME and mid-market shippers.
- Palletways: European pallet network with dense UK and Ireland coverage offering overnight and economy pallet distribution. Closest direct competitor to Hales' own pallet network on the UK-Ireland lane.
- Eddie Stobart Logistics: Major UK-based road transport and contract logistics provider with cross-border services. Comparable on UK road freight, full-load haulage, and warehousing, though larger and broader in scope.
- DX Freight: UK and Ireland parcel, freight, and pallet delivery operator. Overlaps with Hales on UK-Ireland freight and two-man delivery services for heavier items.
Broad incumbents
- DHL Global Forwarding: Global integrator with extensive UK and Ireland road, air, and ocean forwarding plus customs brokerage. Competes in the same cross-border lanes but offers a much broader product portfolio and global network.
- XPO Logistics: Large European and UK truckload and less-than-truckload road transport provider with warehousing. Comparable on UK-Ireland TL freight and contract logistics though XPO operates at substantially greater scale.
- DSV: Global freight forwarder with significant UK and Ireland road, air, and sea operations. Competes with Hales on UK-Ireland and continental Europe forwarding, but at much greater scale and breadth.
- Kuehne+Nagel: One of the world's largest freight forwarders with strong UK-Ireland presence across road, sea, and customs services. Overlaps directly on cross-border freight and customs clearance but at global scale.
- Maersk Logistics & Services: Integrated ocean and landside logistics provider expanding end-to-end door-to-door forwarding including UK-Ireland-Europe road transport and customs. Broader scope than Hales but increasingly overlapping on cross-border freight.
Emerging players
- JF Hillebrand: Specialist freight forwarder (notably in beverage logistics) with growing UK and Ireland presence and customs expertise. Comparable as a mid-sized specialist forwarder with focus on niche verticals.
Market position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Hales Freight social profiles
Digital presenceHales Freight financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hales Freight leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Hales Freight funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hales Freight 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 Hales Freight
What does Hales Freight do?
Hales Freight provides end-to-end freight forwarding between the UK, Ireland, and continental Europe using its own depot network, fleet, and in-house customs clearance team. Its core offerings cover full-load and groupage transport, pallet courier services with overnight and 24/48-hour options, customs documentation and duty payment for UK-EU shipments, and long- and short-term pallet storage and warehousing. The company operates 20+ daily express trailers between the UK and Ireland and serves over 1,000 pallet network customers.
Is Hales Freight a public or private company?
Hales Freight is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Hales Freight founded?
Hales Freight was founded in 1978. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Hales Freight based?
Hales Freight is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, in the Europe region.
How does Hales Freight make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Freight Forwarding Services are the primary driver. The others are pallet Delivery Services, customs Clearance and storage and Warehousing.
Who are Hales Freight's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Pall-Ex, Palletways, Eddie Stobart Logistics and DX Freight. Broad incumbents are DHL Global Forwarding, XPO Logistics, DSV, Kuehne+Nagel and Maersk Logistics & Services. JF Hillebrand is listed as an emerging player.
Does Hales Freight have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hales Freight.
What industry is Hales Freight in?
Hales Freight's product category is Freight Forwarding and Logistics Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLADADAA, Dry Van (General Freight) TL Carriers. Its NAICS code is 488510 and its SIC code is 4731.