GUT

What GUT does

GUT Gernsheimer Umschlags- und Terminalbetriebsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG is a privately held German limited partnership founded in 1993 and headquartered at a single Rhine River terminal in Gernsheim, Germany. The company operates as a trimodal container logistics provider, integrating truck (LKW), inland barge (Binnenschiff), and rail (Bahn) transport modes to move container cargo between major European seaports — Rotterdam and Antwerp to the west, and Hamburg and Bremerhaven to the north via the METRANS partnership — and the German Rhine/Main and Rhine/Neckar hinterland. The terminal features 850 meters of rail track for block train handling, cranes with lifting capacity up to 16 tons, indoor and outdoor container storage, and a specialized EDP program for container optimization and stowage planning.

The company's revenue model is built on transaction-based fees across its three transport modes, supplemented by storage, handling, and professional services including AEO-certified customs clearance. Variable surcharges form a significant and growing component of the revenue structure, including bunker surcharges indexed to gas oil prices (Factor 61 as of May 2026), diesel surcharges for truck transport based on distance, low water surcharges tied to Rhine water levels at the Kaub gauge, and episodic emergency surcharges introduced during operational disruptions throughout 2025-2026. The go-to-market motion is sales-led B2B, targeting industrial shippers, freight forwarders, and container logistics companies through direct customer relationships, a professional website with downloadable presentations, and direct email communication.

Customer service and operations are supported by an 11-50 employee organization including dedicated customer service, truck dispatch, depot, and gate teams. Leadership comprises CEO Ralph Drumm and COO/Prokurist Halit Yaras. The company is independently owned with no disclosed external investors, parent entity, or institutional backing. Its primary strategic differentiators are the AEO regulatory certification, the Rhine-side terminal location with multi-modal access, and the METRANS partnership for northern German seaport connectivity.

Name

GUT

Legal name

GUT Gernsheimer Umschlags- und Terminalbetriebsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG

Website

https://gut-gernsheim.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

GUT is a privately held German trimodal container terminal operator in Gernsheim on the Rhine River, offering integrated truck, barge, and rail transport plus storage and AEO-certified customs clearance for industrial shippers and freight forwarders in the Rhine/Main–Rhine/Neckar hinterland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Intermodal Container Terminal Logistics

NAICS

Port and Harbor Operations (48831), Marine Cargo Handling (48832), Inland Water Freight Transportation (483211)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Project Cargo & Heavy-Lift Transload (TLALAFAL)

Keywords

• Container terminal services
• Intermodal transport
• Trimodal logistics
• Customs clearance
• Container storage

Headquarters

HQ city

Gernsheim

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

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. Container Transportation Services: GUT generates revenue through providing trimodal container transportation services via truck, barge, and rail. Revenue is earned through transportation fees, handling charges, and terminal services for container cargo between seaports (Rotterdam, Antwerp) and the German hinterland.
2. Low Water Surcharges: Variable surcharges applied when Rhine river water levels drop below normal, with tiered pricing based on water level at Kaub gauge. Fees increase progressively as water levels decrease, covering 20' and 40' containers.
3. Bunker Surcharges (Barge): Monthly bunker surcharges for barge transport based on gas oil price fluctuations, calculated using a bunker factor system that varies by container size and full/empty status.
4. Diesel Surcharges (Truck): Distance-based diesel surcharges for truck transport calculated according to diesel price ranges, with escalating fees based on kilometers traveled.
5. Customs Clearance Services: AEO-certified customs clearance services including T1 document creation, ATB number provision, direct representation, customs inspection handling, and connection T1 creation for delivery.
6. Storage and Warehousing: Container storage services in hall areas and outdoor terminal space, conventional goods warehousing, lifting services up to 16 tons, and sea-worthy stowing and securing.
7. Emergency Surcharges: Temporary surcharges introduced during periods of operational disruptions, capacity constraints, or exceptional circumstances affecting the logistics chain.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

GUT operates a trimodal container terminal in Gernsheim, Germany, providing integrated container transportation services via truck, barge, and rail between major European seaports (Rotterdam, Antwerp, Hamburg, Bremerhaven) and the German Rhine/Main and Rhine/Neckar hinterland. The company additionally offers container storage, depot management for empty containers, and AEO-certified customs clearance services.

Product overview

GUT Gernsheimer Umschlags- und Terminalbetriebsgesellschaft is a trimodal container logistics company offering integrated Truck (LKW), Barge (Binnenschiff), and Rail (Bahn) transport services. The core offering centers on container handling between major European seaports (Rotterdam, Antwerp) and the German hinterland, supplemented by storage, customs clearance, and schedule management services. GUT operates its own terminal in Gernsheim with 850 meters of rail track capacity and regular barge schedules. The company also provides surcharge management services including bunker, diesel, and low water surcharges based on market conditions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Trimodal Container Services Integrated container transportation service combining truck, barge, and rail transport for container shipping between seaports (Rotterdam, Antwerp, Hamburg, Bremerhaven) and the European hinterland. Targeted at industrial shippers, freight forwarders, and logistics companies.
• Truck Services (LKW) Road transport with modern fleet including combination chassis (20' to 45' feet) and standard chassis (20' and 40' feet), particularly suitable for shuttle traffic.
• Barge Services (Binnenschiff) Inland waterway transport with ships equipped with latest technology, triple-secured radar systems, focusing on ecological and environmental standards. Routes to Rotterdam and Antwerp.
• Rail Services (Bahn) Rail transport with 850 meters of track capacity for loading and unloading block trains, including switches and rail connections in the crane area.
• Storage Services (Lagerung) Spacious indoor and outdoor storage facilities for containers and conventional goods, with lifting capacities up to 16 tons and stowage optimization services.
• Customs Clearance (Verzollung) AEO-certified customs services including T1 creation, ATB number provision, customs declarations, and inspection demonstrations at Darmstadt customs office.
• METRANS Intermodal Rail Product at Gernsheim

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple weekly departures to Rotterdam (up to 3 roundtrips) and Antwerp (1 roundtrip)
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Binnenschiffsdienst Partner (Barge Service Partner)coreTechnology or Integration · 5 August 2025Partner company responsible for barge services experienced a cyber attack on August 5, 2025, temporarily disrupting system access and email communication. The partner was subsequently equipped with new computers and laptops to restore operations.
• Kramer GroupminorOthers · 1 July 2021Kramer Group introduced a Logistic Constraint Surcharge from July 2021, which GUT passes on to its customers.
• METRANS GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2020METRANS Group and GUT jointly operate and manage terminal operations and the depot for empty containers at the Gernsheim location. The partnership includes a new rail connection from/to Hamburg and Bremerhaven, strengthening hinterland connections between northern German seaports and the Gernsheim terminal. The cooperation uses METRANS-IT solution for terminal and depot activities.
• ECT Euromax Terminal RotterdamcoreTechnology or IntegrationECT Euromax Terminal is a key partner for barge services to Rotterdam. The terminal underwent expansion in 2026 with new equipment installation, causing temporary capacity restrictions from April 16, 2026 for at least two weeks.
• Allianz Versicherungs-AGminorOthersTransport liability insurance underwritten through Allianz General Agency Michael Mathias e.K., Siegen with Allianz Esa GmbH on behalf of Allianz Versicherungs-AG.
• LINC (Branchenverband der Containerbinnenschifffahrts- und Inlandterminalbetreiber)minorOthersIndustry association of inland container shipping and inland terminal operators that publishes statements on cargo opening times and industry issues.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Eurogate GmbH & Co. KGaA: German container terminal operator running seaport terminals at Hamburg, Bremerhaven, and Mediterranean locations. Overlapping with GUT in container handling capabilities and Northern German port connections, though focused on deep-sea terminals rather than inland operations.
• Kuehne + Nagel International AG: Global freight forwarder and logistics provider with significant overland, container, and customs services in Germany. Comparable to GUT in arranging multimodal container transport and customs clearance, though operating at global scale with a much broader service portfolio.
• HHLA (Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG): Major Hamburg-based port and container logistics operator handling seaport terminal operations, intermodal transport, and consulting. Overlapping with GUT in the container hinterland and intermodal segments, particularly through METRANS connection points, but operating at port-scale rather than inland-terminal scale.
• Rhenus Logistics: Large German logistics conglomerate and parent of Contargo, offering inland waterway, rail, and road transport plus warehousing and customs services. Broadly comparable to GUT through its Contargo subsidiary, though Rhenus operates at much larger scale with a wider service portfolio.

Direct peers

• Contargo GmbH & Co. KG: Inland waterway container logistics specialist operating terminals along the Rhine with barge, rail, and truck connections. Directly comparable to GUT's trimodal Rhine container business model, with overlapping customer base in industrial shippers and freight forwarders.
• Kombiverkehr KG: German intermodal transport company coordinating combined road/rail freight across European corridors. Comparable to GUT's intermodal positioning in combining container transport modes for shippers, with similar focus on German industrial hinterland connectivity.
• Hupac Intermodal SA: Swiss-based intermodal transport operator managing container trains and inland terminals across Europe. Comparable to GUT in providing intermodal container transport combining rail and barge, with a similar focus on trans-Alpine and Rhine corridor hinterland connections.
• Duisport (Duisburger Hafen AG): Largest inland port in Europe, also located on the Rhine and operating trimodal container terminal services. Directly comparable to GUT as both serve as Rhine-based inland container hubs connecting seaports to the German hinterland, though Duisport operates at materially larger scale.
• DeCeTe Duisburg GmbH: Container terminal operator in Duisburg providing trimodal container handling services on the Rhine. Directly comparable to GUT in scale and operations, focusing on inland container transshipment between water, rail, and road for industrial customers.
• METRANS Group: Container terminal and intermodal operator with terminals across Germany and Czech Republic, partnered with GUT since 2020. Closely comparable business model in container handling, rail transport, and hinterland connections to Hamburg/Bremerhaven, serving the same METRANS-IT platform ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gut-mbh-co-kg
• Facebookfacebook.com/1395645057197194

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 GUT