Schmidt-Gevelsberg

What Schmidt-Gevelsberg does

Schmidt-Gevelsberg GmbH Internationale Spedition is a German mid-sized, asset-based logistics service provider headquartered in Schwelm, founded in 1893 and wholly owned by the charitable Hans-Grünewald-Stiftung. The company operates across the full logistics stack — national and international less-than-truckload (LTL) freight forwarding, partial and full truckload transport, express and special transport, heavy transport, contract logistics, warehousing, e-commerce B2C delivery, and intercontinental sea and air freight — through a network of own depots (including the 13,500 m², 20,000-pallet Sprockhövel logistics center), its own fleet, and the 53+ partner CargoLine cooperative plus WCA World for intercontinental reach. The company processes approximately 5,000 shipments per day and serves B2B shippers and B2C/online retailers across Germany and Europe, with named industrial customers in manufacturing (e.g., locking systems) and specialty use cases (temperature-controlled ThermoLine, time-precise NightLine family premium services). Go-to-market is direct-to-customer with strong self-service digital tooling: a 24/7 online freight price calculator, the proprietary CEPRA customer portal for order entry and shipment tracking, electronic invoicing, and a Cepra mobile app. Revenue is generated through transaction-based freight charges (by weight, volume, distance, and service tier), managed-services contract logistics fees, warehousing charges, and parcel services; pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The company operates three wholly-owned subsidiaries (ANAXCO GmbH for IT and logistics consulting, BHS Spedition und Logistik, and S-G Nutzfahrzeug Service for commercial vehicle maintenance) and holds a comprehensive set of certifications (ISO 9001, 14001, 27001, 50001, AEO-F, HACCP, IATA agency), with five consecutive CargoLine Partner of the Year awards (2018–2022) underscoring operational quality.

Name

Schmidt-Gevelsberg

Legal name

Schmidt-Gevelsberg GmbH

Website

https://schmidt-gevelsberg.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1893

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Schmidt-Gevelsberg is a German mid-sized freight forwarder and contract logistics provider offering LTL transport, warehousing, e-commerce delivery, and intercontinental air/sea freight for B2B and B2C shippers across Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Freight Forwarding & Logistics Services

NAICS

General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance, Less Than Truckload (484122), General Freight Trucking (4841), Specialized Freight (except Used Goods) Trucking, Long-Distance (484230)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Final-Mile LTL (Residential & B2B Delivery) (TLADAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Premium B2B Express & Scheduled Time-Window Delivery (TLAAABAE), B2B Standard Parcel & Ground Parcel Networks (TLAAACAC)

Keywords

• Freight forwarding services
• Less-than-truckload transport
• Contract logistics warehousing
• Intercontinental sea air freight
• Customs clearance brokerage

Headquarters

HQ city

Schwelm

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Transport Logistics Services: Core freight forwarding and transport services including national and international less-than-truckload (LTL) shipments, partial and full truckload transport, express and special transport, heavy transport, and intercontinental air and sea freight. Revenue generated through freight charges based on weight, volume, distance, and service level.
2. Contract Logistics: Warehouse management, storage, fulfillment, and bespoke logistics services for specific industries. Revenue generated through contract fees, storage charges, and value-added logistics services.
3. Parcel Services: Package and parcel delivery services as part of contract logistics offerings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Schmidt-Gevelsberg is a full-service German freight forwarder providing national and European less-than-truckload (LTL) transport via the NightLine family of services, part and full truckload transport, express and heavy transport, intercontinental sea and air freight, and contract logistics including warehousing, fulfillment, and customs clearance. The company serves B2B shippers as the primary segment and operates dedicated B2C last-mile products (B2CLine family) for e-commerce retailers, all accessed via the proprietary CEPRA customer portal and an online freight pricing calculator.

Product overview

Schmidt-Gevelsberg is a medium-sized logistics service provider offering a comprehensive portfolio of transport and logistics services. The core offering centers on LTL (less-than-truckload) transport through the CargoLine network, with differentiated delivery time services (NightLine family products: NightLine, NightLinePlus, NightLine NextDay, NightLineFix) and specialized services (ServiceLine for point-of-use delivery, ThermoLine for temperature-controlled transport, B2CLine for consumer delivery with notification). International European delivery is handled via NightLineEurope products (Priority, NextDay, Fix, Receipt, B2CLine Europe). Intercontinental logistics includes SeaLine ocean freight and air freight services. Contract logistics provides warehousing, fulfillment, and customized logistics solutions. The CEPRA platform serves as the digital customer portal for order entry and shipment tracking. All services operate under CargoLine quality standards with ISO certifications for quality, environment, and information security.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NightLine National LTL Family (NightLine, NightLinePlus, NightLine NextDay, NightLineFix)
• NightLineEurope International LTL Family (Priority, NextDay, Fix, Receipt)
• B2CLine Family (B2CLine, B2CLine Plus, B2CLine Europe)
• Part and Full Load Transport (Teil- und Komplettladungen)
• Express and Special Transport (Express- und Sonderfahrten)
• Heavy Transport (Schwertransporte)
• Customs Clearance (Zollabwicklung)
• Contract Logistics (Kontraktlogistik)
• Warehousing (Lagerhaltung)
• Sea Freight (Seefracht) - FCL and LCL
• SeaLine LCL Ocean Freight
• Air Freight (Luftfracht)
• CEPRA Customer Portal
• Online Freight Price Calculator (Frachtpreisrechner)
• ServiceLine (Point-of-Use Delivery)
• ThermoLine (Temperature-Controlled Transport)
• OrderLine (Procurement Order Processing)
• Parcel Services (Paketdienstleistungen)

Quantifiable outcome

• CargoLine Partner of the Year — 1st place (5 consecutive years: 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Vos LogisticsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 23 April 2026New CargoLine network partner as of September 1, 2026, providing additional coverage and capacity for international shipments to and from the Netherlands. Vos Logistics operates 35 branches across Europe with 2,400 employees, 1,000 vehicles, 3,700 loading units, and 275,000 m² of warehouse space.
• Van der Heijden B.V.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 27 February 2026New CargoLine partner from March 1, 2026, covering parts of the Netherlands and North Belgium. Van der Heijden is a third and fourth-generation family business with approximately 250 employees, 175 own trucks, and modern facilities in Hapert.
• Delamode BalticsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 July 2024CargoLine exclusive partner for the Baltic region (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia) from July 2024. Schmidt-Gevelsberg, as a CargoLine member, benefits from strengthened Baltic transport corridors.
• Emons SpeditionminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Emons became a shareholder of CargoLine from January 1, 2024, strengthening network security and resilience. Schmidt-Gevelsberg benefits from the enhanced stability of the broader CargoLine-Emons network alliance.
• TorrestirminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 February 2023Exclusive CargoLine partner for Portugal from February 2023, strengthening Germany-Portugal transport routes.
• CargoLine GmbH & Co. KGcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSchmidt-Gevelsberg is a member/partner of the CargoLine cooperative, a German nationwide less-than-truckload (LTL) network comprising 53+ mid-sized transport and logistics companies. The partnership provides national coverage, standardized quality, consistent shipment tracking, and access to international partners across Europe and intercontinental routes. Schmidt-Gevelsberg has been a consistently top-ranked CargoLine partner, winning Partner of the Year multiple times.
• WCA World (World Cargo Alliance)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMembership in the global WCA World logistics network, providing access to logistics partners in all major markets worldwide. Strengthens Schmidt-Gevelsberg's position in intercontinental logistics with secured access to partners at main and intercontinental hubs.
• ANAXCO GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationWholly-owned IT subsidiary of Schmidt-Gevelsberg with 50+ employees, located in Sprockhövel. Develops and operates proprietary logistics IT systems including the CEPRA customer portal (shipment tracking and order entry), online freight pricing tool, and electronic document management systems.
• BHS Spedition und Logistik GmbHminorOthersWholly-owned subsidiary company of Schmidt-Gevelsberg, providing freight forwarding and logistics services as part of the Schmidt-Gevelsberg group.
• S-G Nutzfahrzeug Service GmbHminorOthersWholly-owned subsidiary of Schmidt-Gevelsberg providing commercial vehicle (truck) maintenance and service operations.
• Hans-Grünewald-StiftungcoreOthersSole shareholder of Schmidt-Gevelsberg GmbH. Charitable foundation distributing profits to support healthcare, elderly, and youth welfare projects in the regional area (Schwelm and Gevelsberg). Has distributed over 12 million euros across 40 annual disbursements.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Hellmann Worldwide Logistics: Germany-headquartered global logistics provider offering road, air, sea freight and contract logistics. Overlaps with Schmidt-Gevelsberg on European LTL and intercontinental freight forwarding, with broader global reach.
• Rhenus Logistics: European multimodal logistics group with contract logistics, freight forwarding, and warehousing. Direct overlap on European freight forwarding and contract logistics, with significantly greater scale and PE backing.
• Kuehne + Nagel: Top global freight forwarder with significant road, air, and sea freight offerings across Europe. Overlaps on European LTL and intercontinental air/sea freight forwarding.
• DSV A/S: Global transport and logistics company (post-Schenker acquisition). Overlaps on European road freight, air, and sea forwarding — operates at materially greater scale than Schmidt-Gevelsberg.
• DACHSER: Major European LTL, FTL, and contract logistics provider headquartered in Germany. Comparable in core LTL/contract logistics services, but materially larger and broader in scale and geographic reach.

Direct peers

• Emons Spedition: German mid-sized freight forwarder and CargoLine shareholder since 2024. Directly comparable as a multi-generational family-owned German Spediteur with national LTL, European, and intermodal services.
• Noerpel Group: Privately-held German logistics group with LTL, FTL, and contract logistics across Germany and Europe. Comparable mid-sized German forwarder with similar family-ownership and Mittelstand positioning.
• CargoLine GmbH & Co. KG: The cooperative LTL network of which Schmidt-Gevelsberg is a member. CargoLine is a direct structural peer as the same network's brand and service platform for German mid-sized LTL shippers.

Others

• ANAXCO GmbH: Wholly-owned IT subsidiary of Schmidt-Gevelsberg providing logistics software development (CEPRA portal, freight pricing). Adjacent ecosystem participant enabling the parent's digital operations.
• Spedition BHS: Wholly-owned subsidiary of Schmidt-Gevelsberg, providing freight forwarding and logistics services. Included for completeness as an in-group peer providing identical services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SchmidtGevelsbergSpedition
• Instagraminstagram.com/schmidtgevelsberg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/schmidt-gevelsberg-gmbh

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Schmidt-Gevelsberg