AllianCeuropE

What AllianCeuropE does

AllianCeuropE is a France-based international road freight operator specializing in unaccompanied transport of trailers and containers between continental Europe and the United Kingdom and Ireland. Founded in November 2001 in Bolbec, Normandie, the company pioneered the ferry-train model that ships road vehicles without drivers across the English Channel and Irish Sea via the ports of Cherbourg, Le Havre, and Zeebrugge, with local drivers in destination countries handling last-mile delivery. The group operates through five core entities: ALLIANCEUROPE (the historic cross-Channel business), ACE Transport (continental long-distance haulage and consolidation from Cherbourg), JSBR (refrigerated haulage in Ireland launched 2019), BYWATER Transport (UK operations acquired 2019 ahead of Brexit), and PERENNIAL FREIGHT (the Irish joint-venture partner). A central holding entity, ORION SARL, provides pooled administrative, commercial, and quality services.

The group's asset base comprises approximately 150 tractors, 680 curtainsiders, 300 high-cube 45-foot containers, and 180 refrigerated trailers, supported by cross-docking warehouses in Cherbourg, Le Havre, Eythorne (UK), and Ireland. Service offerings include ambient transport, temperature-controlled transport for food and pharmaceutical industries, cross-docking consolidation, and post-Brexit customs handling, with geographic coverage spanning eight countries (France, UK, Ireland, Spain, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Poland). The company holds AEO, ISO 9001, EcoVadis Silver, Sedex Supplier Plus, and ADR certifications, and reports a 96.45% service rate, 97.05% customer satisfaction, and 99.70% legal dispute-free transport rate.

AllianCeuropE generates revenue through B2B transaction-fee pricing on freight transport contracts with French and European industrial groups, food and pharmaceutical shippers, and import/export businesses requiring cross-Channel or Ireland-bound services. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales via dedicated specialists, with direct maritime connections bypassing UK transit for Ireland routes representing the primary cost-and-time competitive lever. The company reported €44 million in turnover for 2024 with approximately 200 employees, operates as a privately held entity within the Orion SARL holding structure founded by Rodolphe Fiquet and Jean-Charles Ricart, and is governed by a four-person director team with deep tenure in cross-Channel operations.

Name

AllianCeuropE

Legal name

Orion SARL

Website

https://allianceurope.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AllianCeuropE is a French international freight operator specializing in unaccompanied cross-Channel and Ireland trailer/container transport. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Bolbec, it serves French and European industrial groups and food/pharmaceutical shippers across eight countries via a fleet of 150 tractors and 680 trailers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cross-Channel Freight Transport

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510), Water Transportation (483), Other Support Activities for Transportation (4889)

SIC

Trucking & Courier Services (No Air) (4210), Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Transportation Services (4700), Trucking (No Local) (4213)

akta.pro primary industry

Intermodal Drayage & Cartage (First/Last Mile) (TLADAFAC)

Keywords

• Unaccompanied freight transport
• Cross-channel logistics
• Refrigerated haulage
• Brexit customs services
• Cross-docking warehousing

Headquarters

HQ city

Bolbec

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

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. Freight Transport Services: Primary revenue from providing international goods transport services including ambient transport, refrigerated transport, cross-docking, and Brexit/customs services between continental Europe and the UK/Ireland.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

AllianCeuropE provides unaccompanied freight transport services between continental Europe and the UK/Ireland using ferry-train maritime connections, enabling road vehicles and trailers to cross the Channel without drivers. Its services span ambient-temperature haulage, refrigerated transport for food and pharmaceutical industries, cross-docking and consolidation at warehouses in Cherbourg, Le Havre, Eythorne UK, and Ireland, plus Brexit-era customs documentation and clearance support.

Product overview

AllianCeuropE operates as a logistics and transport group offering a unified portfolio of unaccompanied freight services between continental Europe and the UK/Ireland. The core offering centers on ALLIANCEUROPE's cross-Channel and Ireland transport services, supported by operational subsidiaries: ACE TRANSPORT handles continental long-distance transport and consolidation, JSBR manages refrigerated haulage for Ireland, BYWATER TRANSPORT serves as the UK outpost, and PERENNIAL FREIGHT covers Irish operations. ORION provides centralized administrative and quality services. Service types include ambient transport, refrigerated transport, cross-docking, and Brexit/customs advisory.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ambient Transport Modern fleet transport service with over 500 trailers and 300 high-cube 45-foot containers for ambient-temperature goods across continental Europe, UK, and Ireland.
• Refrigerated Transport Temperature-controlled transport with 180 refrigerated trailers for full loads to Great Britain and Northern Ireland, featuring seamless traceability across France, UK, and Ireland for the food and pharmaceutical industries.
• Cross Docking Warehousing and consolidation services at two French sites (Cherbourg and Le Havre), one UK site in Eythorne, and one Irish site for ambient-temperature goods distribution and grouping operations.
• Brexit and Customs Services Expertise in navigating customs procedures for exports to and from the United Kingdom, ensuring smooth transport flows across borders post-Brexit.

Quantifiable outcome

• 96.45% service rate
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• John Bywater Transport (BYWATER)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2019BYWATER Transport joined the AllianCeuropE Group in August 2019 as a strategic decision to establish a commercial and operational outpost in the UK before Brexit. Located between Dover and London, BYWATER handles operations and ensures continued growth and development in the UK market. BYWATER is also part of the PALLEX network.
• ACE TransportcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2007ACE Transport, created in February 2007, is a core part of AllianCeuropE providing technical and human resources for continental room-temperature and long-distance transport. Located in Cherbourg, ACE handles drivers and equipment, managing the platform in Gonneville Le Theil for consolidating grouping operations to Ireland and UK.
• PERENNIAL FREIGHTcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA long-standing partner in Ireland, PERENNIAL FREIGHT mirrors continental operations in Eire with experts handling delivery and material loading operations. PERENNIAL FREIGHT and ALLIANCEUROPE are described as indissociable partners leading growth and development of the joint venture between France and Ireland.
• PALLEX NetworkminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBYWATER is part of the PALLEX network, connecting their warehouse to the largest pallet network in the UK for enhanced distribution capabilities.
• Transports Jacques PAJOTminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransports Jacques PAJOT was purchased in November 2010 as part of AllianCeuropE's expansion strategy.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves15 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Wincanton: UK-headquartered logistics provider specializing in domestic UK transport, pallet distribution, and cross-Channel freight partnerships. Comparable on UK-distribution and PALLEX pallet network participation, but serves primarily UK-domestic flows rather than the continental EU inbound/outbound corridor.

Broad incumbents

• Rhenus Logistics: European logistics group offering road, intermodal, and customs services across Western Europe including UK/Ireland cross-Channel. Comparable on multi-modal European freight and customs handling, but with a broader port-and-inland-waterway portfolio beyond ferry-based services.
• XPO Logistics: Large European road freight and logistics operator with cross-Channel LTL and full-load services. Comparable on truck-based freight across Europe but as part of a broader portfolio including last-mile and contract logistics rather than unaccompanied cross-Channel focus.
• STEF: French temperature-controlled logistics specialist with European reach including UK/Ireland operations and significant reefer fleet. Comparable on refrigerated food/pharma haulage but operates a much broader pan-European network and temp-controlled warehousing footprint beyond cross-Channel.
• DSV: Global freight forwarder and road transport operator with substantial European trucking and intermodal capabilities, including UK/Ireland services. Competes for enterprise freight contracts on similar routes but at vastly larger scale through global forwarding rather than cross-Channel specialization.
• Geodis: Major French-owned global logistics and road freight provider with significant UK/Ireland cross-Channel services. Competes in the same enterprise freight and customs-handled B2B segment but as a full multi-modal, multi-region provider rather than a cross-Channel specialist.

Direct peers

• Girteka: Largest European road freight carrier with significant full-load and partial-load services across Western Europe including UK/Ireland lanes. Comparable on enterprise road freight model and asset-heavy fleet operations, though operates without the ferry-train specialization.
• DFDS: Danish-listed ferry and logistics group with dedicated freight routes between continental Europe, the UK, and Ireland. Operates roll-on/roll-off freight services similar to AllianCeuropE's unaccompanied model and is the most directly comparable competitor on the cross-Channel freight corridor.
• Eurotunnel / Getlink: Operator of the Channel Tunnel rail freight shuttles between France and the UK. Competes for unaccompanied cross-Channel freight with an alternative rail-based model (vs. AllianCeuropE's ferry model), serving similar industrial shipper customers on the same EU-UK corridor.
• Brittany Ferries: France-based ferry operator running cargo and unaccompanied freight services between France (Cherbourg, Le Havre, Calais) and the UK/Ireland. Directly comparable on the same ports AllianCeuropE relies on for its ferry-train model, competing for the same freight slots.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/allianceurope1

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries5 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 AllianCeuropE