Container-Transport-Dienst

What Container-Transport-Dienst does

Container-Transport-Dienst (CTD) is a wholly-owned operating subsidiary of HHLA (Hamburger Hafen und Logistik Aktiengesellschaft), a publicly listed German port and logistics company headquartered in Hamburg. CTD specializes in container transport, maintenance, and repair services, with operations including electric truck transport at Container Terminal Tollerort. The subsidiary functions as part of HHLA's broader intermodal transport platform, which connects European seaports with inland economic centers through an integrated combination of rail, road, inland waterways, and air freight. CTD's service offerings include container transport by rail, truck (including electric mobility options), and inland vessel, alongside heavy cargo logistics capabilities.

The company's underlying technology stack centers on a digital shipment tracking system that provides real-time container visibility across the transport chain, supplemented by the passify digital truck processing system for container terminal operations. The intermodal platform is architected around coordination between transport modes, with HHLA's Services & Solutions Hub serving as the customer-facing portal where B2B clients identify the appropriate partner for their specific logistics requirements. The technology differentiates primarily through interoperability across modes and energy/resource efficiency via electric trucks and hydrogen fueling infrastructure.

CTD generates revenue through transaction-fee-based pricing for intermodal container transport services, with rates customized based on cargo type, distance, transport mode, and time sensitivity. The company operates a B2B enterprise sales model targeting shipping companies, freight forwarders, and industrial customers under multi-year contracts. Its primary customer segment is shipping companies and freight forwarders requiring reliable port-to-inland connectivity, while industrial customers represent a secondary segment for heavy and project cargo. The sales motion is relationship-driven, supported by a corporate presence across LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, X, Xing, and email newsletters, with the online Services & Solutions Hub functioning as the primary direct distribution channel.

Name

Container-Transport-Dienst

Legal name

HHLA Hamburger Hafen und Logistik Aktiengesellschaft

Website

https://ctd.de

Company type

Public

Founded year

1885

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Container-Transport-Dienst (CTD) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of HHLA providing intermodal container transport, maintenance, and repair services across European ports and inland destinations via rail, road, inland waterways, and air freight, serving shipping companies, freight forwarders, and industrial customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Intermodal Container Transport Services

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510), Water Transportation (483), Marine Cargo Handling (48832)

SIC

Trucking & Courier Services (No Air) (4210), Water Transportation (4400), Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro primary industry

Domestic Intermodal Rail-Truck (COFC/TOFC) (TLADAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Intermodal Drayage TL Carriers (Port/Rail Ramp Drayage) (TLADADAF), Rail Consolidation & Deconsolidation (LCL/Groupage) (TLACADAD)

Keywords

• Intermodal container transport
• Rail freight services
• Heavy cargo logistics
• Inland waterway transport
• Logistics network services

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Intermodal Container Transport Services: Revenue generated from transporting containers via rail, truck, inland vessels, and air freight. Services are priced based on cargo type, distance, transport mode, and time sensitivity. The company offers both standard container transport and specialized heavy cargo solutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Container-Transport-Dienst (CTD), a wholly-owned subsidiary of HHLA, provides intermodal container and heavy cargo transport services across Europe. The company combines rail, road (including electric trucks), inland waterway, and air freight to move containers and oversized cargo between seaports and inland economic centers, supported by digital shipment tracking.

Product overview

HHLA operates an integrated intermodal transport platform that intelligently connects multiple transport modes—rail, road (including electric trucks), inland waterways, and air freight—to create flexible, sustainable logistics solutions for both container and heavy cargo shipments. The portfolio includes dedicated services for each transport mode (Container-Transport per Bahn/Lkw/Binnenschiff and Schwergut-Transport per Bahn/Lkw/Luftfracht), supported by digital shipment tracking capabilities. The offering is organized around subsidiaries METRANS (rail logistics) and CTD (container transport and trucking), enabling tailored solutions from port terminals through to final delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CTA Hamburg: HHLA Container Terminal Altenwerder - automated container terminal
• CTB Hamburg
• METRANS
• COAST
• passify

Products and services

• Intermodaler Transport Core intermodal transport service combining rail, road, inland waterway, and air freight to connect European seaports with inland economic centers. Handles standard container shipments with modern equipment and digital shipment tracking, targeting shipping companies, freight forwarders, and industrial customers.
• Schwergut-Transport (Heavy Cargo Transport) Specialized transport service for exceptionally heavy, bulky, oversized, and project cargo, offered via rail, road, and air freight. Includes coordination of permits, route planning, secure handling, and on-time delivery for machines, components, and sensitive goods. Serves industrial customers with project and heavy logistics needs.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• DB Cargo: European rail freight arm of Deutsche Bahn; directly competes with HHLA/METRANS in container block trains and intermodal services across Germany and into neighboring countries.
• EUROGATE: Competing German container terminal operator running major ports (Bremerhaven, Hamburg); competes with HHLA's terminal network and adjacent intermodal services in Northern Europe.
• TX Logistik: European rail freight operator (Mercitalia/FS Group) offering comparable intermodal and block train services across Germany and Central Europe, competing directly for the same shipper customers.
• Samskip: European intermodal logistics provider offering rail, road, and short-sea container transport across the North Sea and continental Europe; competes for similar B2B container freight customers.
• Kombiverkehr: German intermodal operator coordinating combined road/rail container transport across European corridors; overlaps directly with CTD/METRANS on domestic and cross-border intermodal flows.

Broad incumbents

• DSV: Danish-headquartered global freight forwarder with strong European road and intermodal operations, further expanded by the DB Schenker acquisition; competes for the same European intermodal freight.
• Kuehne+Nagel: Global freight forwarder with substantial European road, rail, and intermodal capabilities; addresses the same shipping-company and freight-forwarder customer base but with a much broader service portfolio.
• Maersk: Global container shipping line expanding aggressively into integrated logistics including inland container transport; competes for end-to-end door-to-door contracts that overlap with CTD's offering.
• DHL Group: Global logistics integrator with European road, rail, and intermodal capabilities through DHL Freight and DB Schenker; serves a similar B2B customer base across broader end-to-end supply chains.

Others

• Hapag-Lloyd: Major container shipping line whose containers are routinely transhipped through HHLA's Hamburg terminals; acts as a key upstream customer and ecosystem participant rather than a direct intermodal competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/hhlachannel
• LinkedInde.linkedin.com/company/hhla
• Instagraminstagram.com/hhla_group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries8 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 Container-Transport-Dienst