2XL nv

What 2XL nv does

2XL nv, doing business as ECS (legal name: ECS European Containers NV), is a Belgium-headquartered (Zeebrugge) private intermodal transport and integrated supply chain logistics provider. The company combines road, rail, and short sea transportation through an owned network of ferry connections, rail infrastructure, and strategic hubs covering 35+ European countries, with a primary focus on the UK-Ireland to mainland Europe trade lane. Service lines comprise full-loads transport, supply chain logistics (including 160,000 sqm of ambient and 10,000 sqm of temperature-controlled warehousing and cross-docking), temperature-controlled transport using what the company describes as Europe's largest fleet of reefer containers and fridge trailers, Brexit-era customs and border-crossing services, and equipment rental.

The underlying platform is asset-based rather than purely digital: ECS owns its reefer fleet, warehousing footprint, rail connections, and ferry infrastructure, and exposes operational capability to customers through dedicated online portals (separate portals for intermodal transport and supply chain) that provide real-time shipment visibility. The business model is B2B enterprise, with revenue earned primarily on a transaction-fee basis (per-load transport, warehousing, equipment rental) supplemented by professional-services revenue from customs brokerage. The GTM motion is enterprise field sales, with a quote-based pricing model and dedicated sales contacts targeting manufacturers, retailers, and logistics partners; pricing is not publicly disclosed.

Quantitative operating signals include 70,000+ annual container movements, 45% of land miles carried by rail, 104,000 tons of CO2 saved annually, and a self-reported on-time performance of +95% for container and truck loads. The company is privately held, with 101-250 employees, no disclosed parent company, no funding rounds, and no M&A activity in the available data. A new CEO, Richard de Haas, was appointed on 16 December 2025.

Name

2XL nv

Legal name

ECS European Containers NV

Website

https://2xl.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

2XL nv (trading as ECS) is a Belgium-based private intermodal transport and supply chain logistics provider operating road, rail, and short sea services across 35+ European countries, primarily serving the UK-Ireland to mainland Europe trade lane with Europe's largest claimed reefer fleet.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Intermodal Transport & Logistics

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510), Deep Sea Freight Transportation (483111), Marine Cargo Handling (48832), Water Transportation (483)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Transportation Services (4700), Trucking & Courier Services (No Air) (4210), Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

FCL (Full Container Load) Ocean Forwarding (TLACABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Temperature-Controlled Intermodal (Reefer Container/Trailer) (TLADAFAH), Customs Brokerage for Ocean Shipments (Import/Export Clearance) (TLACABAG), Ocean Freight Brokerage (FCL/LCL) (TLADAMAF)

Keywords

• Intermodal transport services
• Supply chain logistics
• Temperature controlled transport
• Customs brokerage services
• Freight forwarding services

Headquarters

HQ city

Zeebrugge

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Full Loads Transport: Transport of full container loads via road, rail and short sea, providing reliable transport solutions for customers moving goods between UK/Ireland and European mainland
2. Supply Chain Logistics: Tailormade and cost-efficient one-stop-shop supply chain solutions including warehousing (160,000 sqm ambient, 10,000 sqm temperature-controlled) and distribution services
3. Temperature Controlled Transport: Specialized transport services using Europe's largest fleet of reefer containers and fridge trailers for temperature-sensitive goods
4. Brexit & Customs Services: Customs clearance and border crossing services ensuring goods cross borders seamlessly post-Brexit
5. Equipment Rental: Rental and provision of intermodal equipment including containers and trailers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

2XL nv (operating as ECS European Containers NV) provides integrated supply chain logistics and intermodal transport solutions, combining road, rail, and short sea transport across 35+ European countries with a specialization in the UK-Ireland to mainland Europe trade corridor. The company also offers temperature-controlled transport via Europe's largest reefer fleet, 170,000 sqm of warehousing, customs brokerage for Brexit-related border crossings, and intermodal equipment rental.

Product overview

ECS (European Containers NV) operates as an integrated supply chain logistics and intermodal transport solutions provider. The company offers a portfolio of core logistics services including Full loads transport (road, rail and short sea), Supply chain logistics (tailormade solutions), Temperature controlled transport (reefer containers and fridge trailers), Brexit & customs services, and Equipment (fleet). Services are delivered through an extensive intermodal network with strategic hubs covering over 35 European countries, combining state-of-the-art fleet with rail connections and ferry services for integrated door-to-door solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Full loads transport
• Supply chain logistics Tailormade and cost-efficient one-stop-shop supply chain solutions including 160,000 sqm of ambient warehousing, 10,000 sqm of temperature-controlled warehousing, and distribution services for enterprise customers.
• Temperature controlled transport Specialized transport services for temperature-sensitive cargo using Europe's largest fleet of reefer containers and fridge trailers, serving food, pharmaceutical, and other perishable goods shippers.
• Brexit & customs services Customs brokerage and border crossing services ensuring goods cross borders flawlessly post-Brexit, with expertise in UK-EU trade lane procedures.
• Equipment rental and fleet services Provision and rental of a state-of-the-art fleet of intermodal vehicles and containers, including reefer containers and trailers, to support intermodal transport operations across the European network.

Quantifiable outcome

• 45% of land miles are rail-related, saving 104,000 tons of CO2 annually
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• STEF: European leader in temperature-controlled transport and logistics with significant reefer fleet and cold-chain warehousing across France, Iberia, Italy, and Benelux. Direct overlap with ECS's temperature-controlled transport offering, though STEF's footprint is more weighted to Southern Europe.
• DHL Freight: One of Europe's largest road and intermodal freight networks with customs and warehousing capabilities. Competes with ECS across road, rail, and contract logistics segments, with broader geographic and service coverage.
• Kuehne+Nagel: Global freight forwarder and logistics provider with significant European road, rail, and sea freight forwarding, plus integrated customs services. Comparable to ECS's full-load forwarding and customs brokerage offering, but at much larger global scale.
• DFDS: Large European ferry and logistics operator with extensive UK-Continental Europe shipping routes plus integrated road transport and logistics services. Comparable to ECS in the UK-mainland corridor and short-sea intermodal model, but at meaningfully larger scale and broader scope.

Regional players

• Wincanton: UK-headquartered contract logistics and transport provider with warehousing, distribution, and intermodal capabilities serving British retailers and manufacturers. Comparable as a UK-side intermodal/logistics counterpart to ECS's mainland operations.

Emerging players

• John G Russell (JGR) - UK multimodal logistics: UK-headquartered multimodal logistics provider with rail-connected container terminals serving UK-Ireland-Continental Europe flows. Similar niche positioning to ECS on the UK-mainland intermodal lane, with a smaller reefer exposure.
• Waberer's (or European mid-tier intermodal operators): European intermodal and full-load operator with rail/road combined transport services, overlapping with ECS's FCL intermodal value proposition. Comparable as a regional intermodal freight specialist targeting industrial shippers.

Direct peers

• H.Essers: Belgian-headquartered logistics provider offering intermodal transport, warehousing, and chemical/pharma-specialized services across Europe. Closely comparable to ECS as a Benelux-rooted, asset-heavy intermodal operator with multimodal capabilities.
• Samskip: Dutch multimodal logistics provider with strong short-sea, rail, and road services connecting UK/Ireland, Scandinavia, and Continental Europe. Directly competes with ECS in UK-mainland intermodal container flows and reefer transport.

Others

• Eurotunnel/Le Shuttle Freight: Operates the Channel Tunnel rail freight service connecting UK and Continental Europe. Provides core rail infrastructure used by intermodal operators including ECS for cross-Channel container movements.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/418754668233312
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/2xl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 2XL nv