Mach 2 Shipping

What Mach 2 Shipping does

Mach II Shipping Ltd, operating as Mach 2 Shipping, is a U.K.-based freight forwarder founded in 1985 and headquartered in Ashford that specializes in temperature-controlled pharmaceutical distribution. The company serves life sciences and pharmaceutical organizations worldwide, moving temperature-sensitive commodities including biologics, hormone medications, vaccines, complex proteins, and temperature-specific byproducts that require strict cold chain management. Its core offering combines passive and active cooling methods, state-of-the-art monitoring systems, certified cold storage facilities, GDP-compliant chain-of-custody documentation, and reverse logistics support, with specialized capabilities in clinical trial sample distribution and direct-to-patient delivery.

The business operates a B2B enterprise field sales model with quote-based pricing, delivering end-to-end logistics services — air freight, sea freight, ground distribution, customs clearance, warehouse management, and white-glove handling — customized per shipment. Automated email and text alerts provide real-time shipment visibility, and the company holds Good Distribution Practices (GDP) certification along with membership in the Global Cold Chain Alliance's International Refrigerated Transportation Association. Headcount is reported at 11–50 employees.

In December 2023, Mach 2 was acquired by AIT Worldwide Logistics and now operates as AIT's Life Sciences Division, with access to AIT's global network of more than 130 facilities. The standalone firm's financial metrics, ownership history, and revenue are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Mach 2 Shipping

Legal name

Mach II Shipping Ltd

Website

https://mach2pharmafreight.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mach 2 Shipping is a U.K.-based freight forwarder specializing in temperature-controlled pharmaceutical distribution, serving life sciences organizations with cold chain logistics, GDP-compliant chain-of-custody, and clinical trial capabilities. Acquired by AIT Worldwide Logistics in December 2023.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pharmaceutical Logistics

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510), Warehousing and Storage (493), Packing and Crating (488991), Nonscheduled Chartered Freight Air Transportation (481212)

SIC

Deep Sea Foreign Transportation Of Freight (4412)

akta.pro primary industry

Temperature-Controlled Air Freight (Cool Chain) (TLACAMAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cold Chain Reverse Logistics & Product Recall / Disposal (Temperature-Controlled) (TLAIAIAO), Reefer/Temperature-Controlled Ocean Forwarding (TLACABAI), Reverse Logistics & Product Returns/Recalls (incl. destruction) (HLAGAMAJ), Temperature-Controlled Ocean Freight (Reefer Containers) (TLACAMAG)

Keywords

• Pharmaceutical logistics
• Cold chain shipping
• Temperature-controlled freight
• Pharma freight forwarding
• Life sciences distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Ashford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Pharmaceutical Freight Forwarding Services: Third-party logistics (3PL) services providing worldwide freight forwarding for pharmaceutical and life sciences products, including air freight, sea freight, ground distribution, customs clearance, and cold chain logistics.
2. Cold Chain Logistics Services: Specialized cold chain logistics including temperature-controlled storage, warehousing, and distribution services for pharmaceuticals, biologics, vaccines, and temperature-sensitive products.
3. Clinical Trial Logistics: Sample distribution and clinical trial capabilities including reverse logistics services for the pharmaceutical industry.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Mach 2 Shipping is a U.K.-based freight forwarder specializing in worldwide distribution of pharmaceuticals and related temperature-sensitive products. The company provides end-to-end pharmaceutical logistics including cold chain packing, cold chain warehousing, air, sea, and ground freight, customs clearance, clinical trial sample distribution, and reverse logistics. Following its December 2023 acquisition by AIT Worldwide Logistics, Mach 2 operates as AIT's Life Sciences Division, delivering pharmaceutical transportation through a global network of more than 130 facilities.

Product overview

Mach 2 Shipping, acquired by AIT Worldwide Logistics in December 2023, operated as a U.K.-based freight forwarder specializing in worldwide pharmaceutical distribution. The acquired company now operates as part of AIT's Life Sciences Division, offering a comprehensive suite of pharmaceutical logistics services centered around cold chain management. The core offering includes temperature-controlled packaging, warehousing, and distribution for pharmaceuticals, biologics, vaccines, and temperature-sensitive products. Supporting services include air freight, sea freight, ground distribution, customs clearance, warehouse management, reverse logistics, and white glove handling. Specialized clinical trial support includes sample distribution, blood sample logistics, vaccine shipping, and critical solutions logistics for direct-to-patient delivery. The product portfolio is delivered through a global network of over 130 facilities worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cold Chain Logistics Temperature-controlled logistics services for pharmaceuticals, biologics, vaccines, and temperature-sensitive commodities, including cold chain packing, warehousing, and distribution for life sciences organizations.
• Cold Chain Packing Temperature-sensitive packaging solutions including passive and active cooling methods and state-of-the-art monitoring for pharmaceuticals in transit.
• Cold Chain Warehousing Certified cold storage facilities and flexible warehousing solutions to maintain temperature-sensitive shipments within required ranges for pharmaceutical clients.
• Critical Solutions Logistics Specialized logistics for critical, high-value, or sensitive shipments including direct-to-patient clinical trial solutions.
• Vaccine Shipping Temperature-controlled distribution services specifically designed for vaccine transport and delivery.
• Blood Sample Logistics Specialized handling and transportation of blood samples for clinical and laboratory purposes.
• Clinical Trials Logistics End-to-end logistics support for clinical trial operations including sample distribution and reverse logistics.
• Air Freight Time-sensitive air freight solutions for pharmaceutical and life sciences shipments requiring expedited delivery.
• Sea Freight Ocean freight services for bulk pharmaceutical shipments and temperature-controlled cargo.
• Ground Distribution Ground-based transportation and distribution services for pharmaceutical products including last-mile delivery.
• Customs Clearance International customs brokerage and clearance services for pharmaceutical shipments.
• Warehouse Management Comprehensive warehouse management services including inventory control and order fulfillment for pharmaceutical products.
• White Glove Delivery Specialized handling services for delicate, sensitive, or high-value pharmaceutical products requiring extra care.

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

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Global Cold Chain Alliance - International Refrigerated Transportation AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIT's membership in the Global Cold Chain Alliance's International Refrigerated Transportation Association underscores decades-long commitment to excellence in pharmaceutical transportation services. This membership provides industry standards alignment and professional network access for cold chain logistics operations.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• UPS Healthcare (Marken): UPS Healthcare, anchored by the Marken clinical trials logistics brand, provides cold chain pharma freight forwarding, clinical sample distribution, and direct-to-patient logistics worldwide — directly overlapping Mach 2's clinical trials and life sciences service lines.
• DHL Global Forwarding (Life Sciences): DHL's Life Sciences and Healthcare division provides temperature-controlled air, ocean, and ground freight plus GDP-compliant cold chain warehousing globally. It is the most direct large-scale competitor to AIT Life Sciences Division (Mach 2's parent vehicle) for enterprise pharma tenders.
• DSV (Healthcare): DSV's Healthcare and Life Sciences division provides temperature-controlled air and ocean freight, cold chain warehousing, and pharma distribution services globally, overlapping with Mach 2's service portfolio across multiple modes.
• CEVA Logistics (Healthcare): CEVA Logistics' Healthcare division provides temperature-controlled freight forwarding, cold storage, and distribution services for pharma and medical device customers, operating at a similar scale and service breadth as AIT Life Sciences Division.
• FedEx Healthcare Solutions: FedEx Custom Critical and FedEx Healthcare Solutions provide time-critical and temperature-controlled air freight for pharma, biologics, and medical devices, competing head-to-head with Mach 2's air freight and critical solutions offerings.

Direct peers

• Kuehne+Nagel (KN PharmaChain): Kuehne+Nagel's KN PharmaChain offers GDP-compliant temperature-controlled air and ocean freight, cold-chain warehousing, and pharma supply chain visibility tools. It is a core direct peer competing for the same global pharma logistics RFPs.
• World Courier (Cencora / AmerisourceBergen): World Courier, part of Cencora, is a specialist pharmaceutical logistics provider focused on clinical trial supply chain, cold chain transport, and storage — a direct niche competitor to Mach 2's clinical trials and life sciences division.
• Biocair: Biocair is a specialist freight forwarder dedicated to the life sciences sector, providing temperature-controlled air freight, cold chain logistics, and customs brokerage for pharma and biotech — closely comparable in scope and customer profile to Mach 2.
• Hellmann Worldwide Logistics (Life Sciences): Hellmann's Life Sciences vertical provides GDP-compliant temperature-controlled air and sea freight plus cold-chain warehousing for pharma clients, competing directly with Mach 2 for European and transatlantic pharma logistics contracts.

Regional players

• Eurotranspharma: Eurotranspharma is a European specialist in temperature-controlled pharmaceutical distribution with a road-transport focus, competing with Mach 2's ground distribution offering primarily across continental European pharma lanes.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Mach2Shipping
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mach-2-shipping-limited

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Mach 2 Shipping