Van Thiel Transport

What Van Thiel Transport does

Van Thiel Transport B.V. is an internationally operating freight forwarding company founded in 1989 in Hierden (Harderwijk), the Netherlands, by Berry van Thiel, who started operations from his living room. The company has grown into a multi-modal logistics provider offering road transport (FTL, LTL/groupage, temperature-controlled, ADR, and pallet transport across 17 European countries), sea freight (FCL and LCL to/from America, China, India, Vietnam, South Korea), air freight (3-7 day transit from China), rail freight (15-20 days China-Europe), and container trucking with customs and THC handling. It holds AEO (Authorized Economic Operator) certification and operates approximately 10,000 m² of partner warehouse capacity near the Port of Rotterdam (Bergschenhoek, Alblasserdam, Rotterdam, plus refrigerated storage in Barendrecht) as well as a bonded warehouse in Shenzhen for direct China-to-worldwide fulfillment.

The company's core specialization since 2017 has been e-commerce logistics for major European platforms and retailers — Amazon FBA (delivering to approximately 100 warehouses across 10 European countries), Zalando, Bol.com, Coolblue, Action, Lidl, Edeka, C-discount, and Zooplus. Its value proposition centers on platform-specific warehouse acceptance expertise, including pre-delivery sorting, labeling, and palletizing to retailer-defined specifications, with a stated "guaranteed acceptance" outcome. Operational scale includes 120 daily transports and 11 daily linehaul services to Germany. No proprietary technology platform is disclosed, and the company operates primarily as a sales-led, asset-light forwarder executing its own transport operations rather than brokering to third parties.

Van Thiel Transport generates revenue on a transaction-fee (freight forwarding) basis, with quote-based pricing customized per shipment by destination, volume, weight, mode, and Incoterm; no public pricing tiers exist. Go-to-market is direct enterprise sales through the corporate website (multi-language: Dutch, English, German, Chinese), phone, and email, with a quoted response time of one hour on business days. Customer concentration is oriented toward large e-commerce platforms and discount retailers, and the company operates as a privately held B.V. with no disclosed institutional ownership, funding rounds, acquisitions, or subsidiaries.

Name

Van Thiel Transport

Legal name

Van Thiel Transport B.V.

Website

https://vanthiel.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Van Thiel Transport B.V. is a privately held Dutch freight forwarder founded in 1989 that provides multi-modal European and intercontinental logistics (road, sea, air, rail) with a specialization in e-commerce warehouse delivery for Amazon FBA, Zalando, Bol.com, Coolblue, Lidl, Action, Edeka, C-discount, and Zooplus.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Freight Forwarding and Logistics Services

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510), Freight Transportation Arrangement (4885), Freight Transportation Arrangement (48851)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

General Cargo Air Freight Forwarding (Airport-to-Airport / Door-to-Door) (TLACAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dry Van (General Freight) TL Carriers (TLADADAA), Intermodal Drayage & Cartage (First/Last Mile) (TLADAFAC)

Keywords

• Freight forwarding services
• European road transport
• Sea and air freight
• E-commerce logistics
• Warehouse delivery

Headquarters

HQ city

Hierden

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Freight Forwarding Services: Van Thiel Transport generates revenue through comprehensive freight forwarding services including road transport, sea freight, air freight, rail freight, and container trucking across Europe and globally. Revenue is derived from transport fees based on shipment volume, weight, distance, and transport mode. Services include customs clearance, warehousing, and fulfillment services for e-commerce companies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Van Thiel Transport is a European freight forwarding and logistics services provider offering road, sea, air, and rail transport, container trucking, warehousing (including bonded storage), and customs clearance. The company specializes in e-commerce and retail warehouse delivery, with dedicated services to Amazon FBA and major European retailers (Zalando, Bol.com, Coolblue, Lidl, Action, Edeka, C-discount, Zooplus), moving approximately 120 shipments per day with 11 daily line services to Germany.

Product overview

Van Thiel Transport is an international freight forwarding company founded in 1989, offering a comprehensive logistics platform with interconnected transport and warehousing services. The core portfolio includes road transport (with dedicated liner services to Germany), sea freight, air freight, rail freight, and container trucking across Europe and globally (with strong China-Europe expertise). The company specializes in e-commerce logistics with dedicated services for Amazon FBA deliveries to approximately 100 warehouses across 10 European countries, as well as multi-platform delivery to warehouses of major retailers including Action, Bol.com, C-discount, Coolblue, Edeka, Lidl, Zalando, and Zooplus. Supporting the transport services are value-added offerings including warehousing (with bonded warehouse and AEO status facilities near Rotterdam), quality control, and comprehensive customs clearance documentation services. The company operates as a single integrated logistics platform rather than discrete product modules.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• European Road Transport Daily European road transport services to 17 European countries, including FTL (Full Truckload), LTL/Groupage (Less than Truckload), temperature-controlled transport, ADR (hazardous goods) transport, and pallet transport. Includes 11 daily line services to Germany.
• Container Trucking Efficient container transport from European ports to final destinations, including customs and THC (Terminal Handling Charge) handling.
• Sea Freight International sea freight services to and from America, China, India, Vietnam, and South Korea, including FCL (Full Container Load) and LCL (Less than Container Load) options, with shipping line coordination worldwide.
• Air Freight Fast air freight services for time-sensitive shipments, with transit times of 3-7 days via direct and indirect flights from origins including China, India, Vietnam, South Korea, and the USA.
• Rail Freight Sustainable rail freight transport between China and Europe with transit times of 15-20 days, positioned as a middle ground between sea and air freight for international container transport.
• Warehousing Cross-border warehousing through partner facilities in Bergschenhoek, Alblasserdam, Rotterdam (including refrigerated/temperature-controlled storage in Barendrecht) totaling approximately 10,000 m2, plus a bonded warehouse in Shenzhen, China for duty-free storage of non-EU goods.
• Amazon FBA Logistics Specialized freight forwarding for Amazon FBA warehouses across Europe, handling pickup from China, customs clearance, labeling, palletizing, and delivery to approximately 100 Amazon warehouses in 10 European countries (Germany, Netherlands, UK, Ireland, France, Italy, Poland, Spain, Czech Republic, Sweden) with guaranteed acceptance.
• Multi-Platform E-commerce Warehouse Delivery Transport services to warehouses of major European e-commerce and retail platforms including Action, Bol.com, C-discount, Coolblue, Edeka, Lidl, Zalando, and Zooplus, with deep knowledge of each platform's logistics processes and warehouse acceptance requirements built since 2017.
• Customs Clearance Services Full customs documentation handling including Incoterms advice, commercial invoices, packing lists, Bill of Lading, certificates of origin, and import/export clearance in the Netherlands and across Europe, supported by AEO (Authorized Economic Operator) certification.

Quantifiable outcome

• Guaranteed acceptance at Amazon and other e-commerce warehouses - shipments are prepared according to exact warehouse requirements
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• AmazoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Since 2017, Van Thiel Transport has maintained a close partnership with Amazon as a specialized FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) freight forwarder. They deliver to all approximately 100 Amazon FBA warehouses across Europe, handling the complete logistics process from factory pickup in China through customs clearance, warehousing, sorting, labeling, palletizing, to final delivery at Amazon warehouses with guaranteed acceptance.
• ZalandocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Partnership since 2017 with Zalando for transport to their warehouses across Europe (Germany, Netherlands, Poland, France, Italy, Spain). Van Thiel Transport has extensive knowledge of Zalando's logistics processes and guarantees efficient and problem-free deliveries to all Zalando warehouses.
• Bol.comcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Partnership since 2017 as a reliable specialist for transport of goods to Bol.com warehouses in the Netherlands. Van Thiel Transport ensures smooth and efficient delivery without time loss, understanding all logistics process requirements.
• CoolbluecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Specialized in delivering packages to Coolblue warehouses since 2017. Van Thiel Transport has expert knowledge of requirements and procedures for each warehouse, guaranteeing efficient and timely delivery.
• ActioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Partnership since 2017 for delivery to all Action warehouses throughout Europe (Germany, France, Slovakia, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Poland). Guarantees efficient and cost-saving transport with safety, speed, and correct delivery.
• ZoopluscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Close partnership since 2017 with Zooplus for transport to their warehouses across Europe. Van Thiel Transport has extensive knowledge of all Zooplus logistics processes and guarantees that all shipments are delivered efficiently and without problems.
• LidlcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYears of experience delivering shipments to Lidl warehouses across Europe. Van Thiel Transport knows every requirement and wish of each warehouse and applies them carefully, ensuring fast and safe delivery according to agreement.
• EdekacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYears of experience with transport to Edeka warehouses in Germany. Van Thiel Transport knows the specific delivery conditions for each warehouse and applies them carefully to prevent delays or rejection upon receipt.
• C-discountcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDaily deliveries to C-discount warehouses in France (Cestas, Moissy Cramayel, Reau, Saint-Pierre-des-Corps, Vémars). Van Thiel Transport has comprehensive knowledge of C-discount logistics processes, ensuring efficient and problem-free deliveries.

Scale indicators5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Mainfreight: Mainfreight is a global freight forwarder with strong European road, sea, and air operations, and is comparable to Van Thiel Transport in offering multi-modal forwarding with an emphasis on European distribution and dedicated line-haul services.
• CEVA Logistics: CEVA Logistics provides multi-modal freight forwarding and contract logistics with a strong European footprint, comparable to Van Thiel's integrated road, sea, and air services targeting enterprise customers.
• Yusen Logistics: Yusen Logistics operates global forwarding and warehousing with significant Europe-Asia lanes and European distribution, comparable to Van Thiel's China-Europe e-commerce specialization.
• Röhlig Logistics: Röhlig is a mid-sized European freight forwarder with strong German roots and global air/ocean forwarding capabilities, comparable to Van Thiel's German market heritage and European forwarding focus.
• Kerry Logistics Network: Kerry Logistics is an Asia-headquartered freight forwarder with European operations and a strong China trade lane focus, comparable to Van Thiel's bonded Shenzhen warehouse and China-Europe forwarding model.

Broad incumbents

• DB Schenker: DB Schenker is a major European-headquartered freight forwarder with integrated road, rail, air, and ocean services, comparable to Van Thiel's German-centric line-haul operations and broader multi-modal European services.
• Kuehne+Nagel: Kuehne+Nagel is one of the world's largest freight forwarders with broad road, sea, and air services across Europe, comparable to Van Thiel's multi-modal European operations but at vastly greater scale and breadth.
• Expeditors International: Expeditors is a global air and ocean freight forwarder with European operations and an asset-light model, comparable to Van Thiel's asset-light forwarding approach but with broader geographic and modal coverage.
• DHL Global Forwarding: DHL Global Forwarding offers comprehensive air, ocean, and road freight forwarding worldwide with deep European networks, comparable to Van Thiel's multi-modal services but as part of a much larger integrated logistics portfolio.
• DSV: DSV is a major global freight forwarder with extensive European road, air, and sea operations, comparable to Van Thiel's multi-modal European forwarding but at significantly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@vanthieltransport8458
• Facebookfacebook.com/vanthieltransport
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/van-thiel-transport-b-v-
• Instagraminstagram.com/vanthieltransport
• Xx.com/thieltransport

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Van Thiel Transport