International Road Ferry

What International Road Ferry does

International Road Ferry (IRF) is a Netherlands-domiciled logistics provider, founded in 1998 and operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the UK-based Culina Group. The company's core function is unaccompanied road transport between Great Britain, the Netherlands, and Germany, using short-sea ferry crossings of the English Channel rather than accompanied driver-across routes. IRF moves approximately 100 trailers per day across the Channel, with the bulk departing from Vlaardingen and daily pickups across ten UK cities (including Norwich, London, Birmingham, Leicester, Cambridge, Bristol, Southampton, Hull, Manchester, and Liverpool). The fleet is ADR-certified for dangerous goods and equipped with DIN EN 12642 Code XL curtain-sided trailers featuring anti-theft mesh and sliding roofs; satellite tracking provides real-time shipment monitoring.

IRF sells a portfolio of integrated services rather than a single transport product. The Full Load Service (FTL) handles full trailer movements with guaranteed time-frame delivery; Customs Clearance Services (delivered from AEO-certified offices in Felixstowe and Rotterdam) cover UK/EU export-import clearance, transit documents, IPAFFS/Defra, and duty deferment; Cross Docking at the Grubbenvorst facility enables immediate transshipment without storage; Exhibition Transport Solutions provides time-critical delivery for trade-show and event organizers; and Temperature Controlled Logistics (with continuous monitoring from -25°C to +25°C) serves food industry cold-chain customers. The go-to-market is a direct enterprise field-sales motion, with offices in Rotterdam (regional HQ), Grubbenvorst (operations support), and Felixstowe (UK regional HQ and customs hub). Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; the Dutch Truck Toll introduced July 1 is a noted cost variable.

The customer base spans import/export businesses, third-party logistics companies, exhibition organizers, and food producers and distributors, served via a B2B model with no consumer-facing offering. Revenue is generated on a transaction-fee basis across all five service lines. As a subsidiary of Culina Group, IRF's commercial scale is anchored within a larger diversified logistics conglomerate, while the operating entity retains its own sales, customer service, and operational teams in both the UK and Netherlands.

Name

International Road Ferry

Legal name

International Road Ferry B.V.

Website

https://irf.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

International Road Ferry (IRF) is a Netherlands-based, Culina Group-owned logistics provider specializing in unaccompanied road transport via short-sea ferry between Great Britain, the Netherlands, and Germany, moving approximately 100 trailers daily and offering integrated FTL, customs clearance, cross-docking, exhibition, and cold chain services to B2B import/export, logistics, and food customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cross-border Road Transport Logistics

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Full Truckload (FTL) Forwarding (TLACACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Drayage & Intermodal Truck Transfer (Port/Rail Ramp) (TLACACAE), Temperature-Controlled Road Freight (Reefer Trucking & Cross-Border) (TLACAMAH), Trade Compliance & Ocean Regulatory Services (Sanctions/Export Controls) (TLACABAL)

Keywords

• Cross-border road transport
• Customs clearance services
• Full load logistics
• Exhibition freight transport
• Temperature-controlled trucking

Headquarters

HQ city

Rotterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Full Load Service (FTL): Full trailer load transport services between Great Britain, Netherlands and Germany with daily pickups across GB and approximately 100 trailers crossing the English Channel per day. Services include continuous trailer monitoring and delivery within strict timeframes.
2. Customs Clearance Services: Comprehensive customs clearance services including UK and EU export/import clearance, transit documents, IPAFFS/Defra, duty deferment, and document checking and advice. Provided from strategically located offices in Felixstowe and Rotterdam.
3. Cross Docking Services: Transshipment of goods for immediate transport, eliminating storage needs. Located strategically with short access routes to Germany, Belgium, and Netherlands.
4. Exhibition Transport Solutions: End-to-end logistics for exhibitions including collection, customs clearance, transport to/from exhibition venues, with secure storage facilities.
5. Temperature Controlled Logistics: Cold chain management solutions for fresh, chilled, frozen, and processed foods with temperature ranges from -25°C to +25°C, including safe storage in strategically located hubs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

International Road Ferry operates unaccompanied full trailer load (FTL) road transport across the English Channel via ferry between Great Britain, the Netherlands, and Germany, with approximately 100 trailers crossing daily. The company complements its transport operations with integrated customs clearance, cross docking, exhibition freight transport, and temperature-controlled cold chain logistics. Services are delivered directly from IRF's own offices in Felixstowe (UK) and Rotterdam/Grubbenvorst (Netherlands) using its owned fleet of trucks and certified drivers.

Product overview

International Road Ferry (IRF) operates as a logistics provider offering a unified portfolio of transport and logistics services. The core offering includes Full Load Service (FTL transport), Customs Clearance Services, Cross Docking, Exhibition Transport Solutions, and Temperature Controlled Logistics. These services work together to provide end-to-end logistics solutions connecting Great Britain, the Netherlands, and Germany, with the company acting as both a transport operator and customs clearance specialist.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 100 trailers per day cross the English Channel
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Culina GroupcoreOthersIRF is part of the Culina Group, which provides corporate ownership and brand refresh support. The company unveiled a refreshed logo and website design as part of being under the Culina Group umbrella while maintaining its operational independence in transport services.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• DFDS: DFDS is the largest operator of roll-on/roll-off ferry and logistics services in Northern Europe, directly combining ferry crossings with road-based trailer logistics across the English Channel and North Sea — the same integrated short-sea model IRF operates.
• Eddie Stobart Logistics: Eddie Stobart is one of the largest UK road haulage and contract logistics providers with significant cross-Channel trailer operations, competing for similar import/export customers in the GB-EU corridor.
• P&O Ferries: P&O Ferries is a major English Channel and North Sea ferry operator with significant unaccompanied freight (trailer) capacity between the UK and continental Europe, competing for the same ferry-trailer business IRF depends on.
• Stena Line: Stena Line operates ferry and combined ferry-logistics services across the North Sea and Irish Sea with significant unaccompanied freight capacity, directly comparable to IRF's trailer-on-ferry model.
• Maritime Transport: Maritime Transport is a UK-based road haulage and short-sea intermodal operator specializing in unaccompanied trailer services to continental Europe via ferry — closely matching IRF's core GB-EU FTL offering.
• Wincanton: Wincanton is a major UK-based contract logistics and transport provider with cross-Channel capabilities, serving similar import/export and large-enterprise customers as IRF on the GB-EU corridor.

Broad incumbents

• Geodis: Geodis is a global logistics provider with strong European road freight, contract logistics, and customs clearance operations that overlap with IRF's GB-EU offering, though Geodis operates at much larger scale and scope.
• DSV Road: DSV is a global freight forwarder and road transport provider with a substantial UK-EU road freight and customs offering; competes with IRF but as part of a much wider pan-European and global portfolio.
• DHL Freight: DHL Freight operates one of the largest European road freight networks with full UK-EU cross-border capabilities and customs services, overlapping with IRF's corridor but at significantly broader scale.
• Kuehne+Nagel: Kuehne+Nagel is a top global logistics provider with significant UK-EU road transport and customs brokerage capabilities, competing for the same import/export customers IRF serves but across many more geographies and modes.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInuk.linkedin.com/company/international-road-ferry
• Xx.com/irfbv

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 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 International Road Ferry