Color Line Cargo Danmark

What Color Line Cargo Danmark does

Color Line Cargo Danmark (legal entity Color Line Danmark A/S) is the Danish operational subsidiary of Color Line AS, a privately-held Scandinavian shipping group headquartered in Norway. The company runs a short-sea RoPAX (Roll-on/Roll-off Passenger) cargo network across four routes connecting Norway with Germany (Kiel-Oslo, ~20-hour crossing on Color Fantasy and Color Magic), Denmark (Hirtshals-Kristiansand on SuperSpeed 1, 3h 15m; Hirtshals-Larvik on SuperSpeed 2, 3h 45m), and Sweden (Strömstad-Sandefjord on the Color Hybrid plug-in hybrid vessel, 2.5h). The company moves trailers and semi-trailers as its primary cargo, alongside project cargo, high-and-heavy equipment (construction, agricultural, buses/trucks), containers, dangerous goods, and new vehicles, supported by terminal infrastructure that includes reachstackers, MAFIs, lifting equipment in Kiel and Oslo, and electric plug-ins for refrigerated trailers.

The business operates a unit-pricing model with published tariffs per meter of vehicle length (NOK 710–2,200 on Strömstad-Sandefjord), supplemented by monthly-adjusted surcharges for Bunker Adjustment Factor (BAF), EU ETS emissions, and currency. Revenue streams include freight transportation, customs clearance services across Danish, Norwegian, and EU jurisdictions (enabled by AEO certification held since 2010), digital documentation via the B2B Digital Interaction platform and Digitoll system, oversized/heavy cargo premiums (width surcharges 25–100%, +100% above 60 metric tons), and ancillary services such as after-hours pickup. The company has 20 employees per its Danish entity profile and operates eight cargo offices across Kiel, Oslo, Hirtshals, Kristiansand, Larvik, Strömstad, Sandefjord, and Halden/Svinesund, with distribution via enterprise field sales, dedicated regional sales contacts (Norway/Europe, Germany/Austria/Netherlands, Denmark), and a self-service online booking portal at cargo.colorline.com.

The company is positioned as an experienced, sustainability-credentialed operator, having reduced CO2 emissions from ships by 45% since 2000 with stated targets of 55% by 2030 and net zero by 2050. Differentiation rests on AEO-certified customs simplifications, integrated customs and freight services under one corporate roof, regulatory compliance infrastructure for EU ETS, and the Color Hybrid vessel as the world's largest plug-in hybrid ship. The company is privately held with no public market listing, no disclosed funding rounds, and no M&A activity in the available record; it operates within the broader Color Line AS group as a strategic operating subsidiary rather than an independent growth-stage company.

Name

Color Line Cargo Danmark

Legal name

Color Line Danmark A/S

Website

https://colorline-cargo.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Color Line Cargo Danmark operates a short-sea RoPAX cargo network across four routes connecting Norway with Germany, Denmark, and Sweden, moving trailers, containers, project cargo, and vehicles for B2B shippers alongside AEO-certified customs clearance and digital documentation services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Freight Transportation

NAICS

Marine Cargo Handling (48832), Deep Sea Freight Transportation (483111)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400), Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro primary industry

High & Heavy / Project Ro-Ro Handling (Construction, Mining & Oversize Equipment) (TLAHACAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Customs Brokerage for Ocean Shipments (Import/Export Clearance) (TLACABAG), Terminal Cargo Handling & Yard Operations (Receiving, Staging, Delivery) (TLAHALAB), Oversized/Out-of-Gauge Specialized Cargo Forwarding (OOG) (TLACAJAG)

Keywords

• Short sea shipping
• Ro-ro cargo ferry
• Freight forwarding
• Customs clearance services
• Maritime cargo transport

Headquarters

HQ city

Oslo

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Freight Transportation Services: Core revenue from short sea shipping and terminal services across four main routes: Kiel-Oslo, Hirtshals-Kristiansand, Hirtshals-Larvik, and Strömstad-Sandefjord. Revenue earned on receipt of goods with non-returnable freight charges.
2. Surcharges and Fees: Additional charges including BAF (Bunker Adjustment Factor), EU ETS fees, harbour fees, and surcharges for extraordinary units (oversized/heavy cargo). Pricing in NOK and EUR with monthly adjustments based on fuel costs and exchange rates.
3. Customs Clearance Services: Comprehensive customs clearance services including Danish clearance, Norwegian clearance, EU clearance, NCTS transit documents, temporary storage declarations, and consultancy services for tariff classification and customs regulations.
4. Extraordinary Unit Premium Pricing: Additional charges for oversized and heavy cargo including width surcharges (25-100% for widths 2.61-4.25m) and heavy weight surcharge (+100% for units above 60 metric tons). Sea freight rates for agricultural and industrial machinery provided on request.
5. After-Hours Pickup Services: Fee-based pickup service outside normal operating hours at Oslo terminal. Units placed outside fenced area for a fee with confirmation required before 15:30.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Color Line Cargo Danmark (Color Line Danmark A/S) operates short sea Roll-on/Roll-off cargo shipping across four Scandinavian routes: Kiel-Oslo, Hirtshals-Kristiansand, Hirtshals-Larvik, and Strömstad-Sandefjord. The company transports trailers, containers, project cargo, high-and-heavy equipment, dangerous goods, and vehicles using RoPAX vessels, and provides integrated terminal handling and AEO-certified customs clearance services at all ports.

Product overview

Color Line Cargo operates a maritime shipping network across four routes connecting Norway with Germany, Denmark, and Sweden, using vessels including Color Fantasy, Color Magic, SuperSpeed 1, SuperSpeed 2, and Color Hybrid. The company provides comprehensive cargo transport services handling diverse cargo types: trailers, project cargo, high and heavy equipment, containers, chemicals and dangerous goods, and automotive vehicles. Supporting the core shipping operations, Color Line Cargo offers integrated logistics services including customs clearance (Danish, Norwegian, EU), B2B digital interaction solutions, and Digitoll compliance. Additional services encompass fee management through BAF adjustments and EU ETS surcharges, exchange rate services, claims handling, and after-hours pickup options. The company maintains AEO certification for customs simplifications and provides terminal services with equipment including reachstackers and MAFIs across all ports.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kiel-Oslo Route
• Hirtshals-Kristiansand Route
• Hirtshals-Larvik Route
• Strömstad-Sandefjord Route (Color Hybrid)
• Trailers Transport Service
• Project Cargo Service
• High and Heavy Transport
• Containers Transport Service
• Chemicals and Dangerous Goods Service
• Automotive Transport Service
• Customs Clearance Service
• Freight Forwarding and Booking Service

Quantifiable outcome

• 45% reduction in CO2 emissions since 2000
• +3 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Nordic Association of Freight Forwarders (NSAB)coreOthersColor Line is a member of NSAB 2015 which limits freight forwarder's liability for loss/damage to SDR 8.33 per kilo, delay to freight amount, and SDR 100,000 for other losses. As contracting party, NSAB terms apply to all services.
• Danish Freight Forwarders Association (Danske Shipping- og Havnevirksomheder)coreOthersFreight forwarding services are subject to DSHAB 2024 General Conditions. Color Line is a member of the Danish Freight Forwarders Association, ensuring compliance with industry standards.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• DFDS: DFDS is the largest Northern European ferry and logistics operator, with extensive short-sea RoRo routes connecting Scandinavia, the Baltic, and continental Europe. It directly competes with Color Line Cargo on overlapping Scandinavia routes and shares the same RoPAX operational model with integrated freight and customs services.
• Stena Line: Stena Line operates one of the world's largest ferry networks, with significant RoPAX routes between Scandinavia, Germany, the UK, and Ireland. It competes head-to-head with Color Line on Scandinavia-Northern Europe corridors and offers similar trailer and freight forwarding capabilities.
• Scandlines: Scandlines operates ferry services primarily on routes between Denmark, Germany, and Sweden, directly overlapping with Color Line's Hirtshals-based network. It serves freight customers with similar RoRo trailer and accompanied cargo services on competing crossings.
• Finnlines: Finnlines, part of the Grimaldi Group, operates RoRo and RoPax services in the Baltic Sea and North Sea with routes connecting Finland, Sweden, Germany, and Poland. It is a direct competitor for Scandinavia-EU freight flows, especially for trailer and project cargo.

Emerging players

• UECC (United European Car Carriers): UECC operates pure car and truck carriers (PCTC) in European short-sea trades, including Baltic and North Sea routes. It competes with Color Line for automotive and high-and-heavy cargo on intra-European routes and is investing in LNG/hybrid vessel technology.

Others

• DB Schenker: DB Schenker is a global logistics provider with strong European land transport, intermodal, and customs capabilities. It is an indirect competitor that can offer Scandinavia-EU alternatives via rail and road intermodal, potentially diverting freight from Color Line's Kiel rail-connected RoRo network.
• Kuehne+Nagel: Kuehne+Nagel is one of the world's largest freight forwarders, providing customs brokerage, ocean freight, and overland logistics. While not a direct ferry competitor, it competes for the same Scandinavia-EU shipper wallet share on forwarding and customs services.

Broad incumbents

• CMA CGM: CMA CGM is one of the world's largest container shipping groups with growing RoRo and short-sea capabilities through subsidiaries. It is a broad competitor for the European freight market and competes for the same shipper customers on Scandinavian import/export flows.
• Höegh Autoliners: Höegh Autoliners is a global RoRo car and rolling equipment carrier. It serves the same automotive export customer base as Color Line's Kiel-Oslo new-car service but with global deep-sea reach rather than short-sea specialization.
• Wallenius Wilhelmsen: Wallenius Wilhelmsen is a global RoRo shipping leader specializing in vehicles, high-and-heavy equipment, and breakbulk. It overlaps with Color Line's automotive and project cargo segments but operates on deep-sea global routes rather than short-sea Scandinavia corridors.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/color-line-cargo-danmark

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Color Line Cargo Danmark