What Windhorst Transport B.V. does

Windhorst Transport B.V. is a privately held Dutch logistics company founded in 1992 and headquartered in Hazerswoude, Netherlands, operating two service divisions: Windhorst Transport B.V. for domestic groupage and full-truckload transport across the Benelux and Germany's Ruhr area, and wholly-owned subsidiary Windhorst Ferry B.V. for ferry transport of bulbs, nursery products, and general cargo from the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany to the United Kingdom and Ireland. The company serves enterprise and mid-market shippers across three primary verticals — horticulture and nursery (trees, plants, bulbs), food industry, and general trading companies — with deep specialization in post-Brexit UK/Ireland corridors and phytosanitary documentation.

The operating model combines own-fleet transport and warehousing with a vetted partner-carrier network in the UK and Ireland that hauls Windhorst-owned trailers, enabling daily ferry lanes without proportional fixed-asset expansion. Underlying technology is a conventional logistics stack: a Transport Management System (TMS) with a customer self-service portal, a Warehouse Management System (WMS) portal, and EDI integration for electronic order and document interchange with customers; data exchange also supports PDF, CSV, and Spatial Data File formats over FTP or email. The company holds stacked regulatory certifications — AEO-C, AEO-S, FSSC 22000 (GFSI-accepted), and SKAL — which are required for serving food-safety and organic-goods customers.

Windhorst monetizes through quote-based, transaction-priced transport, warehousing, and customs/documentation service fees, supplemented by a free Logistieke Efficiency Scan used as a top-of-funnel lead generation tool. The company is family-controlled (Maaskant family in warehouse, finance, and business control roles) with no disclosed external capital, and in February 2026 relocated to a new, larger headquarters to accommodate continued growth.

Name

Windhorst Transport B.V.

Legal name

Windhorst Transport B.V.

Website

https://windhorst.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Windhorst Transport B.V. is a privately held Dutch logistics provider founded in 1992, specializing in road and ferry transport (especially to the UK and Ireland) of nursery products, food, and general cargo for enterprise shippers across the Benelux, Germany, and Ireland, supported by warehousing, customs documentation, and EDI-integrated TMS and WMS portals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Logistics Services

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510), Freight Transportation Arrangement (48851), Support Activities for Transportation (488)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Dry Van (General Freight) TL Carriers (TLADADAA)

Keywords

• Road freight transport
• Ferry transport services
• Warehousing logistics
• Customs clearance services
• Freight forwarding

Headquarters

HQ city

Hazerswoude-rijndijk

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Transport Services: Core revenue stream from road transport services including domestic transport in Benelux and Germany, ferry transport to UK and Ireland, and international forwarding. Revenue generated through freight charges based on distance, volume, and type of goods transported.
2. Warehousing & Logistics Services: Storage, handling, and value-added logistics services including fulfilment, order picking, and inventory management. Revenue generated through storage fees and per-handling activity charges.
3. Customs & Documentation Services: Assistance with export declarations, customs clearance, and phytosanitary certificates. Revenue generated through service fees for documentation handling.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Windhorst Transport B.V. is a Dutch logistics company offering an integrated portfolio of transport, warehousing, freight forwarding, and customs services. Its core business is domestic road transport in the Benelux and Germany (Windhorst Transport B.V.) and ferry transport to the UK and Ireland (Windhorst Ferry B.V.), with specialization in nursery products, food-grade goods, and general cargo. The company also provides warehousing with order picking and fulfilment, plus customs and documentation services for post-Brexit UK/Ireland trade.

Product overview

Windhorst Transport B.V. operates as a logistics service provider offering a comprehensive suite of services under two main divisions: Windhorst Transport B.V. (domestic Benelux/Ruhr transport) and Windhorst Ferry B.V. (international ferry transport to UK & Ireland). The portfolio includes transport, warehousing, freight forwarding/expedition, and a consulting-style Logistieke Efficiency Scan. Customer-facing digital tools include TMS and WMS portals for self-service document and inventory management. The company specializes in high-care sectors including food, nursery products, trees, plants, and flower bulbs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Windhorst Transport B.V. (Domestic Transport) Domestic transport division specializing in groupage shipments and full truckloads within the Benelux and the Ruhr area of Germany, with focus on food products and general goods.
• Windhorst Ferry B.V. (Ferry Transport) Ferry transport division specializing in transport of flower bulbs, nursery products, and general cargo from the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium to the United Kingdom and Ireland, providing both groupage and full loads.
• Warehousing Storage and value-added logistics services for food-related goods, including order picking, fulfilment, and processing.
• Logistics / Expeditie (Freight Forwarding) International freight forwarding services providing a single point of contact for all logistics needs, utilizing an international network of partners.
• Logistieke Efficiency Scan Consulting service to analyze logistics processes and identify opportunities for cost savings and efficiency improvements.
• Transport UK & Ierland Specialized transport services to England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Ireland including tree transport, plant transport, flower bulb transport, and food transport.

Quantifiable outcome

• Responds to quote requests within 2 hours
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Partner Carriers (UK & Ireland)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWindhorst works with a select group of vetted carrier companies in the UK and Ireland for ferry transport operations. These partners use their own tractor units for trailer haulage, maintaining the same quality standards as Windhorst. Planners continuously monitor and control these partner operations to ensure customer agreements are fulfilled.
• Denholm Port Services LtdminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerUK customs broker listed as recommended partner for customs clearance services. Located in Southampton (2-5 Canute road, SO14 3FR Southampton).
• Aerona Air & SeaminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerUK customs broker recommended for import clearance services. Located in Oldham (Safestore House, 189 Manchester Road, Oldham OL8 4PS).
• Uniserve GroupminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerUK logistics provider recommended for customs clearance. Located in Tilbury (London Mega Terminal, Thurrock Park Way, Tilbury Essex RM18 7HD).
• Yorkshire Shipping LtdminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerUK customs broker recommended for import procedures. Located in Hull (Lindsay House, 15 Springfield Way, Anlaby Hull, HU10 6RJ).
• NaktuinbouwcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch inspection service for phytosanitary certificates required for plant and tree exports to UK. Windhorst assists customers in obtaining these certificates through their expertise.
• Dutch Customs (Douane)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWindhorst collaborates with Dutch customs for export declarations and customs clearance as an AEO-certified operator, benefiting from streamlined procedures.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• DFDS: Large Nordic ferry and logistics group with significant Benelux–UK/Ireland trailer-on-ferry and contract logistics operations. A broad incumbent competing for the same shipper wallet as Windhorst at much greater scale.
• Kuehne+Nagel: Global freight forwarder with deep UK trade lane expertise and road freight capability. Represents the broad-incumbent alternative that Windhorst's mid-market shippers might otherwise default to.
• Rhenus Logistics: European road, freight forwarding and contract logistics provider with strong Benelux/Germany and UK trade capabilities. A broad incumbent peer competing for cross-border road freight and 3PL spend.

Direct peers

• Samskip: Dutch-headquartered multimodal logistics provider with extensive shortsea/ferry connections between the Netherlands, UK, Ireland and Iceland. Closely comparable geographic and product overlap with Windhorst's Benelux–UK/Ireland offering.
• P&O Ferrymasters: DP World subsidiary offering pan-European trailer-on-ferry and road transport, with strong UK/Ireland shortsea capacity. Directly comparable to Windhorst Ferry B.V.'s UK/Ireland trailer-on-ferry model and a much larger scale competitor.
• Nunner Logistics: Benelux-based logistics provider with road freight, forwarding and contract logistics services across Europe. Comparable mid-market Dutch logistics profile and customer mix.
• Van Uden Group: Dutch transport, warehousing and freight forwarding group with international forwarding and contract logistics. Comparable one-stop-shop mid-market positioning against Windhorst's integrated offering.
• De Groot Transport Group: Dutch mid-market road transport and logistics group serving Benelux and Germany with cross-border capability. Comparable SME profile and direct overlap on domestic Benelux and Benelux–Germany road freight.
• Daily Transport Group: Dutch transport and logistics group offering Benelux road freight and UK/Ireland cross-border services. Closely matches Windhorst's mid-market direct-sales model and lane mix.
• W. van der Werff: Dutch family-owned transport and ferry operator historically focused on Netherlands–UK trailer flows. Highly comparable in scale, family-ownership profile, and lane specialization to Windhorst.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

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 Windhorst Transport B.V.