List of the 400 largest logistics companies Germany [2023 Update]

List of the 5 largest logistics companies in Germany

Logistics companies are active in the fields of freight forwarding, transport, warehousing, handling and packaging. They form one of the most important branches of the German economy. In 2019, the logistics sector achieved a turnover of around 279 billion euros. These are the 5 largest German logistics companies:

1. Deutsche Post AG, Bonn

Deutsche Post was created from 1995 onwards in the course of the privatisation of the former Deutsche Bundespost. With almost 547,000 employees, it is one of the largest employers in the country. The logistics business is conducted almost exclusively under the DHL brand. This is represented on the one hand by the DHL Global Forwarding/Freight Group Division, which employs around 41,000 people worldwide. It offers global transportation of goods by rail, road, air and sea. On the other hand, the DHL Supply Chain division deals with contract logistics. It has about 146,000 employees worldwide.

Update 2022: With its new “GoGreen Plus” service, the company ensures complete avoidance of CO2 emissions in mail delivery and thus becomes even more climate-friendly. In concrete terms, this is made possible by investments in e-mobility, a biogas truck fleet or heat pumps in the sorting centers.

2. Schenker Aktiengesellschaft, Essen

Schenker was already founded in 1875 as a freight forwarding company in Vienna. In 1931 the company was taken over by the Deutsche Reichsbahn. Today Schenker is a 100% subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn. The company stands for non-rail freight transport by rail. The company’s activities cover the 3 business areas of European land transport, sea and air freight and contract logistics. Transports are carried out on a global scale. Schenker employs more than 76,000 people worldwide, of which slightly more than 17,000 work in Germany.

Update 2023: Deutsche Bahn’s logistics subsidiary is to be prepared for a sale and spin-off from the parent company. Deutsche Bahn is currently examining the options for a sale and working to make the company even more attractive to potential investors.

3. Dachser Group SE & Co. KG, Kempten

The Dachser story began in 1930 with the transport of Allgäu cheese to the Rhineland. The company founded by Thomas Dachser is still family-owned. Dachser offers transport and forwarding services in three business segments: European logistics, air & sea freight and food logistics. Contract logistics is a further area of activity. In addition, Dachser Chem-Logistics (chemicals transport) and Dachser DIY-Logistics (transport for specialist markets) offer special industry solutions. Dachser has almost 400 locations and 31,000 employees worldwide.

4. HAVI Logistics GmbH, Duisburg

HAVI Logistics GmbH in Duisburg is a subsidiary of the American group HAVI Logistics. The company grew up as a food supplier for McDonalds. Food transports also form the business model of the German HAVI Logistics subsidiary. The German company was already founded in 1981 – albeit under a different name. McDonalds is still an important HAVI Logistics customer today. In addition, the company also supplies other restaurant chains and convenience food suppliers – including Kentucky Fried Chicken, IKEA, Nordsee, Pizza Hut and Subway.

5: Kuehne + Nagel (AG & Co.) KG, Bremen

Kuehne + Nagel started out in 1890 as Bremen’s “forwarding and commission business”. In 1969, the head office was moved to Switzerland, and in 1976 the company’s head office was also relocated. Kuehne + Nagel International AG is based in Feusisberg in the canton of Schwyz. The German subsidiary Kuehne + Nagel (AG & Co.) KG is still located in its original location in Bremen. Kuehne + Nagel Germany employs approximately 15,000 people at over 130 locations. The company provides global forwarding services in the fields of sea and air freight, contract logistics and overland transportation.

This information is included in the list

• Company name
• General contact data (address, e-mail address, telephone number, URL)
• Serial letter suitable for addressing the management (e.g. “Sehr geehrter Herr Dr. Müller”)
• Name of the management
• Sales figures for the years 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 and 2015 as well as employee figures for the years 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018 (taken from the annual and consolidated financial statements)
• Field of activity

Note: If the sales and employee figures are not included in a company’s own financial statements but in the parent company’s consolidated financial statements, the data from the respective consolidated financial statements are provided.

Picture source: Marcin Jozwiak via Unsplash (29.06.2023)

Logistics sectors covered by the database

• Transport logistics (truck transport, ship transport, air transport): e.g. Schenker Deutschland AG
• Warehouse logistics (warehousing, warehouse management, contract logistics, e-commerce logistics): e.g. Hellmann Worldwide Logistics SE & Co. KG
• Project logistics (industrial construction and major projects, heavy lift shipments): e.g. Panalpina Welttransport Deutschland GmbH
• Industrial logistics (logistics partner of industry in Germany, Europe and worldwide): e.g. Rhenus Logistics SE & Co. KG
• Pharma logistics (specialized logistics companies for the pharmaceutical industry): e.g. transmed Transport GmbH
• Food logistics (specialized logistics companies for the food industry): e.g. Dachser SE
• Port logistics (port operators, container terminal operators, seaport logistics): e.g. Hamburger Hafen und Logistik Aktiengesellschaft
• Dangerous-goods logistics (logistics for different classes of dangerous goods): e.g. Emons Spedition GmbH
• Moving logistics (private move, project move, company move, office move): e.g. Hartmann International GmbH & Co. KG
  etc.

Logistics players: Transportation logistics, Project logistics and more

The ResearchGermany database of the German logistics industry covers all segments (transport logistics, warehouse logistics, project logistics, etc.) throughout the Federal Republic. Thanks to the extensive data set, we are able to publish interesting statistics. In the following, we present the distribution of the logistics companies from our list by state and city in clear graphs. On request we are also able to prepare individual evaluations.

Distribution of the headquarters by federal state

The geographical distribution of the largest logistics companies in Germany by federal state shows that the number of logistics companies in a region is closely linked to the general economic performance. The economically strong states of Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia and Baden-Württemberg thus have the highest number of companies.

Distribution of the headquarters by city

The distribution of the largest logistics companies by city reveals interesting insights into the industry. Hamburg and Bremen attract many logistics companies because of their ports, while Frankfurt scores with the largest German airport. The Hessian city of Kassel, which benefits from its central location in Germany, also appears far ahead.

The German logistics industry: Statistics and facts

Logistics is a diversified branch of the economy, covering a wide range of industries. Logistics services deal with the transport, storage, handling, commissioning, sorting, packing and distribution of goods. In a broader sense, commercial passenger transport is also included.

Across all industries, logistics generated revenues of 279 billion euros in 2019. The German logistics industry thus accounts for around a quarter of the European logistics market, which is due to Germany’s economic importance, geographical location and good locational conditions. Around three million people work in the logistics sector, making it the largest German economic sector after the automotive industry and trade.

Some 60,000 companies are active in the logistics services sector. Most of them are small and medium-sized companies. Only about half of the turnover is generated with transportation, the other half with warehouse management, logistics planning, consulting and control. In recent years, the logistics industry has benefited greatly from the increasing online trade. Increased online shopping has fueled growth, while another growth driver is the ever-increasing international division of labor, which has made more transportation necessary.

The largest German logistics company is Deutsche Post DHL, followed by Deutsche Bahn (DB Cargo and DB Schenker), Dachser, Kühne + Nagel and Rhenus. Strong logistics regions in Germany are Munich, Berlin, Hamburg, Halle/Leipzig, Lower Bavaria, the Rhine-Ruhr region, the Rhine-Main area and Stuttgart.

Picture source: frank mckenna via Unsplash (29.06.2023)