DACHSER grows despite economic headwinds
European Logistics gains market share; Food Logistics continues to expand; Falling rates impact air and sea freight revenue, Investments of some EUR 350 million planned for 2026
Logistics provider DACHSER increased its revenue to around EUR 8.3 billion in the 2025 financial year. This is 3.1 percent higher than the previous year and sets a new record for the company. The tonnage transported rose to 46.7 million metric tons (+5.8 percent), while the number of shipments increased to 86.2 million (+3.6 percent).
“In 2025, the economic environment we had to operate in remained difficult. While European core markets stagnated and grappled with high cost and competitive pressure, US tariff policy created additional uncertainty in global trade,” says Burkhard Eling, DACHSER CEO. “The fact that we were able to grow organically under these conditions and even gain market share in overland transport proves the strength and resilience of our business model, which is based on integration, quality, and innovation.”
DACHSER’s focus was on the rapid integration of its recent acquisitions, particularly in Italy (DACHSER & FERCAM Italia), southern Germany and Austria (Brummer), and the Nordic countries (Frigoscandia). All three contributed fully to Group revenue for the first time in 2025. Excluding these acquisitions, DACHSER would have grown by just 0.3 percent compared to the previous year.
The fact that we were able to grow organically under these conditions and even gain market share in overland transport proves the strength and resilience of our business model.
Burkhard Eling, DACHSER CEOContinuing its investment policy of recent years, in 2025 DACHSER invested some EUR 325 million in expanding its network, in its employees, and in digitalization and climate action. “We’re staying the course of continuously investing in our network,” Eling says. “Especially in challenging times, it’s more important than ever to steadfastly maintain our strategic course and continue to pursue our mission of becoming the most integrated logistics provider worldwide.”
For 2026, the company is planning to increase its investments to over EUR 350 million with a view to strengthening its competitive position in the long term.
Business development in detail
DACHSER’s Road Logistics business field—which comprises the transport and warehousing of industrial and consumer goods (European Logistics) and food (Food Logistics)—increased its revenue by around 7 percent last year to EUR 6.9 billion. Shipments handled rose by 3.7 percent and tonnage grew 6.2 percent.
Revenue in the European Logistics business line broke EUR 5 billion for the first time to reach EUR 5.1 billion. DACHSER grew here by 5.9 percent compared to the previous year. Developments in food logistics were particularly positive. Boosted by recent acquisitions, DACHSER increased its revenue in the Food Logistics business line by 10.1 percent to over EUR 1.8 billion. “Our growth strategy in food logistics is bearing fruit,” Eling says. “By integrating our acquisitions, we’ve nearly doubled our revenue in just five years and attained a new European level.”
In 2025, the defining factor in the Air & Sea Logistics business field was a sharp decline in sea freight rates, particularly on the main route from Asia to Europe, together with a slight drop in air freight rates. After a good start, the market cooled off, partly thanks to US tariffs. Revenue fell by 12.6 percent to some EUR 1.4 billion, after having grown by 22 percent from 2023 to 2024. “We’re familiar with this market volatility in air and sea freight, and we know how to handle it,” Eling says. “We see the growing importance of globally integrated end-to-end services. For our customers, we systematically link European overland transport with air and sea freight to create seamless and resilient supply chains.”
In Contract Logistics, which combines transport, warehousing, and customer-specific value-added services, DACHSER has grown strongly in recent years. In 2025, the logistics provider added space for roughly another 240,000 pallets at its 174 warehouse locations worldwide. This brought the logistics provider’s total storage capacity for industrial goods and food to over four million pallet spaces for the first time.
DACHSER’s overall workforce grew in 2025 by around 200 people to a total of approximately 37,500 worldwide.
Our growth strategy in food logistics is bearing fruit. By integrating our acquisitions, we’ve nearly doubled our revenue in just five years and attained a new European level.
Burkhard Eling, DACHSER CEODACHSER expects market conditions to remain complex and volatile in the current year. “The hostilities in the Middle East are reducing air and sea freight capacity, particularly on the route from Asia to Europe, while the high price of fuel is making transport services even more expensive and putting the European transport market under considerable pressure,” Eling says. “Our operational teams tackle these challenges with a high level of professionalism, always with the aim of finding the best solutions for our customers and also supporting our transport partners. In line with this maxim, we will continue on our strategic path in 2026—with reliability and consistency.”
