New location for food logistics: DACHSER expands its logistics center in Freiburg
New building in Breisgau industrial park celebrates topping-out ceremony
DACHSER is creating a new location for food logistics in southwest Germany. To this end, it is expanding its existing logistics center for industrial and consumer goods in the Breisgau industrial park near Freiburg. Construction of the new transit terminal, which will be cooled to 2 to 7 degrees Celsius, began in early August 2025, with the terminal scheduled to go into operation in June 2026.
On December 5, the construction site in the Breisgau industrial park celebrated its topping-out ceremony. Michael Gaudlitz, General Manager of DACHSER’s Freiburg logistics center, is pleased about the expansion of business activities there, in which DACHSER is investing EUR 12 million. “We’re launching DACHSER Food Logistics at the Freiburg location while also creating more space for the transport and storage of industrial goods. This will strengthen our market position and set standards in the region for efficiency, sustainability, and the network in Europe,” he said at the ceremony. The Freiburg logistics center currently employs 190 people, including 30 apprentices, and the expansion is expected to create 40 additional jobs.
The extension is being built directly next to the existing transit terminal and is structurally connected to it. A new refrigerated hall will be built, creating 3,200 m2 for food handling, and the facility will have 32 gates for loading and unloading trucks. At the same time, more space is being created for the handling of industrial goods. This part of the new building has an area of 2,700 m2 and 8 gates for trucks. Part of the new space can also be used as a warehouse for storing customer goods if needed.
We’re launching DACHSER Food Logistics at the Freiburg location while also creating more space for the transport and storage of industrial goods.
Michael Gaudlitz, General Manager of DACHSER’s Freiburg logistics centerThe new building will feature a photovoltaic system providing approx. 500 kWp. Together with the PV system on the existing building, the site will be able to produce almost 1 MWp of electricity in the future. As part of the construction work, 20 charge spots for electric trucks are to be installed, bringing the total number of charge spots at the Freiburg logistics center to 32. A new parking lot is also being built on the site, with space for 125 trucks as well as sanitary facilities.
Food logistics joins the portfolio
With the new building, DACHSER’s Freiburg logistics center is expanding its service portfolio and adding the Food Logistics business line, which offers industry-specific logistics solutions for chilled and non-chilled food. Within Europe, DACHSER transports primarily meat and sausage products, dairy products, wine and spirits, baked goods and confectionery, convenience products, as well as specialty foods and foodstuffs, serving retailers, restaurants, wholesalers, and processing companies in the food industry.
Stefan Behrendt, Managing Director Food Logistics at DACHSER, says: “In the Freiburg logistics center’s cross-border catchment area, we see great demand for our services in the food sector, as well as considerable potential for development. The region boasts a large number of producers of high-quality food, wines, and spirits, and the retail sector is strong, too. We want to position ourselves as a reliable and quality-conscious partner for all food logistics requirements.”
In the Freiburg logistics center’s cross-border catchment area, we see great demand for our services in the food sector, as well as considerable potential for development.
Stefan Behrendt, Managing Director Food Logistics at DACHSERDACHSER opened its first Freiburg branch in 1984. Due to its proximity to several national borders, the city was the ideal location for a logistics hub to handle groupage transports to Switzerland, France, and southwestern Germany. Once the first branch in Freiburg-Hochdorf reached its capacity limits, the current logistics center was put into operation in the Breisgau industrial park near Freiburg in 2019. DACHSER has been investing steadily in the future here ever since.
Along with Hamburg and Malsch near Karlsruhe, Freiburg is an “e-mobility location” in the DACHSER network. These locations focus on testing and researching various aspects of electromobility: zero-emission technologies as well as intelligent power and load management for battery-electric shuttle and regular scheduled services with semi-trailer trucks and swap bodies. They are also involved in setting up a correspondingly efficient charging infrastructure.
Since the end of 2024, DACHSER has been serving the entire city of Freiburg exclusively with e-trucks and cargo bikes. The site currently operates a total of eleven e-trucks and one electric yard vehicle. To provide the necessary charging infrastructure, the company has invested in charging stations, a PV system on the existing transit terminal, a new transformer station, and battery storage.
