Two successful European logistics companies are joining forces: the integration of Universal Transport into Gruber Logistics will create a new European market leader in heavy- and specialized transport. The aim is to become a leading player in the overall logistics market in Europe in the coming years.

A major European alliance in the logistics sector has been sealed: the traditional company Gruber Logistics from South Tyrol and the long-standing successful Universal Transport from North Rhine-Westphalia  have decided on a joint path for the future. After final examination and approval by the antitrust authorities in Germany, the official closing of the partnership took place yesterday, September 19. The incorporation of the two successful companies by way of an integration of Universal Transport into Gruber Logistics is the next step on a major path of internationalization and growth. The existing management teams of both companies will be brought together and will work in the future as a four-man management board to drive Gruber Logistics forward on its way to becoming one of Europe’s leading logistics players.

“We are building a new European champion. The alliance with Universal Transport is a key step. And I don’t just mean that in terms of economic figures. The alliance will make the services offered by both companies even better and more comprehensive for our customers. Both companies and their employees stand for top quality and reliability and will continue to guarantee this on the highest level. The additional capacities and expanded regional availability are important steps in our European growth strategy. Germany is the central logistics market in Europe. From here we are ready to grow further and drive acquisitions throughout Europe,” says Gruber Logistics CEO Martin Gruber.

Holger Dechant, CEO of Universal Transport, adds: “We were re-thinking our long-term strategy and we found in joining Gruber Logistics a great opportunity for our company and employees. It is a partner who shares our quality standards, reliability and values. Moreover, with Gruber Logistics, we can expand our service portfolio including general cargo, parcel loads and logistics services. The entire Universal Transport team is looking forward to joining this international success story”.

With around 2,200 employees and total sales of around 650 million euros of transport and logistics activities, Gruber Logistics will take over the position of the European market leader in the field of heavy- and specialized transport after the integration. It is also aiming for a leading position in Europe in the general logistics market over the next years. In recent years, Gruber Logistics has already recorded an annual increase in sales of around 30 percent and has therefore significantly outperformed the European market as a whole. This path is now set to accelerate even further in the coming years.

For customers of both companies, the new alliance will enable an even more attractive offer and at the same time holistic range of services, as well as a bundle of know-how of the two successful providers, and thus expand them. The highly specialized employees guarantee maximum precision, as well as a further increase in the level of service thanks to greater proximity and faster response times. Indeed, the new alliance can count on a capillarity presence in Europe and abroad. It represents also a concrete answer to the crisis of transport capacity in Europe for the lack of drivers since Gruber Logistics can now count on almost 700 trucks being one of the most relevant fleet in Europe.

The aggregation is also seen as the best way to tackle the European challenges in the field of logistics such as digitalization and sustainability, where Gruber Logistics is already a pioneer being involved in some of the most relevant projects for prototyping the next generation of electric and hydrogen vehicles.
Especially in turbulent times, the reliability that already characterises both companies is not only a key factor for customers, but also for employees – the new alliance will thus establish an even more stable foundation.