The international transport and logistics company Gebrüder Weiss closed the 2024 fiscal year with net revenues of 2.71 billion euros, representing a ten-percent gain over the previous year (2023: 2.46 billion euros). “We’re firmly on track: Despite geopolitical and economic tensions, we gained market share and grew, countering the overriding trend. By investing in our network, automation and digital innovation, we succeeded in expanding our range of services and developing the transport solutions our customers need – with the explicit aim of guaranteeing supply chain stability,” says Wolfram Senger-Weiss, CEO of Gebrüder Weiss.

In the Air & Sea sector, the group reported the highest increase in revenue with 939 million euros, a gain of 21 percent (2023: 776 million euros). This growth was powered by various factors, including the expansion of the networks in the United States and Germany, alongside high transport volumes in transpacific trade. Rising sea freight rates for exports from China to Europe provided an additional boost. Attacks in the Red Sea forced container ships to take the longer route around the Cape of Good Hope (South Africa) instead of through the Suez Canal.

Revenues in the Land Transport and Logistics segment rose by five percent to 1.52 billion euros (2023: 1.45 billion euros). This figure includes sales generated by the Home Delivery service. Cargoes such as refrigerators and furniture are transported to end customers in Austria and several eastern European countries implementing a two-man handling service.
DPD Austria, which is partly owned by the Gebrüder Weiss parcel service, processed more than 62.3 million parcels last year. This translates into an increase of one million parcels compared to 2023. The main growth drivers were exports and private consumers.

The company's equity ratio remained steady at 60 percent, positioning Gebrüder Weiss as a crisis-resistant service provider and dependable employer. The workforce across the group’s 180 locations worldwide rose slightly to 8,700 (2023: 8,600).

Despite the economically challenging environment, the logistics provider adhered to its investment strategy. During the fiscal year ended, a total of 124 million euros were devoted to expansion and modernization measures, environmentally friendly power generation and e-mobility.

Investments in logistics locations, automation and digitalization

Gebrüder Weiss commenced construction of a modern logistics and IT center featuring a fully automated high-bay warehouse – in the immediate vicinity of its corporate headquarters and the Wolfurt freight terminal (Vorarlberg/Austria). A new logistics facility was opened in the southern German town of Straubing, providing Bavaria’s industrial and commercial players with efficient transport links to national and global markets. Gebrüder Weiss also expanded its locations in Maria Saal (Austria), Aldingen (Germany), Bratislava (Slovakia) and Tbilisi (Georgia). In Budapest (Hungary), an Autostore warehouse was built as part of the site expansion program; here inbound cargo handling, material flows and order picking are largely automated. The U.S. business is growing, with the logistics specialist acquiring the air-and-sea freight forwarder Cargo Link from Salt Lake City, Utah. Together with the recently opened branch in Phoenix, Arizona, the network in North America now encompasses 17 company-owned locations.

Gebrüder Weiss has also charted further progress with its digital service palette: the number of customer-based users registering for the myGW portal has risen to 25,000 since its launch in 2020. The platform provides real-time information on all goods flows and gives customers full transparency on the progress of their orders. In 2024, the application’s functions were progressively fine-tuned to better meet costumer’s needs.  

Expanding renewable energy and e-mobility

The company took important steps towards decarbonization and climate-friendly power generation. Additional photovoltaic (PV) systems were installed in Hungary and Slovakia. Gebrüder Weiss now operates 34 PV systems, which generated some 13,000 megawatt hours of electricity during the fiscal year ended. This equals roughly half of the power requirements of all Gebrüder Weiss locations worldwide. The increased use of solar energy has led to overall savings of 2,738 metric tons of CO₂.

To further reduce CO₂ emissions on a sustainable basis, Gebrüder Weiss is also reorganizing its own fleet and progressively deploying vehicles with electric drives. In Austria, Hungary, Croatia and Romania, the logistics company is already utilizing e-transporters to deliver goods ordered online to private households. In Germany, two electric trucks were introduced in 2024, and a further 13 will follow in Austria this year. As an initial step, the logistics provider has already converted a large part of its truck fleet in Austria to hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO), which can potentially reduce CO₂ emissions by some 90 percent (compared to diesel fuel).

Wolfram Senger-Weiss explains: “Along with the issues of sustainability, infrastructure and digitalization, the logistics industry faces numerous other hurdles this year. The persistently weak economy in Europe, new tariffs, and the crisis in the automotive industry are intensifying the competition for many companies. Gebrüder Weiss will continue to meet these challenges with a solution- and technology-oriented approach while aligning its general business strategy to the needs of its customers.”

By taking over the Cargoline location of amm logistics GmbH, the international logistics company Gebrüder Weiss consolidates its position in Upper Franconia, thus strengthening its land transport network in Southern Germany. The 180 employees will be retained, the logistics locations in Schwarzenbach / Saale and Selb will be continued. The takeover will take place at the beginning of 2024, subject to approval by the antitrust authorities.

Following the recent takeover of the Wedlich logistics company in Bayreuth, Gebrüder Weiss announces the next acquisition in Upper Franconia / Germany: with effect from the beginning of 2024, the logistics provider will take over the Konradsreuth location from the forwarding company Amm, which is going to operate under the Gebrüder Weiss brand in future. The location near Hof will be continued in its current structure as part of the German general cargo cooperations Cargoline and NG.network, and will be connected to the network of the international logistics provider. The family business headquartered in Lauterach, Vorarlberg/Austria, will take over the 180 employees working at the location. The takeover is subject to approval by the antitrust authorities. The activities of the Amm forwarding company in the Nuremberg region will not be affected by this acquisition.

With its history of more than 500 years, Gebrüder Weiss is considered the oldest transport company of the world. Apart from land transports, the company’s services also include air and sea freight transports as well as logistics solutions, which Gebrüder Weiss offers at 180 locations all over the world. It is the trade and industry sectors in the region, in particular, that are meant to benefit from this international presence and experience, according to Wolfram Senger-Weiss, Chief Executive Officer of Gebrüder Weiss. With annual revenues of three billion euros, Gebrüder Weiss does not count among the top players of the industry, “but among the medium-sized ones,” as Senger-Weiss emphasizes. With this positioning, Gebrüder Weiss intends to present a deliberate alternative to industry giants. “We are closer to our customers and employees, but can still offer a company-owned global network. In Germany, we are pursuing a clear growth strategy. Konradsreuth is going to play a central role within our national and international land transport network.”

The region of Upper Franconia is an important industry location and an ideal transshipment point for land transports between Eastern Europe and Southern Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Moreover, the Hof container terminal is located directly along the route from Hamburg through Leipzig down to the Adriatic Sea and can also be used for transporting goods by rail. Werner Dettenthaler, Managing Director Land Transport Germany at Gebrüder Weiss, emphasizes the importance of the location: “We are closing a geographic gap in Bavaria with the Konradsreuth location, offering our customers a wide network of locations from Upper Bavaria to Upper Franconia.” The company already holds own branches in Memmingen, Waldkraiburg, Passau, Straubing, Nuremberg and Bayreuth.

Strong partnerships
The memberships of the Konradsreuth location in the German general cargo cooperations Cargoline and NG.network will be continued under the orange flag. “As shareholder of NG.network, we are glad to contribute another location to the network, thus offering our partners and customers even more stability for their transports,” adds Dettenthaler. The cooperations consist of local transport partners with whom Gebrüder Weiss carries out joint land transports throughout Germany.

“In Gebrüder Weiss, we have found an owner-managed logistics company with a sustainable corporate culture who intends to invest in the location and its employees in the long run. Under the orange flag, Konradsreuth is going to maintain the high quality in the Cargoline and NG.network general cargo networks,” says Ralf Amm, the previous owner of the location. The entrepreneur will now focus on developing the Amm Group in Nuremberg.

Alexander Prittig will remain Branch Manager in Konradsreuth under the roof of Gebrüder Weiss. For the experienced logistics expert, this integration holds great potential: “It’s good news for the Upper Franconian business community. Our local know-how will be complemented by an established international network. In this way, apart from national and international land transports, we can also offer air and sea freight as well as other digital services to our customers in future. And for our employees, it means excellent career opportunities in a globally active logistics company.”