European logistics: A founder explains why it's complicated

Hamburg (ots)

The European logistics market is considered highly integrated, yet in practice it is a mosaic of local particularities. "Every market has its own rules of the game," confirms Timm Trede, founder of Hamburg-based logistics specialist zipmend. An insight born from first-hand expansion experience.

Short distances meet many borders, differing regulations and historically developed markets. Toll systems, public holidays, languages, cultural idiosyncrasies and administrative requirements often change after just a few hundred kilometres.

This reality caught up with zipmend early during its own internationalisation. In the Netherlands, digital processes were quickly accepted; in France, by contrast, many customers still prefer telephone contact to this day. In Switzerland, customs formalities tie up time and resources on a permanent basis. With each new VAT registration in a new country, accounting complexity grows.

"Expansion is simply not just a question of marketing and software," Trede sums up.

The market for European transport is diverse:

• Brokerage portals (Pamyra, JUMiNGO, Simplelogistik): These act as aggregators. They offer price comparisons and broker freight to various subcontractors.
• Groupage specialists (Cargoboard): Specialised in palletised goods within the traditional consolidated freight network.
• Integrators (DHL Express, FedEx): Parcel dispatch via fixed line networks, but often inflexible when it comes to non-standard dimensions or extreme time requirements outside standard hubs.
• Express specialists (zipmend): Focus on direct deliveries without transhipment. Collections take place Europe-wide within 60 to 120 minutes. Ideal for time-critical, high-value goods or items that require delivery at a precise point in time.

zipmend's successful expansion demonstrates that growth in the European logistics market demands a clear understanding of one's own strengths and limitations. In an environment of fragmented structures and high operational complexity, it is not digital interfaces or reach alone that make the difference, but the ability to reliably adapt processes to local realities.

Press contact:

Timm Trede
press@zipmend.com