Top 50 3PLs

Palletways, one of several groups offering shippers a palletized freight network in Europe, says it plans eastward expansion as cross-border volume within its network grows.

As the U.S. economy came screeching to a halt in the first quarter — at least those parts that contribute to gross domestic product growth — UPS improved revenue, shipment volumes and profit, a sign that things may not be as bad as the economic indicators seem to say.

The acquisition of French logistics giant Norbert Dentressangle will create new global opportunities for XPO, boosting its annual revenue to $8.5 billion.

The world’s 50 largest logistics companies generated nearly $248 billion in revenue last year, up nearly 5 percent from 2013’s $237.4 billion, according to Pittsburgh-based research and consulting firm SJ Consulting Group.

Although its last fiscal year was ugly, UTi Worldwide is optimistic about the year ahead, and expects to grow its freight forwarding and logistics businesses. A surge in air freight in February and March attributed to U.S. West Coast port congestion helped.

Multimodal logistics operator XPO sees opportunities as well as challenges in the West Coast container pileup, as shippers struggle to move freight inland.

Total Quality Logistics increased total revenue 31.3 percent in 2014 to $2.1 billion as the U.S. economy grew faster and shippers came up short on truck capacity.

Kuehne + Nagel credited rising U.S. container imports for driving a market-beating 7.4 percent increase in the global forwarding and logistics group’s third-quarter ocean freight traffic.

Kuehne + Nagel, the world’s largest sea freight forwarder, said it is targeting the trans-Atlantic container trade to offset slowing Asian exports to Europe.

Members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union ratified a new collective bargaining agreement with grain handlers in the Pacific Northwest, ending a two-year battle between the two parties.

Chronic overcapacity in air and ocean container markets presents a long-term obstacle to profitability of forwarders, which achieve better results when rates are higher, according to Stifel.

Growth in the United States 3PL market will outpace last year’s 3.2 percent expansion, according to consulting firm Armstrong & Associates’ new predictions.

The world’s largest third-party logistics providers showed minuscule growth in 2013 for the second consecutive year, as sluggish trade growth affected forwarding volume and other 3PL segments saw only modest increases.

A rise in European exports helped lift Kuehne + Nagel’s ocean freight traffic by a market-beating 6.9 percent in the first quarter.

DHL Global Forwarding, named on April 1 by Singapore’s competition watchdog as one of 11 forwarders involved in 2002 to 2007 price-fixing of Japan to Singapore shipments, said the economic effects of its activities were “minimal.”

Deutsche Post forecast its operating profit will top €5 billion ($6.9 billion) by 2020, driven by double-digit growth at its core DHL logistics unit and an accelerating shift towards fast-growing emerging markets.

HONG KONG — The phenomenal growth of e-commerce in China has the Big Three integrators salivating as they contemplate a market that offers great opportunities yet remains largely out of reach.

Logistics firm DHL has signed a new agreement to provide rail freight services between China and Europe via a strategic partnership with United Transport and Logistics Company, a joint venture between OJSC Russian Railways, JSC National Company Kazakhstan Temir Zholy and state-owned Belarusian Railway.

The world’s largest transportation and logistics company is getting larger as demand for e-commerce, time definite international express delivery and supply chain services drives up revenue and profit at Deutsche Post DHL.

Panalpina returned to profitability in 2013 as a market-beating performance in the ocean container and air cargo markets offset anti-cartel fines in the U.S.

Kuehne+Nagel’s operating earnings soared 20 percent in 2013 driven by market-beating growth in air freight volumes, almost doubled contract logistics profit and increased market share on the transpacific and transatlantic container trades.

More than half of Expeditors International of Washington’s revenue came from the Asia-Pacific region in 2013, which may be a good sign for the third-party logistics provider...

DB Schenker, the global logistics group, announced the launch of a pan-Asian trucking service to compete with slower sea transport and more costly air freight.

DSV’s ocean container traffic grew by a market-beating 6 percent in 2013, and the global freight forwarder is targeting an increase of up to 5 percent in the current year.

C.H. Robinson Worldwide reported its net income in the fourth quarter of 2013 was $93.0 million, plummeting 63.7 percent year-over-year from $256.4 million...

CEVA Logistics has been beefing up its global operations with the expansion of a health care distribution center in Leipzig, Germany, and a new warehouse complex in Queensland, Australia.

DSV’s profit declined in the third quarter as the Danish global transport and logistics group saw low growth and tougher competition in ocean, air and land transport.