Almost half a century of transport expertise
Since our establishment in 1976, we have been through a series of mergers to maintain a key position in the global transport industry. As a result, we are now one of the largest transport and logistics companies in the world.
The beginning
It all began in 1976 when Leif Tullberg and nine independent trucking companies established DSV, De Sammensluttede Vognmænd af 13-7 1976 A/S. The company operated as a cartage department for the owners and only handled contracting haulage and deliveries.
Soon, the vision became to enter the international transport market. This was realised in 1989 with the acquisition of the two competing export companies Borup Autotransport A/S and Hammerbro A/S-Bech Trans, followed by Samson Transport Co. A/S in 1997 and Svex Group AB in 1999.
These were important acquisitions as they altered our services and product focus as well as made the framework for an international future of the company.
Strengthening our global presence
In 2000, the biggest step in the history of DSV was taken with the acquisition of DFDS Dan Transport Group, which led to a new era and strategy.
Not only did we strengthen our global network, we also entered new market segments. In addition to road transport services in Scandinavia, the UK, the Baltics and Europe, the acquisition secured a comprehensive logistics set-up as well as a key position within airfreight and overseas transports to the US and Asia Pacific markets.
To put focus on DSV’s different services and customer segments, in 2001 we separated our operations into three divisions: Road, Air & Sea and Solutions.
In 2005, our position in the air and sea transport industry was further strengthened with the acquisition of J.H. Bachmann. The following year, we acquired Frans Maas and advanced our position from being a Scandinavian player to being a true Pan-European road transport and logistics player.
With the acquisition of ABX LOGISTICS in 2008, DSV gained presence in South America and is now present on all continents. Furthermore, we have strengthened our position in Europe, particularly in Italy, Germany, France and Spain.
Consolidating our global position
DSV acquired UTi Worldwide Inc. in 2016, strengthening our position worldwide, particularly in the US and Africa.In 2019, we joined forces with Panalpina Welttransport, becoming the world's fourth largest transport and logistics company. The addition strengthened our position across the globe, particularly within air freight and sea freight.
In 2021, DSV acquired Agility’s Global Integrated Logistics business (GIL), a leading global transport and logistics provider with a strong footprint in emerging markets. With this new addition to our organisation, we became a global top-three player within transport and logistics.
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