According to current market analyses, the German market for courier, express and parcel logistics is expected to grow by 7.4 percent annually from 2025 onward. The main causes cited are same-day requirements, digitized production chains, and rising expectations regarding delivery times. This development presents many companies with the strategic decision of whether conventional general cargo transport will continue to suffice or whether express solutions will become necessary.
Limits of the general cargo system
According to the Hamburg logistics company Zipmend Express, general cargo transports are still suitable for planned and standardized deliveries.
However, as soon as shipments are time-critical or sensitive, this system reaches its limits. General cargo forwarding companies are primarily geared toward cost efficiency, not toward short response times. Drivers have very little time for pickup and delivery. If after five to ten minutes no one accepts the delivery, they move on, explained managing director Timm Trede.
Direct transports without transshipment
As an alternative, the company describes express logistics. In this approach, a shipment is transported directly from sender to recipient without transloading or intermediate storage. A vehicle is used exclusively for
one assignment. This method shortens transport times, reduces the risk of damage, and enables more precise planning for urgent deliveries.
Transit times and cost structure
The duration of an express transport depends on the distance. According to Zipmend Express, transit times for Europe-wide transports typically range from three to 24 hours after the order is placed. Thus, express logistics is the fastest form of road transport and the only one that reliably operates even outside fixed service hours.
Costs also differ significantly from classic general cargo transports. An express delivery, according to
the company, starts in the low three-digit range and is determined by distance, vehicle size, and weight. While general cargo solutions may appear cheaper at first glance, follow-on costs due to production stoppages, contractual penalties, or event delays can quickly relativize the economic viability.
Speed as a strategic factor
In Zipmend Express's assessment, the decision for or against express logistics is increasingly becoming a strategic question. Not speed alone is decisive, but ensuring smooth operations in production and service. Express transports are used where outages or delays have immediate economic consequences. (av)
