Well-developed logistics industry

The Netherlands has always been considered the ideal site in which to base pan-European logistics operations, servicing clients in the European Union and beyond. The most important factors contributing to this reputation are:

• the country’s central location in north-western Europe, home to the mainports Rotterdam and Schiphol and close to the important markets of Germany, France, and the UK;
• its advanced infrastructure, with a dense network of motorways and railways, completed by an extensive inland waterway network;
• its highly developed logistics service sector, with all major global logistics service providers having distribution facilities there;
• the longstanding tradition of international trade, which has led to an extensive logistics support sector (banks, leasing companies, terminal facilities);
• the highly skilled, flexible, and multilingual labor force;
• presence of a pro-business government that fosters a favorable operating environment through business-friendly policies on customs procedures and taxation.  

Logistics service providers: large range of high-quality services
In the Netherlands, there are some 12,098 companies offering road haulage services, ranging from very small, one-truck operations to large international players. 84% of all goods in Europe are transported by road, and some 8% of all cross-border road transportation of goods within the EU is carried by Dutch transport firms. Of these, approximately 500 major and medium-sized operators offer a full range of integrated logistics services. The most commonly provided services include:

• ocean freight forwarding (FCL & LCL), to and from all major world destinations;
• air freight forwarding;
• customs brokerage;
• warehousing (general storage as well as storage with special requirements for dangerous goods, food items, high-tech products, large/small products);
• value adding logistics activities (physical activities related to the products, like assembly, kitting, (re)labeling, pre-delivery inspections, and testing); 
• value adding services (commercial and administrative activities related to the products, like order entry, tracking & tracing, customs clearance, invoicing, and fiscal representation);
• transport throughout Europe (FTL & LTL, parcel, temperature controlled, tank).

Large number of logistics service providers
The Dutch logistics industry is renowned for its excellence. The fact that the Netherlands has a large market share in terms of outsourced  European distribution centers from outside the European Union is living proof of the quality of the industry. The Netherlands boasts Europe’s highest concentration of logistics service providers, which operate general and specialty warehousing facilities in the Netherlands, ranging from 5,000 m2 up to 500,000 m2 per company. When you are planning to outsource your European distribution activities (transport and/or warehousing and/or value added logistics) to a logistics service provider, it is important to find the right partner, one that meets your company’s specific requirements. In the Netherlands, a large number of logistics service providers can be found for each and every service that is required. This means not only choice but also competitiveness among these providers. Due to free competition and a minimum degree of government interference, Dutch logistics companies offer the best price-quality transportation and distribution services in Europe.