By Maria Kalamatas | July 4, 2025
Antwerp — July 4 — Faced with escalating costs, labor shortages, and unpredictable trade routes, dozens of mid-sized freight operators are rethinking independence. From Central Europe to Southeast Asia, regional logistics firms are quietly restructuring through targeted mergers and long-term alliances — not to expand, but to endure.
“Going it alone is no longer a viable strategy for most of us,” said Toma Petrov, managing director at a Bulgarian freight firm recently absorbed into a Balkan alliance. “Survival now depends on scale, digital tools, and shared risk.”
Not just consolidation — coordination
Unlike the mega-mergers that defined the 2010s, the current movement favors operational cooperation over full corporate integration. In the Netherlands, five refrigerated transport specialists have joined forces under a shared dispatch and maintenance network — yet each retains its branding and ownership.
In Southeast Asia, several small parcel carriers are integrating routing data and fulfillment hubs to cut costs without losing local flexibility.
“It’s not about becoming bigger. It’s about becoming smarter together,” explained Amanda Cheong, who leads partnerships for a logistics platform based in Kuala Lumpur.
Margins, tech, and expectations
The underlying math is tough to ignore. Insurance premiums for certain cargo types have surged by over 40% in the past year. The cost of compliance with new digital customs systems is climbing. And clients — especially in Europe — now demand faster response times and real-time tracking, regardless of scale.
“Clients don’t care if you’re big or small,” said Stefan Willemse, a Belgian cold chain operator. “They expect Amazon-level service. Either you deliver or they go elsewhere.”
Pooling IT systems, fleet maintenance, and even warehouse labor allows smaller firms to absorb shocks they could never handle alone. In some cases, they’re even creating joint customer service teams to maintain quality while spreading the workload.
A turning point for the mid-tier sector
According to industry analysts, this reconfiguration marks a decisive moment in global logistics. Medium-sized players, often overlooked between giants and start-ups, are proving that adaptability — not dominance — is what keeps a business alive.
“They’re building networks within networks,” said Gina Valdez, a logistics economist based in Madrid. “It’s cooperative resilience — and it may define the next era of freight.”
