A successful logistics operation is integral to a business’ supply chain management.
More companies are turning to increased automation in their logistics operations, leveraging the technology to reduce overhead costs, increase efficiency and improve warehouse management.
This future-proofing gives businesses a competitive edge, whilst streamlining the logistics process increases customer satisfaction and is ultimately reflected in its sales.
Here, Supply Chain Digital determines the top 10 logistics companies, ranked by revenue.
10. Lineage Logistics
Founded: 2012
Employees: 7,200
CEO: Greg Lehmkuhl
Revenue: US$740m
Lineage aims to provide a more reliable cold chain through technological innovation. It uses its own developed in-house algorithm, Sybil, to deliver a more efficient, predictable supply chain for its clients. Sybil uses machine learning to connect the worlds of food production and delivery, using both historical and real-time data to solve problems before they occur. This aids keeping up with stock demand and helps track consumer needs through analysis of trends.
9. XPO Logistics
Founded: 2000
Employees: 38,000
CEO: Mario Harik
Revenue: US$7.7bn
XPO Logistics specialises in tech-enabled freight solutions, providing real-time shipment information and streamlining tasks through automation. Jay Silberkleit, the company’s CIO, recently explained its goal to create “the first fully dynamic LTL network with real-time intelligence across our entire operations.”He described the benefits this advancement would bring to cost-reduction, efficiency and customer service.
8. Nippon Express
Founded: 1937
Employees: 73,480
CEO: Santoshi Horikiri
Revenue: US$15.53bn
Nippon Express occupies warehouses across 49 countries, with 5.35 million square metres of global warehousing space, 2.95 million of which is located in Japan. It provides high-quality 3PL services and is looking to the future with its recent introduction of LiBiao Robotics’ T-sort technology in its Tokyo centre. This collaboration is set to increase automation across parcel sorting operations and optimise human efficiency.
7. CEVA Logistics
Founded: 1946
Employees: 110,000
CEO: Mathieu Friedberg
Revenue: US$18.7bn
CEVA Logistics, part of CMA CGM Group, is a world leader in shipping and logistics. It operates across 1,300 facilities in over 170 countries, with a focus on end-to-end specialist solutions. In order to meet the needs of rapidly evolving logistics operations across a range of industries, the company is focusing on a more sustainable future. It uses low-carbon solutions for its ground, sea, and air transport to reduce its emissions, and in 2023, CEVA’s overall carbon footprint was 6.0 Mt CO2e, a reduction of 200,000 tons compared to 2022.
6. Kuehne + Nagel
Founded: 1890
Employees: 80,980
CEO: Stefan Paul
Revenue: US$30.1bn
Kuehne + Nagel prioritises cost-efficient performance by leveraging its leading automation technologies to improve accuracy and reduce human error. The company uses its One Global System technology to provide real-time visibility and ensure comprehensive logistics control. A recent partnership saw the company implement 30 autonomous mobile robots to optimise storage and picking for Wacker Neuson, successfully optimising its logistics operations.
5. DHL
Founded: 1969
Employees: 590,600
CEO: John Pearson
Revenue: US$88bn
DHL Supply Chain operates significant global warehousing space, amounting to 14m sqm across 50 countries and 1350 warehouse locations. It is committed to achieving net-zero carbon warehousing by 2025, a goal which will benefit their customers' carbon footprint aims and ultimately result in greener supply chains globally. To reach this target, across its logistics operations, the company is already sourcing 86% of its electricity from renewables and has delivered over a hundred million last-mile kilometres with e-vehicles.
4. FedEx Logistics
Founded: 1971
Employees: 529,000
CEO: Raj Subramaniam
Revenue: US$90.1bn
FedEx Logistics uses data-driven warehouse management systems to help maintain inventory levels and sort, pick, and pack items with efficiency. It operates 18,500 warehouses globally, serving 220 countries and territories worldwide.
In order to maintain this success, the company introduced an AI-powered sorting robot, DoraSorter, to build upon its smart logistics network. The robot can carry up to 10kg of packages and cover up to a hundred destinations simultaneously. This step will work towards digitising FedEx’s operations and more efficiently manage the company’s increased volumes of e-commerce shipments.
3. United Parcel Service (UPS)
Founded: 1907
Employees: 500,000
CEO: Carol B. Tomé
Revenue: US$91bn
UPS’ logistics operations span vast warehousing and advanced shipping services. It occupies 32 million sq ft of global warehousing space across more than 220 countries and territories. UPS Supply Chain Solutions uses its Symphony portal, a cloud-based platform that integrates supply chain data, visibility and analytics, to operate its logistics operations efficiently. In doing so, the company processes and delivers over 21.9 million packages globally everyday.
2. Amazon
Founded: 1994
Employees: 1.6 million
CEO: Andrew Jassy
Revenue: US$574.8bn
Amazon logistics are second to none, providing same-day and next-day ‘Prime’ order fulfilment for more than 310 million global users. It operates across over 175 fulfilment centres around the world, occupying 150 million sq ft of warehousing space.
Alongside its employees, Amazon has increased automation within its supply chain by deploying over 750,000 robots to conduct repetitive tasks.
Amazon’s latest advancement is the ‘Prime Air’ drone, which it hopes will be used for package delivery by the end of the year. These MK30 drones aim to ensure faster, safer and more sustainable delivery for Amazon customers. This type of technological investment ensures the company remains a dominant force within the logistics industry, and future-proofs it against a changing climate.
1. Walmart
Founded: 1962
Employees: 2.1 million
CEO: Doug McMillon
Revenue: US$642.6bn
Walmart is a retail giant known for its vast logistics capabilities. It boasts 210 distribution centres, each of which occupies over one million sq ft and employs over people. In addition to these day-to-day centres, Walmart also operates six distribution centres across the US which are specifically designed to provide aid to local communities in the event of a natural disaster.
The company also owns clothing brand George and major brands within food, stationary and more. To support this expansion, Walmart has invested in automation by building a hundred fully-automated fulfilment centres attached to existing retail stores. Of this technological transformation, Doug McMillon, Walmart’s CEO, said “It’s very exciting, the way the company has changed our way of working to put technology to work, whether that’s software or the way we use our data or, increasingly, the way we use robotics in our business”.
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