In this year's ranking of the top 50 global freight companies, a new number one has emerged!

Despite disruptions caused by a slowdown in international trade, geopolitical conflicts, and exacerbated inflation, most of the world's large transportation and logistics service providers continue to develop their businesses. One new company's name stands out and has risen to the top of the 2023 Global Freight Companies Top 50 list.

This annual ranking, developed in collaboration between Transport Topics and SJ Consulting Group, provides a fresh perspective on the largest participants in freight and cargo handling across the globe and all modes of transportation (truck, rail, ocean, air, and parcel transportation), as well as non-asset-based third-party logistics service providers.

The Top 50 list is primarily based on companies' freight and logistics business revenue for the full year of 2022. The full version of the list report is available for free at the end of the article.

1. Amazon Tops the List for the First Time

The most notable change in this year's Top 50 list is the decision to include online retail giant Amazon.com Inc., which has taken the top spot for its order fulfillment and logistics operations.

Over the years, Amazon has built a vast third-party logistics business to support its e-commerce network, even supporting businesses that do not sell products through the Amazon website.

Amazon primarily provides third-party logistics services through two business segments: Fulfillment by Amazon and Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfillment. While Amazon's fulfillment function mainly handles e-commerce fulfillment for orders placed on the Amazon website, multi-channel fulfillment provides order fulfillment services for sales channels outside of Amazon.

According to Amazon's 2022 annual report, the net sales of Amazon's third-party seller services amounted to $117.7 billion, accounting for nearly 23% of the company's total revenue.

2. Familiar Companies Continue to Lead the List

Parcel delivery and logistics giants UPS Inc. and FedEx Corp. ranked second and third, respectively. In 2022, UPS surpassed $100 billion in revenue for the first time, while FedEx's revenue reached $90 billion.

Ranked fourth is the Germany-based parcel and warehouse giant DHL Group, with revenue of $87 billion.

Ranked fifth is Denmark-based Maersk, the largest ocean shipping company on the list, with revenue of $80 billion in 2022, a 32% increase compared to 2021. Due to the easing of supply chain disruptions caused by the pandemic last year, maritime companies achieved the best year-over-year revenue growth among various modes of transportation.

Next is the United States Postal Service, with revenue of $78.5 billion, ranking sixth, followed by two maritime companies, France's CMA CGM and China's Cosco Shipping Group, ranking seventh and eighth, respectively.

Swiss freight forwarding company Kuehne + Nagel International and Chinese parcel delivery company SF Express also made it to the top 10.

3. Eight Chinese Companies Make the Top 50 List

In addition to Cosco Shipping Group and SF Express in the top 10, six other Chinese companies successfully made it to the Top 50 list. These include:

Ranked 12th is China State Railway Group, with revenue of $38.4 billion in 2022;

Ranked 20th is Evergreen Marine Corp., with revenue of $20.5 billion in 2022;

Ranked 25th is Sinotrans, with revenue of $16.1 billion in 2022;

Ranked 36th is Kerry Logistics, with revenue of $11 billion in 2022;

Ranked 38th is Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp., with revenue of $8.7 billion in 2022;

Ranked 39th is Wan Hai Lines, with revenue of $8.6 billion in 2022.

4. Changes Among the Top 50 Companies

Compared to last year, this year's Top 50 list saw the absence of a major freight transportation provider—Russian Railways. This freight and passenger railway service provider was ranked 14th last year but was disqualified due to sanctions related to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Another significant change is the merger of Japan's three major ocean shipping companies into Ocean Network Express, ranked 16th. This holding company, established in 2017, combines the businesses of NYK Group, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, and Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K Line), which were previously listed separately in the Top 50.

Other companies joining or rejoining the Top 50 list this year include:

- Nippon Express, ranked 21st, a Japan-based parcel delivery and logistics provider.

- Toll Group, ranked 41st, an Australian-based freight forwarding and logistics provider.

- Rhenus Group, ranked 47th, a contract logistics provider.

- GLS Group, a parcel delivery company based in the Netherlands, ranked 48th.

Several of North America's largest trucking and logistics companies also made it to the Top 50 list.

Freight brokerage giant C.H. Robinson ranks 19th with revenue exceeding $23 billion in 2022, followed closely by Seattle-based freight forwarder Expeditors International, ranking 23rd with revenue of $17 billion.

Intermodal and trucking company J.B. Hunt Transport Services ranks 27th with revenue of $14.8 billion in 2022.

Another prominent trucking company on the list is less-than-truckload carrier XPO, ranking 34th.

Landstar System ranks 43rd, primarily operating through its network of independent owner-operators and freight agents.

Trucking company Knight-Swift Transportation ranks 44th, followed by Canadian trucking conglomerate TFI International, ranking 45th.

Rounding off the list are trucking supplier Schneider, ranking 49th, and freight company Old Dominion Freight Line, ranking 50th.

In the Top 50 Global Freight Companies list, 16 companies are headquartered in the United States, surpassing any other country, followed by China, Germany, and Japan, each with five companies.

Additionally, in this year's list, 14 companies are primarily third-party logistics providers, along with 11 ocean shipping companies, 10 parcel delivery companies, nine railroad freight providers, and six trucking companies.

For the "2023 Global Freight Companies Top 50 Report," feel free to add us on WeChat for free access.

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Cross-border E-commerce Logistics Bai Xiaosheng"