Our 2024 financial year: increased revenue, network expansion and the founding of SoftWard

We look back on a successful 2024 financial year: thanks to new national and international partnerships, we were able to expand our network to 200 partners and further strengthen our high network density and resilience across Europe. Despite challenging market conditions, our transport volume continued to rise thanks to the intensification of our international business and the expansion of our range of services. This targeted growth led to an increase in revenue to just under 161 million euros. With the establishment of our own IT service provider, SoftWard, we have also consistently driven forward the digitalisation and optimisation of our network processes.

Network growth in the foreground
‘By continuously expanding our network, we are further increasing our connectivity within Germany and Europe while significantly strengthening the stability and performance of our structures in the interests of our partners,’ says our CEO Francesco De Lauso. Thanks to new connections added last year, we now have 200 national and international partners who guarantee stable relationships throughout Europe. Even in challenging regions with high traffic volumes and complex delivery structures, such as Cologne and Hanover, our partners benefit from reliable local transport.

Internationalisation and expansion of our range of services
Last year, we were able to slightly increase our transport volumes compared to the previous year and handled around 2.5 million piece goods shipments in our hub-and-spoke system alone. ‘A key driver of the positive volume development is the targeted expansion of our international routes through the acquisition of new partners in other European countries,’ says De Lauso. The internationalisation of our network enabled us to increase volumes in this segment by over ten percent. In addition to market-driven tariff adjustments, the expansion of our range of services also contributed significantly to our growth. ‘Our new CTL Collect product enables flexible and transparent organisation of Europe-wide procurement and cross-transport,’ explains De Lauso. Thanks to this strategic business development, we were able to optimally utilise our transport capacities and continue on our growth course. In the 2024 financial year, our revenue rose by 9.1 per cent to just under 161 million euros.

Digital services for optimal network processes
In addition to the continuous expansion of our network services, additional services such as the provision of future-oriented IT infrastructure are becoming increasingly important for us. With the establishment of our own software service provider, SoftWard GmbH, we were able to set the course for the development and implementation of innovative digital solutions last year. Our network partners benefit from modern information and communication technology from a single source. In addition to a completely new online portal, SoftWard is working on the large language model CTLgpt and the automation of internal and external processes using generative and cognitive artificial intelligence.

Strategic orientation
Despite the continuing challenging market situation, we are looking to the future with confidence. ‘At CTL, we are actively shaping change. Together with our partners, we are preparing for future requirements with competence, efficiency and reliability,’ says De Lauso. Our priorities are clearly defined: in addition to operational performance and network coverage, we are focusing primarily on international expansion, the rollout of innovative AI applications and the development of industry solutions for our partners. This is accompanied by the implementation of a long-term sustainability strategy.