cargo-partner and Nippon Express: “ONE Road” – unified Road Transport solutions across Europe
Europe to create an integrated, pan-European road transport network. By combining regional strengths and offering flexible groupage, LTL, and FTL solutions, the two companies are responding to growing customer demand.
One year after cargo-partner became a group company of NIPPON EXPRESS HOLDINGS, INC., the two companies are now joining forces to enhance their road transport operations across Europe. Under the project name “ONE Road,” this cooperation combines cargo-partner’s strong footprint in Central and Eastern Europe with Nippon Express’s established presence in Western Europe, ensuring comprehensive market coverage. The network offers a range of services, from groupage to LTL and FTL, designed to meet diverse customer needs.
Building on cargo-partner’s strong network in CEE
“With this integration, we are leveraging the synergies of our network to establish a strong operational base that supports organic growth and further strengthens our market position,” said Thomas Schledorn, Chief Operating Officer Overland at cargo-partner, who also oversees the overall Road Transport product within NX in Europe, Middle East, and Africa.
cargo-partner’s solid network in Central and Eastern Europe plays a key role in delivering significant value to customers, including shorter transit times and reliable service quality. Key regional hubs include Vienna, Zory, Ljubljana, Zagreb, and Sofia, complemented by a dense grid of national hubs in each country. Additionally, distribution across Western Europe is handled via Nippon Express hubs.
Ongoing integration and first successes in Western Europe
The integration has already led to the full unification of services between cargo-partner and Nippon Express in Italy. Future phases will target Belgium, the Netherlands, and the UK for expanded service coverage. To further strengthen collaboration, a “Road Community” will be established, ensuring representation for every country and region involved.
The Italy-Central Europe corridor has already demonstrated significant success with a daily groupage service between Austria and Italy. Since September 2024, regular road groupage transport flows have connected Nippon Express’s hub in Lainate (Milan) to cargo-partner sites in Slovenia, Croatia, and Bulgaria. By November, daily two-way connections were established between Lainate and Austria, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, western Romania, and North Macedonia, routed through cargo-partner’s central hub in Vienna. In February 2025, direct linehaul services were also launched between major cargo-partner hubs in Poland and several NX offices in Italy.
Creating a unified logistics landscape
“The ‘ONE Road’ project reflects our shared vision of creating a unified, efficient, and flexible pan-European road transport network,” explained Thomas Schledorn. “It is also a key step toward connecting Central and Eastern Europe with major Western European markets, providing a seamless logistics landscape for our customers.”
The partnership emphasizes the insourcing of transport operations in those areas where cargo-partner or Nippon Express have their own infrastructures in place. This ensures that a majority of transport services are now managed directly, providing greater flexibility and control. To further develop the network and address existing gaps, cargo-partner is focusing on expanding capacity and utilizing its in-house resources.