A century, in seven moves.
Founded in Köln.
First fleet: 4 vehicles.
Post-war expansion across West Germany.
12 cities, 60 vehicles.
Containerized freight, port of Hamburg.
First trans-Atlantic route.
Pan-European network completed.
Coverage: 27 countries.
Asia-Pacific operations launched.
Hubs: Singapore, Shanghai, Tokyo.
Centennial. 89 countries.
100 years of moving freight.
Carbon-neutral fleet milestone.
60% HVO + SAF.
Founded in Köln.
First fleet: 4 vehicles.
Post-war expansion across West Germany.
12 cities, 60 vehicles.
Containerized freight, port of Hamburg.
First trans-Atlantic route.
Pan-European network completed.
Coverage: 27 countries.
Asia-Pacific operations launched.
Hubs: Singapore, Shanghai, Tokyo.
Centennial. 89 countries.
100 years of moving freight.
Carbon-neutral fleet milestone.
60% HVO + SAF.
Founded in 1923 by Wilhelm Meridian as a four-truck regional carrier serving Köln's port, the company was built on a single discipline: arrival times you could plan around. That principle outlasted two recessions, two world wars, and three currencies.
Containerization reshaped the industry in the 1960s. Meridian retrofitted its fleet, opened the first trans-Atlantic line out of Hamburg, and within a decade had become Germany's third-largest freight operator. Today the network spans 89 countries and 4,200 vehicles.
By 2030, the entire long-haul fleet will run on HVO biodiesel, sustainable aviation fuel, or fully electric drivetrains. The work is engineering, not advertising. The promise has not changed: arrive when expected, intact, every time.