Private German mail operators PIN, Xanto link up

Two leading private mail operators, PIN Group and Xanto, have announced a strategic cooperation to strengthen their operational networks. PIN Group aims to establish itself as the leading competitor to Deutsche Post while Xanto plans to create an independent network for local mail operators.

In a joint statement, the companies said that Xanto would take over nationwide linehaul transportation for PIN with immediate effect. This covered the linehaul services from local PIN mail depots to regional hubs where regional and national shipments are interchanged as well as onward transportation to the two PIN central hubs in Würzburg and Hanover, and traffic between the two central hubs.

At present, PIN Group transports about one million domestic shipments per day on these routes within one working day. The company, owned by leading German media groups, has 7,000 employees, annual volumes of over 1.2 billion shipments and turnover of some EUR 350 million.

Xanto was founded in spring 2006 by five German logistics companies to develop a nationwide mail transportation network. Until now, its strategy was to sign up as many as 100 local and regional mail operators as partners and create an alternative nationwide distribution network. Last October it announced that night express operator Night Star Express would provide the physical long-haul transportation services.

Günter Thiel, PIN Group CEO, declared: “The competence of Xanto in freight forwarding ideally complements our nationwide logistics network.” Xanto managing partner Christian Holland-Moritz added: “As the largest competitor to Deutsche Post, PIN Group with its nationwide delivery network and growing shipment volumes is a central partner for us.”