🎣 500+ Years

Most companies don’t last 50 years.

Gebrüder Weiss - a logistics company - has lasted over 500.

Founded in 1474, this Austrian logistics company started as a courier service crossing the Alps. Today, it operates 180+ locations worldwide, recently expanding into North America.

Today we break down their history and North American expansion.

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A Business Older Than Most Countries

Gebrüder Weiss traces its roots back to 1474, when the Weiss family helped establish the Milanese Courier – arguably Europe’s first courier service, ferrying mail and goods between Lindau (Germany) and Milan (Italy) across the Alps.

This “Lindau courier” route, crossing dangerous mountain passes, laid the groundwork for a legacy in transport. By the late 18th century, the family was providing warehousing and logistics services in Fussach, Austria, to support this trade route.

Our history: More than 500 years of logistics - Gebrüder Weiss

How an alpine courier service became a global logistics provider. Learn about our fascinating company history.

Gebrüder Weiss

• Gebrüder Weiss began as a stagecoach and courier service in the 1400s, moving goods between Milan and Lindau.
• By the 1820s, it evolved into a formal logistics company, taking advantage of the growing European trade network.
• It survived wars, industrial revolutions, globalization, and digital transformation—all while staying family-owned.

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The 21st Century

• After World War II, it pivoted from rebuilding infrastructure to becoming a key distributor of Marshall Plan aid.
• When the Iron Curtain fell in 1989, Gebrüder Weiss was one of the first logistics firms to expand into Eastern Europe, setting up branches in Hungary, Czech Republic, and beyond.
• As China’s economy opened up, they built a presence along the new Silk Road in Asia.

Entering North America

Gebrüder Weiss’s recent expansion into North America isn’t random—it’s strategic.

• First entered the U.S. in 2003 through a joint venture.
• Went fully independent in 2017, establishing offices in Chicago, Atlanta, New York, and LA.
• Opened key locations in Laredo, Texas, and El Paso to capture the nearshoring trend, as U.S. companies shift supply chains closer to home.
• Acquired Cargo-Link in Utah (2024) to build inland logistics capabilities.

Gebrüder Weiss opens another location in the USA

New branch in El Paso, Texas / Focus on cross-border transports between the USA and Mexico El Paso is the name of the new US location of the international tran

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Gebrüder Weiss expands in the US with acquisition of Cargo-Link - The Loadstar

Gebrüder Weiss has expanded in the US with the acquisition of forwarder Cargo-Link in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The LoadstarLoadstarEditorial

Mark McCullough on Expanding Gebrüder Weiss in North America

A couple of weeks ago at Manifest, the FreightCaviar team sat down with Mark McCullough, CEO of Gebrüder Weiss North America, for an interview.

Here are some key takeaways from our conversation:

• “This company has survived wars, economic crashes, and revolutions. We don’t chase short-term wins; we build for the next century.”
• “North America was never just another market for us—it was a strategic necessity. We knew we had to be where the trade flows are shifting, and we positioned ourselves accordingly.”
• “We entered the U.S. on our own terms. No rushed acquisitions, no random expansions. We built the network the right way.”
• “Gebrüder Weiss has been in business longer than most countries have existed. You don’t survive that long by being complacent.”

Watch or listen to the entire interview on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.

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Three Takeaways From Their History

1. Play the Long Game. A 500-year-old company doesn’t panic over short-term market swings.
2. Expansion is a Strategy, Not an Event. Gebrüder Weiss didn’t rush into North America—it executed a multi-decade plan.
3. Tech + Human Touch Wins. Investing in both logistics software and service quality keeps customers loyal.

FREIGHT HUMOR