Van Gend & Loos
| Company type | Subsidiary (after 1928) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Logistics, Freight transport |
| Founded | 1809 |
| Founder | Jan-Baptist van Gend |
| Defunct | 2003 |
| Fate | Merged into DHL |
| Headquarters | Utrecht , Netherlands |
Area served | Low Countries, Benelux |
| Products | Passenger transport (until early 20th century), Freight transport, Parcel and pallet transportation |
| Parent | Deutsche Post (from 1999) |
Van Gend & Loos originated as a Dutch distribution company established in 1809 by Jan-Baptist van Gend. After merging with the diligence enterprise of his deceased brother-in-law Petrus Josephus Loos that same year, the firm broadened its services to include passenger, freight, and monetary transport throughout the Low Countries. It continued its operations even following Belgium's separation in 1830.
Confronted with growing competition from expanding railway networks, Van Gend & Loos gradually withdrew from routes that overlapped with rail lines, redirecting efforts toward servicing regions lacking rail infrastructure. The company experienced a revival under employee Hipolyte Colignon, who discontinued passenger services to specialize in break bulk cargo logistics associated with railway stations, successfully obtaining contracts from railway firms.
During the 1920s, as motor vehicles began to challenge rail transport's supremacy, the Dutch national railway established the Algemeene Transport Onderneming (ATO) to manage break bulk freight via trucks and buses—Van Gend & Loos' primary market segment. In 1928, Van Gend & Loos was acquired by the national railway and shifted entirely to truck-based freight transportation, experiencing considerable growth thereafter.
By 1960, the company moved its headquarters to Utrecht, situated close to the Dutch railway operator Nederlandse Spoorwegen. Its significance was further highlighted by the notable European Union legal case Van Gend en Loos v Nederlandse Administratie der Belastingen in 1963.
Takeover
In 1984, Van Gend & Loos restructured its operations by discontinuing break bulk cargo transport via railways and concentrating solely on road freight. The company was sold to Nedlloyd in 1986, focusing on parcel and pallet transportation within the Benelux area.
Later, in 1999, Nedlloyd transferred ownership of Van Gend & Loos to Deutsche Post (DP). Deutsche Post consolidated its subsidiaries Danzas, DHL Worldwide Express, and Van Gend & Loos in 2003 to create DHL, marking the end of Van Gend & Loos's nearly two-century-long independent existence.