Rotra

Rotra is a Dutch logistics service provider headquartered in Doesburg, Gelderland, and one of the older family-run transport businesses in the eastern Netherlands. It traces its origins to 1909, when H.W. Roelofsen started a transport company in Doesburg with horse-drawn carts. Over the following century the firm evolved from local road haulage and removals into international tank transport, general cargo forwarding, and ultimately global air and sea freight. In 1982 the company adopted the name Rotra — a contraction of "Roelofsen Transport" — chosen because it was easy to pronounce internationally, and opened forwarding offices at Schiphol and Rotterdam for worldwide air and ocean freight. In 2009, at its 100th anniversary, Rotra was granted the "Royal" (koninklijk) designation by Queen Beatrix. In the late 2010s Rotra transformed itself into a digital freight forwarder. It invested heavily in its own customer and partner platform, rotraNext, which allows shippers to arrange sea and air freight, customs clearance and special shipments through a single digital dashboard with exception control, real-time track & trace and door-to-door service. In November 2019 the company announced the sale of its road transport and logistics divisions in order to concentrate fully on the further expansion of its sea and air freight activities as a digital forwarder. Rotra retained its headquarters in Doesburg and air and ocean freight offices in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Brussels and Antwerp. Today Rotra positions itself as "the digital freight forwarder with a personal touch," combining more than 115 years of logistics experience with modern technology. Its services include global air freight, ocean freight, customs clearance, special transport and CO2-neutral shipping options. The company is AEO certified and operates an in-house customs department that handles direct and limited fiscal representation, Chamber of Commerce and embassy certification, and documentation such as Eur.1 and ATR certificates. Through a partner network spanning more than 180 countries and 400 locations, Rotra offers worldwide door-to-door logistics while maintaining what it describes as down-to-earth Dutch personal service. The business remains family-owned, with ownership having passed from the third to the fourth generation of the Roelofsen family between 2003 and 2005.

Rotra's history begins in 1909, when H.W. Roelofsen started a transport company in Doesburg, in the Dutch province of Gelderland, at the Contre Escarpe. The first transport was done with horse and cart. In the late 1920s the company purchased its first truck, which was used in road works between the towns of Dieren and Brummen. Around 1935 the second generation of the Roelofsen family continued the business, expanding into removals, scheduled services and transport for regional industry. In 1943 the company moved to the Kerkstraat in Doesburg. During the Second World War, Roelofsen managed to hide three vehicles from the German occupier in a haystack, allowing the company to resume work after the war. The firm moved to the Paardenmarkt in Doesburg in 1949. From 1959 it began international transport with tank trucks for the Humber oil company in Amsterdam. The tank transport activities were later placed in a separate limited company and eventually sold to Humber. Between 1965 and 1968 the third generation of Roelofsen joined the business, and in 1970 the company started transporting general merchandise to and from Germany and Italy in particular, where Rotra later opened its own branches. In 1975 Roelofsen Transport moved to the Broekhuizerweg on the industrial estate of Doesburg. In 1982 the company decided to adopt the name Rotra, a contraction of "Roelofsen Transport," because of plans for further international expansion. The name was chosen because it was easy to pronounce for non-Dutch speakers as well. In the same year, forwarding offices were opened at Schiphol and Rotterdam for worldwide air and sea freight transport. Later, in the 1990s, Air & Ocean branches were established in the Belgian cities of Brussels and Antwerp. In 1985 Rotra was one of the first to start the so-called 'modal shift,' placing groupage trailers on the train from Emmerich in Germany to Italy. In 1987, due to expansion, a new office was occupied in Doesburg on the Verhuellweg, where an additional high-bay warehouse was built in 1996. Between 2003 and 2005 shares were transferred from the third to the fourth generation of the Roelofsen family. In 2009, at its 100th anniversary, 425 people worked at Rotra across five locations: Doesburg, Rotterdam, Schiphol-Oude Meer, Antwerp and Brussels. On 7 October 2009, the company received the 'koninklijk' (Royal) designation from Queen Beatrix. On 12 February 2010, Rotra signed an intent agreement with the French holding Giraud SA for the acquisition of Gillemot NV effective 31 March 2010; the Belgian company had been active as a logistics service provider since 1937 and had 125 employees in 2010. In June 2014 Rotra took over the activities of the bankrupt Veurink International, growing to 750 employees. In September 2014 Rotra bought a plot of more than 13 hectares near the A12 motorway near Arnhem. In 2016 Rotra opened its own container terminal at its Doesburg site, operational from early 2017; the terminal includes a multimodal LNG filling station used for filling both inland vessels and trucks. On 19 November 2019, it was announced that Rotra, by selling its road transport and logistics divisions, would focus as a digital freight forwarder on the further expansion of its sea and air freight activities. The family logistics company had invested heavily for several years in the development of a digital platform for its customers and partners (rotraNext) and had thereby transformed into a digital forwarder. Rotra remained active with its headquarters at a different location in Doesburg and with sea and air freight branches in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Brussels and Antwerp. Today the company markets rotraNext as a platform for arranging sea and air freight, customs clearance and special shipments, with exception control, real-time track & trace and door-to-door service, supported by a partner network spanning more than 180 countries and 400 locations.

• 2019

  Announces sale of road transport and logistics divisions to focus on digital forwarding.

• 2016

  Opens own container terminal in Doesburg, operational from early 2017.

• 2014

  Acquires activities of bankrupt Veurink International in June; buys 13-hectare plot near A12 in September.

• 2010

  Intent agreement signed with Giraud SA to acquire Gillemot NV effective 31 March 2010.

• 2009

  100th anniversary; Royal designation granted by Queen Beatrix on 7 October; 425 employees across five locations.

• 2003

  Share transfer from third to fourth generation Roelofsen begins (completed 2005).

• 1996

  Additional high-bay warehouse built in Doesburg.

• 1987

  New office occupied in Doesburg on Verhuellweg.

• 1985

  One of the first to start 'modal shift' with groupage trailers on rail from Emmerich to Italy.

• 1982

  Company adopts the name Rotra and opens forwarding offices at Schiphol and Rotterdam.

• 1975

  Roelofsen Transport moves to Broekhuizerweg industrial estate in Doesburg.

• 1970

  Start of general cargo transport to and from Germany and Italy.

• 1959

  Start of international tank transport for Humber oil company.

• 1949

  Company moves to Paardenmarkt in Doesburg.

• 1943

  Company moves to Kerkstraat in Doesburg.

• 1935

  Second generation Roelofsen continues the business, expanding into removals and scheduled services.

• 1920

  First truck purchased in the late 1920s.

• 1909

  H.W. Roelofsen starts a transport company in Doesburg with horse and cart.

Digital freight forwarder with a personal touch, combining 115+ years of logistics experience with innovative technology.

• rotraNext digital platform

  Digital dashboard for arranging sea and air freight, customs clearance and special shipments with exception control, real-time track & trace and door-to-door service.

• Air freight forwarding

  Global air freight for imports, exports and cross trades, including door-to-door service and customs clearance.

• Ocean freight forwarding

  Global sea freight services managed through the rotraNext platform.

• Customs clearance

  In-house customs department offering digital customs declaration, AEO certification, direct and limited fiscal representation, and Chamber of Commerce/embassy certification.

• CO2-neutral shipping

  Option to offset transport emissions with official certification.

• Special transport

  Transport of special cargo, including cars requiring extra care.

1. 1Digital forwarder in air and sea freight | Rotrarotra.eu
2. 2Fast customs clearance for your imports and exports | Rotrarotra.eu
3. 3Global air freight for imports, exports and cross trades | Rotrarotra.eu
4. 4Delivering excellence through strategic partnerships | Rotrarotra.eu
5. 5Rotranl.wikipedia.org
6. 6Rotrawikidata.org