Transport company VCHD Cargo a.s. celebrated 25 years of operation on the Czech market last year. The balance of the entire quarter-century is more than positive. The company has been steadily growing in both the breadth of services provided and their quality, and has also experienced stable growth in revenue. However, 2022 brought demanding challenges to the land transport industry. “Last year saw a series of unprecedented events that affected the whole world, and land transport had to cope with their immediate and long-term impacts,” explains Ing. Petr Kozel, CEO and Chairman of the Board of VCHD Cargo a.s., adding, “with the war in Ukraine, fuel prices soared enormously, inflation increased significantly, and the labor market situation worsened. Nevertheless, we managed to strengthen our position in both of our markets, and to do so quite significantly.”
According to preliminary results, VCHD Cargo a.s. achieved revenues of 42.3 million euros in the Czech Republic. New acquisitions and orders from existing customers are behind the 17% growth. In addition, VCHD Cargo has also been successful in the German market. It entered the market in 2019 by establishing VCHD Cargo GmbH, and in 2021 it acquired the transport company Völker Logistik. The highest growth, by a record 93%, was achieved by VCHD Cargo GmbH, which specializes in long-distance transport. The revenues of Völker Logistik, which specializes in regional transport throughout Germany, grew by 12%. Overall, the revenues of the entire group increased by 23% to 52.5 million euros.
“We are very proud of how we managed to cope with last year. We owe it to our long-term strategy and our people, especially the drivers, who tirelessly travel across Europe every day,” says Petr Kozel.
The VCHD Cargo group currently employs 428 people in both countries, with approximately two-thirds of them being professional drivers. The company invests in their education and strives to make their demanding work as easy as possible, whether through the digitalization of processes and communication, which reduces administrative burden, or through high-quality and safe technology.
The VCHD Cargo group has its own fleet of more than 220 tractors and 160 trailers. The average age of the fleet is less than 3 years, and the company invests significantly in its renewal every year. In just last year, it purchased transportation equipment for leasing, credit, or cash with a total value of around 6.3 million euros.
Investments in VCHD Cargo have also flowed into its branches. At its headquarters in Kladno, the company has completed the construction of a new truck parking lot, while in Havlíčkův Brod, it has finished the reconstruction of the offices, as well as the interior and exterior of the branch, creating a pleasant and comfortable environment for its employees. “We are aware of how important it is for our people to feel good here,” explains Petr Kozel, adding, “our industry has been facing a drain of workers for many years, and we are constantly working to retain our team of good people and be an attractive employer for newcomers to the industry.”
In addition to being a good employer, VCHD Cargo is also a quality provider of transportation services and a reliable business partner. This is evidenced by the AAA Platinum Excellence certificate from the prestigious agency Dun & Bradstreet, which VCHD Cargo has received with the highest possible rating, confirming its financial stability, healthy financial ratios, and business conduct, continuously for a period of five years. VCHD Cargo has thus become one of the most trustworthy companies in the Czech Republic. Last year, VCHD Cargo also placed second in the Central Bohemian Region in the prestigious ranking of Czech Leaders.
In 2023, VCHD Cargo plans to extensively utilize its new investments and aims to grow in both transportation and forwarding in both the Czech Republic and Germany.