Freight & Logistics

Bain has worked with clients across the value chain of logistics and transport on projects that have involved the full range of capability areas. We count among our clients some of the global leaders in freight and logistics, including companies involved express, parcel and postal services, trucking, third-party logistics, rail, transport infrastructure, ocean shipping and distribution.

Bain’s expertise in transportation and logistics consulting includes work in the following strategic and operational areas:

• Corporate and business unit growth strategy
• Performance improvement and process redesign
• Portfolio strategy
• Labor relations
• Fleet and network optimization
• Information technology
• Customer strategy, including marketing and pricing
• Strategic turnarounds
• Results delivery

We also bring a strong mergers and acquisitions and private equity lens to our work. Collaborating with our Private Equity group and Mergers & Acquisitions practice experts, we can help clients evaluate potential deals through due diligence and execute M&A and post-merger integration.

The freight and logistics industry is changing. Today’s trends of increased consolidation, privatization and regulation activity, growing demand for international shipping and desire for turnkey services or "end-to-end" capabilities are driving how players can grow in the future. Although each sector will contend with a unique set of challenges, pure modal (road, rail and sea), intermodal connections (airports and seaports), third-party logistics (integrated transportation options) and parcel delivery businesses alike must consider how they can emerge stronger. Successful companies will focus on strategic planning for near-term cost savings to stimulate cash flow, particularly given tight credit constraints, and allocate scare resources and capital to where they will deliver the highest payoff.

Bain works alongside freight & logistics companies, at all levels of the organization, to plan where and how to realize full revenue potential. We find that companies that focus on expanding networks and improving services are best positioned for long-term growth. We help companies target share of wallet opportunities by identifying the needs of their customers and how best to serve those needs. We also help businesses design ways to make their operational processes run leaner and more efficiently, their organizations more effective and their IT investments more innovative and successful.

When freight and logistics companies need to take game-changing action, Bain helps our clients develop options that reflect rigorous analysis, the company’s unique market position and larger, industry-wide trends. We are able to advise whether a rail player should pursue trucking or intermodal acquisitions to create door-to-door assets, or if a trucking player should consider a cross-country merger to provide coast-to-coast service. We know what it takes to make such moves work, avoiding common and uncommon pitfalls in the process.

We develop insights that work for our clients. Our approach and recommendations are highly customized and lead to practical actions. Below is a selection of our experts' perspectives on important issues—for our clients and their industries. Visit Bain Insights to read more.