When you’re aiming to grow your logistics business, you’re typically faced with two main strategies: form a strategic partnership or pursue a full acquisition. Both offer scale, capability, and expansion, but the route you choose depends on timing, control, resources, and long-term vision. In this article, you’ll gain clarity on the differences between partnerships and acquisitions, how to weigh the trade-offs, and how top logistics companies are making these decisions right now.

Strategic Partnerships: Fast, Flexible, and Focused

If you’re looking to expand quickly without the weight of full ownership, partnerships often give you the edge. They allow you to collaborate with companies that complement your strengths or give you access to new technologies and markets. You can stay independent while leveraging shared resources, market knowledge, and distribution networks.

Take the case of DB Schenker teaming up with Volta Trucks. The partnership let them pilot electric delivery trucks across European cities without investing in manufacturing or infrastructure. You test, adapt, and move forward with real-world data. This kind of arrangement is especially helpful when you’re entering new regions or experimenting with sustainability-focused operations. The benefit is clear: less risk, faster execution, and room to adjust if the collaboration doesn’t yield the expected results.

But you need to watch for misalignment in goals or priorities. If one partner shifts focus or underdelivers, your strategy can stall. And since you’re not in control of the other company, any changes on their end—leadership turnover, funding issues, or operational bottlenecks—can affect you more than you’d like.

Acquisitions: Total Control and Instant Scale

When you need full control over operations, systems, and talent, acquisitions offer a powerful route. You’re not just gaining access—you’re taking ownership. That allows you to align cultures, integrate systems, standardize workflows, and define outcomes without compromise. If you’re managing a fast-growing logistics business and have the capital to invest, acquisitions can shorten your growth timeline significantly.

Look at DSV’s acquisition of DB Schenker, finalized in April. That single move gave DSV access to more than $20 billion in annual revenue and expanded their footprint across North America and Europe. In a similar move, UPS acquired two German cold-chain providers to double its healthcare logistics arm. These aren’t minor boosts—they reshape entire market positions.

However, acquisitions come with their own complications. Integration is time-consuming, expensive, and culturally tricky. If your systems don’t align or your workforce doesn’t blend smoothly, you could spend years resolving internal friction. Not to mention regulatory hurdles that can delay or block the deal.

Cost and Risk: How Much Can You Carry?

You have to evaluate your appetite for cost and risk before locking into either strategy. Partnerships spread risk. You don’t take on debt, you don’t commit to long-term employee integration, and if the collaboration falters, you can walk away with limited exposure. That makes them ideal for early-stage innovation or market testing.

Acquisitions, on the other hand, often demand significant upfront capital—either in cash or stock—and may require you to take on the other company’s liabilities. That’s not a problem if you’re well-capitalized and confident in your due diligence. But if you overestimate synergies or underestimate integration challenges, you can burn through cash and morale fast.

The key is to model out different scenarios. Look at potential ROI over a 3–5 year window, include soft costs like training and tech upgrades, and weigh opportunity costs. If you’d have to pause other initiatives just to absorb the acquisition, you might be stretching too thin.

Control vs Agility: Where Do You Stand?

If you prefer to run tight operations where everything from tech stacks to customer experience is managed directly, acquisitions suit your leadership style. You gain total control over the acquired entity and can implement changes rapidly. That’s critical when your brand reputation depends on consistency and quality.

But if you operate better with decentralized innovation—where partners bring new ideas to the table and you co-create solutions—then partnerships provide the flexibility you need. Especially in supply chains, where conditions change quickly due to regulatory shifts or fuel prices, it helps to stay agile. You can update a joint venture, switch tech platforms, or renegotiate terms more easily than with an integrated company.

Each path has its own control dynamic. You’re either calling the shots or sharing the wheel. Choose based on your leadership bandwidth and your comfort level with delegation.

Market Momentum: What’s Trending in Logistics Now

Current market activity shows a strong appetite for both strategies—depending on company size and sector. Larger players like CMA CGM and Maersk are in acquisition mode, consolidating to dominate end-to-end logistics. Their goal is scale and vertical integration. Others, like DB Schenker, are doubling down on electric vehicle partnerships and clean technology trials.

Tech-forward logistics firms like WiseTech are aggressively acquiring to lock down digital supply chain capabilities. Their recent acquisition of e2open shows how critical software integration has become. On the other hand, smaller and mid-tier firms are forming alliances to survive rate pressures, port disruptions, and rising insurance costs.

Your position in this ecosystem matters. If you’re competing with digital-first incumbents, an acquisition might be the only way to catch up. If you’re holding steady in a regional niche, strategic alliances can help you offer more without burning cash.

Real-World Case Decisions

UPS’s move into German cold-chain logistics shows the power of strategic acquisitions aimed at industry specialization. That acquisition didn’t just add revenue—it expanded their capabilities in a fast-growing vertical. Similarly, DSV’s Schenker deal helped them become one of the top global freight forwarders in a single stroke.

But partnerships are doing serious work too. DB Schenker’s collaboration with Volta Trucks helps them test clean vehicle integration without upfront investment. That gives them a competitive advantage in sustainability without tying up capital. In today’s market, a smart partnership can achieve proof of concept while keeping your business lean.

Each of these decisions came down to a simple question: what’s the fastest, safest path to value, given current goals and constraints?

When to Choose a Partnership or Acquisition in Logistics

  • Choose a partnership for fast market entry, shared cost, and agility
  • Opt for acquisition when control, integration, and long-term scale matter
  • Risks of partnerships include misaligned goals and lack of control
  • Risks of acquisitions include high cost, debt, and culture clashes
  • Partnerships often lead to acquisitions after trust and value are proven

Picking Your Growth Route: Step-by-Step

Start by defining what success looks like—do you need more capacity, better tech, or regional reach? Then match your current capacity—financial, operational, and human—to the demands of each strategy. Run financial scenarios for both routes. Consider how your teams might respond to integration or joint operations. If you’re not sure, test the waters with a short-term partnership or pilot.

From there, keep a watchful eye on execution. Poorly managed partnerships can drain resources without return. Sloppy acquisitions can wreck team morale and customer satisfaction. The key is not the path you choose—it’s how well you manage it.

In Conclusion

Whether you pursue a partnership or make an acquisition, your decision should come from a clear understanding of your business model, your team’s capacity, and your long-term goals. Partnerships give you speed and flexibility, while acquisitions offer control and scale. The right choice is the one that aligns with your vision—and that you’re fully prepared to execute with precision.

For insights on growth strategies in logistics—whether you’re evaluating a partnership or an acquisition—follow me on Greenscreens.