Freight and logistics market seen topping $24 billion by 2030

The Business Research Company forecasts the global freight and logistics market will grow 6% annually to more than $24 billion by 2030, with roadways accounting for 41% of the market. Asia Pacific is expected to be the largest regional market, while DHL International GmbH led the field in 2025 with a 1% share.

Why it matters: - Freight and logistics sit at the center of supply chains for manufacturing, retail, energy, and e-commerce. - The market’s projected growth signals continued demand for transport capacity, warehousing, freight forwarding, and delivery infrastructure. - Road transport’s expected lead shows where much of that demand still concentrates.

What happened: - The Business Research Company said the freight and logistics market is forecast to exceed $24 billion by 2030. - The market is projected to grow at a 6% compound annual growth rate through 2030. - Roadways are expected to be the largest transport mode, with a 41% share and about $10 billion in value by 2030. - Asia Pacific is projected to become the largest regional market by 2030 at $9 billion, up from $7 billion in 2025. - The United States is expected to be the largest country market in 2030 at $6 billion, up from $5 billion in 2025. - DHL International GmbH was the global market leader in 2025 with a 1% share.

The details: - The report places freight and logistics at roughly 1% of the broader general transport market, which is forecast to reach about $3,899 billion by 2030. - Within transport services, forecast at $12,477 billion in 2030, freight and logistics is expected to make up nearly 0.2% of total value. - The market includes airways, railways, roadways, and waterways. - The market is also segmented by function into freight forwarding, warehousing, value-added services, and other related activities. - End users include manufacturing, automotive, oil and gas, mining and quarrying, agriculture, fishing and forestry, construction, and distributive trade. - Roadways are supported by expanding road networks, demand for door-to-door delivery, fleet management technology, and investment in modern commercial vehicles. - Asia Pacific growth is being driven by manufacturing expansion, export activity, multimodal transport corridors, logistics infrastructure, cross-border trade integration, and digital freight management platforms. - U.S. growth is being supported by domestic freight volumes, road and rail networks, temperature-controlled logistics demand, infrastructure upgrades, and predictive analytics tools. - DHL’s portfolio includes international express delivery, freight forwarding, contract logistics, warehousing, and transportation management services. - The top 10 freight and logistics companies together accounted for only 2% of total market revenue in 2025, underscoring a fragmented market. - The report says the four transport segments could add more than $6.5 billion in market value between 2025 and 2030. - Roadways are projected to add $3 billion, waterways $2 billion, railways $1 billion, and airways $0.5 billion over that period. - Key growth drivers include e-commerce, artificial intelligence, IoT sensors, warehouse automation, GPS tracking, route optimization, and infrastructure investment. - Specialized logistics for new energy markets is emerging as a key trend. - In June 2026, DHL Group launched Time Definite Plus and invested in a European Battery Logistics Hub in the Netherlands.

Between the lines: - The fragmented competitive landscape suggests no single carrier has dominant pricing power across the market. - Growth is being pulled by both volume expansion and operational modernization, especially digital tools that improve visibility and efficiency. - The rise of battery and renewable-energy logistics points to how freight providers are adapting to industrial shifts beyond traditional goods movement.

What's next: - Companies are expected to keep investing in AI-enabled logistics platforms, autonomous warehouse automation, multimodal networks, smart distribution centers, and lower-emission freight solutions. - The strongest gains are likely to come from operators that combine physical network scale with data-driven routing, tracking, and fulfillment capabilities. - More information