The situation of the Belgian transport group based in Turnhout had been deteriorating for several years, and hopes of a rescue were abandoned within just a few months. Despite earlier restructuring and attempts to expand into parcel transport and logistics, the company failed to stay afloat.
Five companies declared bankruptcy
The commercial court in Antwerp declared the bankruptcy of five companies belonging to Group De Wolf: holding Group 5216 and four operational companies – Red Line Service, Transport De Wolf & Berre, Red Line Logistic Service, and Transport Bellekens. The latter was taken over by Group De Wolf in 2021.
In total, the group employed about one hundred people, with 80 full-time employees in 2023 within the logistics and transport operations. The lack of a quick buyer threatens mass layoffs.
Restructuring and change of business profile
Initially, the group’s operations focused on full truckload transport. New shareholders – Didier Potters, his brother Pascal, Jef and Fons De Wolf, and Luc De Koninck – in 2020diver by shifting part of the business to parcel, express transport, and warehouse services. The total warehouse area was about 30,000 square metres.
Despite these efforts, the company’s financial situation worsened. Transport Bellekens, despite the takeover, could not reverse the trend – in 2022, the company posted a loss of €0.5 million, and another 135 thousand euros in 2023.
In April 2025, the court in Antwerp approved the restructuring plans. Four months later, the group was declared insolvent – due to excessive debt or insufficient orders, which made any realistic chance of recovery impossible.
Bankruptcy of another Belgian player
In July 2025, another Belgian transport company also declared bankruptcy. Supreme Transport from Wommelgem, established in 2018 by Yasin Özcan, quickly gained momentum in the Belgian market by investing over 2 million euros and achieving a fleet of 60 vehicles. Nevertheless, in 2023, it suffered significant losses, leading to bankruptcy declared by the Commercial Court in Antwerp.
Bankruptcy record in Belgium
Unfortunately, last year was a record year for bankruptcies in the Belgian transport and logistics sector. According to data from the Belgian statistical office Statbel, 724 bankruptcies were recorded in transport and warehouse management in 2024, which is 11.7 percent more than in the previous record year 2023 (648).
Infographic: Statbel
