At a glance:
- ODIN is establishing its own transport and shipping operation in Immingham.
- The company plans to add 50–100 trailers for UK–continental European traffic.
- The move follows its acquisition of specialist UK ferry operator Welton North Sea Trailers.
- Welton previously said it operated 30 tautliners, making the planned expansion particularly significant.
The new company, ODIN Transport & Shipping UK Ltd, will initially focus on accompanied and unaccompanied trailer transport between the United Kingdom and mainland Europe, according to ODIN.
The British operation will be responsible for transport planning in the UK, local customer contacts and customs coordination, while also developing return loads from the Immingham area. ODIN says it will work with its own carriers and integrate the UK business with its existing transport and warehousing operations in the Netherlands.
The scale of the planned fleet increase is notable. ODIN says it will add between 50 and 100 additional trailers, while Welton North Sea Trailers, the business it acquired earlier this year, states on its website that it operated 30 tautliners serving the UK.
If the existing Welton fleet forms the base of the enlarged operation, the addition would take the trailer fleet to around 80–130 units – roughly 2.7 to 4.3 times Welton’s previously stated fleet size.
Acquisition provided UK transport foothold
Welton officially became part of ODIN from 1 January 2026, although the transaction was announced later in the year. The company has longstanding experience in ferry transport between continental Europe and the UK.
At the time of the acquisition, ODIN said Welton gave it its own transport capacity on the UK corridor, complementing the Rotterdam group’s warehousing, customs handling and logistics management activities.
The first trailers had already appeared in ODIN livery and the company had also put its first truck for international transport into operation. Raymond Kleij, associated with Welton, remained involved in operational planning and customer relations.
The Immingham operation now marks the next stage of that strategy.
“By also having our own organisation in the United Kingdom, we can respond faster, better control quality and offer customers a single point of contact for the entire journey,” ODIN CFO Joeri Galas said in the company’s announcement.
Immingham chosen as UK gateway
ODIN says it selected Immingham because of the port area’s role as a gateway for freight flows between the UK and north-western Europe and its connections with Rotterdam and the wider Benelux region.
The company already provides warehousing, container transport, customs services and European distribution from Rotterdam. Its stated aim is to gain greater control over UK-bound supply chains while building stable freight flows in both directions.
For former Welton customers, the company says the existing relationship will continue but with greater capacity and access to ODIN’s wider European logistics network. Raymond Kleij said the enlarged operation would serve customers in both the UK and Ireland.
ODIN said the British operation will now be expanded gradually, with the initial focus on establishing stable freight volumes, building long-term customer relationships and integrating the UK business into the group’s existing systems and processes.
