Sell a Logistics Business
A logistics business needs more than a revenue total to tell its story. Prepare the contracts, operating records, and people a buyer will rely on after you leave.
Start with the work that will transfer
Separate contracted work from shipments that customers award one at a time. A buyer will want to understand who controls those decisions and what happens when the owner changes.
Build a customer schedule showing revenue, margin, contract term, and renewal dates. Explain concentration honestly. Several divisions of one customer may still depend on a single purchasing decision.
Make the operating model visible
Describe whether the company arranges freight, operates vehicles, provides warehouse services, or combines them. These models have different assets, obligations, and staffing needs.
List owned and leased equipment separately. Gather maintenance records, facility agreements, insurance information, and the operating permissions your advisers say apply to the transaction.
Explain the earnings behind the movement
Revenue can rise while margins narrow. Show how fuel, subcontractors, staffing, and empty capacity affect results. Separate unusual costs from expenses a new owner will continue to pay.
Support each proposed earnings adjustment with records. Money borrowed, proceeds from an equipment sale, and the owner's personal withdrawals are not interchangeable with operating profit.
Prepare the handover before a buyer asks
Identify who manages dispatch, customer exceptions, billing, and collections. If those tasks depend on you, document the routines and consider who could take responsibility.
Discuss customer introductions and any consent requirements with your advisers. Do not promise that contracts, permits, or insurance arrangements automatically move with the sale.
Bring a useful first package
Begin with recent financial statements, tax returns, a customer summary, equipment records, and a clear description of your role. An initial enquiry should not include confidential customer files.
A valuation discussion can then focus on what is transferable, what needs explanation, and how the structure of a sale could affect your exit.