Buy, Sell or Merge Your Freight Forwarding / 3PL / Distribution Business
Wyse Advisory supports Australian owners and acquirers in the $1m–$50m+
- Confidential sale, merger or acquisition pathway
- Senior broker led from first call to settlement
- Access to off market buyers & exclusive listings
- Transaction strategy + deal structuring support
Paid valuations available if required.
Your details remain confidential.
- Confidential
- Australia-Wide
- Senior-led
- Valuation-Led Negotiation
- Buyer Screening
Who This Page Is For
If you operate in freight forwarding, contract logistics, warehousing, fulfilment, or distribution, this page is designed for:
Owners considering a sale (now or within 6–18 months)
You want clarity on value, the real buyer appetite, and how to maximise outcome without spooking staff, customers, or carriers.
Buyers seeking quality logistics acquisitions
You want to avoid overpriced assets, uncover genuine opportunities (including discreet approaches where appropriate), and run due diligence with commercial realism.
Groups planning M&A or consolidation
You want to evaluate mergers, bolt-ons, roll-ups, or partial exit strategies that strengthen margin, footprint, and service capability.
Why Now Matters in Logistics (Data-Backed Market Context)
Serious buyers follow demand signals, profitability, and industrial capacity.
The ABS reported Transport, postal and warehousing OPBT rose by $19.4b (103.3%) in 2023–24, reaching $38.192b.
Australia Post’s eCommerce reporting notes 2024 set new records with 9.8 million households shopping online and over $69 billion spent online—supporting sustained fulfilment and delivery demand.
Industrial and logistics vacancy remained historically tight: CBRE reported 1.9% national vacancy in H1 2024 and 2.5% in H2 2024 (still low), reinforcing the strategic value of well-run distribution operations and sites.
What this means: well-positioned operators can attract strategic interest—while weaker operators are being forced to confront margin leakage, labour pressure, and working-capital strain. Timing is less about “a perfect market” and more about being sale-ready when buyer appetite is strongest for your specific model.
How Freight Forwarding & 3PL Businesses Are Really Valued
Buyers don’t pay for “revenue”. They pay for repeatable earnings, reduced risk, and operational control.
Value drivers that lift price (and improve deal certainty)
Customer quality: concentration risk, contract terms, tenure, switching costs
Margin control: pricing discipline, accessorial recovery, consistent gross margin by service line
Systems maturity: WMS/TMS capability, scan compliance, reporting cadence, EDI/API readiness
Facility and lease strength: term/options, rent-to-revenue, make-good exposure, site suitability
Management depth: reduced owner dependency, supervisors/ops managers in place
Risk & compliance: safety systems, claims history, insurance, Chain of Responsibility controls
Common value killers (and how we help you fix them)
Financials that can’t support add-backs or normalisation
Underquoted contracts / unpriced service creep
Weak debtor control inflating working-capital requirements
“Tribal knowledge” operations with limited SOPs and KPI governance
Lease risk not understood until due diligence
Our Brokerage & M&A Process (Built for Buy, Sell and M&A)
This is the same disciplined workflow used in serious mid-market transactions—adapted for logistics realities.
Sell-side process (confidential, leverage-driven)
Positioning & buyer thesis (why your asset wins)
Valuation snapshot → defendable range (price + terms strategy)
Deal pack (IM + financial pack + risk narrative)
Targeted buyer outreach (screened buyers, staged disclosure)
Offer management (headline price vs terms, earnouts, restraints, handover)
Due diligence control (data room, Q&A cadence, issue containment)
Completion & transition (handover plan, retention levers)
Buy-side process (reduce overpay + execution risk)
Acquisition criteria and “must-haves”
Target identification and approach strategy (including discreet outreach where appropriate)
Valuation and terms modelling (working capital, lease, capex, key risks)
Due diligence management and negotiation support through completion
M&A / merger options (growth, partial exit, consolidation)
Merger feasibility and synergy logic
Structure options (asset vs share, staged buy-in, partial sale, earnouts)
Integration considerations (systems, KPIs, staffing, customer comms)
Sector Snapshot (Freight Forwarding Market Scale)
The freight forwarding segment remains sizeable and competitive. IBISWorld estimates Rail, Air and Sea Freight Forwarding revenue at $16.7bn (estimated 2025).
This fragmentation is exactly why well-managed operators with strong customer quality and process control can stand out to strategic acquirers.
How We Help You Buy/Sell Your Freight Forwarding or 3PL Business
1. Free Business Discovery Call
We get to know your business and goals. No pressure, no obligation
2. Valuation & Appraisal Report
What’s your business worth? Our data-driven valuation methods ensure you receive the highest possible price while remaining competitive in the market.
3. Go To Market Campaign
We develop a professional Information Memorandum (IM), identify the most strategic buyers, and execute a customised marketing plan.
4. Negotiation & Sale
From first offer to final settlement, we’re by your side — ensuring maximum return and a smooth exit.
Why Choose Us as Your Freight Forwarding or 3PL Broker?
We’ve facilitated successful M&A transactions across multiple industries.
Our network connects you with top-tier buyers and sellers.
We ensure you get the best price for your business.
Discretion is our priority, protecting your business interests.
From strategy to closing, we handle everything.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can one broker help with both buy-side and sell-side?
Depending on which side we are to represent, we will chose one or the other when it comes to the buyer or seller.
How long does a typical sale take?
It depends on readiness, deal size, buyer type, and due diligence complexity. The fastest transactions are those with clean financials, clear service-line margins, and documented operations.
Will staff and customers find out?
Not at the start. A staged disclosure process and buyer screening protects relationships and continuity.
What should I prepare before selling?
Management accounts, customer list and concentration, lease terms, key supplier/carrier arrangements, claims history, systems overview, and a clean explanation of add-backs/normalisation.
