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Logistics in Leverkusen: a city built around the chemical industry

Leverkusen, home to around 165,000 inhabitants, lies on the right bank of the Rhine between Cologne and Düsseldorf. The city is closely linked with the chemical and pharmaceutical group Bayer, whose illuminated cross is a well-known local landmark and whose name is carried by the football club Bayer 04 Leverkusen. The city takes its name from the chemist Carl Leverkus, who built a factory here in the nineteenth century and laid the foundation for its modern industry.

The Chempark Leverkusen is one of the largest chemical parks in Europe, hosting a large number of companies specialising in chemicals, plastics and pharmaceuticals. Deliveries to this site have to meet strict safety and access rules, and dangerous goods are a standard part of everyday traffic. Around the park, numerous suppliers of machinery, maintenance services, packaging and laboratory equipment have settled to serve the chemical companies.

Beyond chemistry, Leverkusen benefits from its location in the Rhineland, one of the most populous regions in Germany. Cologne, Düsseldorf and the Bergisches Land are all close, and Cologne Bonn Airport, a major cargo airport, can be reached quickly by motorway. For British exporters, Leverkusen is therefore a destination that combines a dense industrial customer base with direct access to millions of consumers.

The route for road freight from the UK to Leverkusen

Most transports use the ferry from Dover to Calais or Le Shuttle from Folkestone to Coquelles. The lorry then follows the E40 through Belgium, via Ghent, Brussels and Liège, before entering Germany at Aachen. From there, the road continues as the A4 towards Cologne. Depending on the delivery address, the route either crosses the Rhine north of Cologne on the A1 or south of the city on the A4, eventually joining the A3 northbound to the Leverkusen interchange.

The Leverkusen interchange, where the A1 and the A3 meet, is one of the busiest motorway junctions in Germany, and the A59 adds a link along the Rhine towards Düsseldorf. The A1 Rhine bridge between Leverkusen and Cologne is currently being replaced in two stages. Roadworks around the new structure can affect traffic flow, so we always plan the Rhine crossing with the current traffic situation and the vehicle size in mind.

Customs procedures between the UK and Germany

For goods from Great Britain, a German destination means an EU import. Please make sure there is an export declaration in the UK and an import declaration in the EU, and that both the exporter and the importer have valid EORI numbers. At the Channel ports and the tunnel, GVMS connects the declarations with the vehicle through a Goods Movement Reference. Your customs agent should complete this process before collection, as we do not prepare customs declarations or handle customs clearance.

Your freight forwarder for Leverkusen and the Rhineland

With more than 50,000 vehicles across 38 countries, the DAGO Express network is large enough to react quickly, and over 15,000 companies book their freight transport with us. If a breakdown occurs, a replacement vehicle takes over the transport to keep things moving. International runs are carried out by verified partners with a valid EU licence and, where required, an ADR licence, which is essential for many consignments heading to the chemical industry. Our team monitors every transport around the clock, weekends and public holidays included.

Goods are insured with the Schunck Group up to 8.33 SDR per kilogram of gross weight, and for high-value freight, additional cover can be booked at short notice. After booking, a tracking link lets you follow the shipment, while emails confirm collection and delivery. The DAGO ShipperHub gives regular customers a single view of orders, ETAs and KPIs, alongside reports and an ERP interface via API. For temperature-sensitive goods, a temperature log can document the conditions during transport.

Your price is ready within seconds in the online calculator once you enter the postcodes, dimensions and weight. You can also book in the DAGO app or ask for a quote by email. From Leverkusen, the network reaches every corner of mainland Europe.