Transport and logistics business valuation benchmarks for New Zealand
Valuation evidence for New Zealand transport, postal and warehousing businesses, drawn from 277 verified freight, courier, warehousing and transport business sales recorded by licensed NZ business brokers. Indexed price trends, median time-to-sell, recent comparables and a regional heatmap, covering ANZSIC Division I nationwide.
The state of the NZ transport and logistics business sales market
Transport, Postal and Warehousing (ANZSIC Division I) covers road freight, courier and delivery, warehousing and storage, taxi and road transport, and transport-support services. Bizstats has recorded 277 sales in the category, roughly 57% of them in Auckland, the country's freight and distribution hub.
No category was more disrupted by COVID-19. Median time-to-sell spiked to 10 months in 2020, the longest reading in any Bizstats industry, before recovering to 4.5 months by 2025.
Thin annual samples make the indexed series the most volatile Bizstats publishes: the price index has ranged from 54 to 384, and the SDE multiple index from 69 to 256. Individual years should not be read literally; the multi-year trend is the only reliable guide, and on that basis sale prices have risen a cumulative 76%.
Sale price and SDE multiple figures are indexed to 2010 = 100. The +% values show cumulative change since the 2010 baseline. The full dollar medians, by sub-category, are available in a Bizstats valuation report.
Indexed median transport and logistics sale price
Median sale price for New Zealand transport and logistics business transactions, indexed to 2010 = 100. The underlying dollar medians by sub-category are published in the Bizstats valuation report.
Commentary: The transport and logistics price index is the most volatile Bizstats tracks, swinging between 54 and 384 on a 2010 = 100 basis and sitting at 176 by 2025. No single year is a dependable reading; the multi-year trend points to a cumulative 76% rise.
Indexed median transport and logistics SDE multiple
Median SDE (Seller's Discretionary Earnings) multiple paid for New Zealand transport and logistics businesses, indexed to 2010 = 100. The price index tracks what businesses sell for; the SDE multiple index tracks what buyers are paying per dollar of earnings. Actual multiples by sub-category are published in a Bizstats valuation report.
Commentary: The SDE multiple index has an exceptionally wide 69-256 range, sitting at 105 by 2025. That breadth reflects thin samples and the diversity of the category, an asset-heavy freight operator and a courier round are very different businesses, valued on very different multiples.
What buyers pay for in a transport and logistics business sale
The average split of the sale price into tangible assets, stock and intangibles (brand, customer base and other non-physical value) for NZ transport and logistics business transactions, year by year. Each bar is a 100% view: it shows the mix, not the dollar value.
- Tangibles
- Stock
- Intangibles
| Year | Tangibles | Stock | Intangibles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 59% | 0% | 41% |
| 2012 | 58% | 0% | 42% |
| 2013 | 30% | 0% | 70% |
| 2014 | 47% | 0% | 53% |
| 2015 | 8% | 0% | 92% |
| 2016 | 22% | 0% | 78% |
| 2017 | 44% | 0% | 56% |
| 2018 | 48% | 0% | 52% |
| 2019 | 16% | 0% | 84% |
| 2021 | 44% | 0% | 56% |
| 2023 | 72% | 0% | 28% |
| 2025 | 24% | 0% | 76% |
Commentary: Transport, postal and warehousing businesses are built on vehicle fleets and handling equipment, so tangible assets dominate the deal. By 2025 the median sale split roughly 24% tangible assets, 0% stock and 76% intangibles. The intangible share has moved from 41% in 2011 to 76% (+35 points), as freight contracts and customer accounts carry more of the value alongside the fleet.
Median time-to-sell for NZ transport and logistics businesses
Median months from listing to unconditional sale for NZ transport and logistics business transactions. A leading indicator of buyer demand. Tighter time-to-sell signals stronger competition for available stock.
Commentary: Time-to-sell tells the COVID story most clearly: a median of 3 months in 2010 spiked to 10 months in 2020 as the freight market seized, before recovering to 4.5 months by 2025. Asset-heavy transport businesses take longer to sell at the best of times; disruption lengthens that further.
Recent transport and logistics business sales in NZ
A sample of recent anonymised transport and logistics transactions. Each row shows ANZSIC sub-category, region, revenue, SDE and sale month, with revenue and SDE rounded to the nearest $100,000. Full anonymised comparables with exact sale prices and SDE multiples are in a Bizstats valuation report.
| ANZSIC | Region | Revenue | SDE | SDE X | Sold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other Water Transport Support Services | Auckland | $3,100,000 | $600,000 | ••• | Apr 2026 |
| Taxi and Other Road Transport | Taranaki | $200,000 | $100,000 | ••• | Feb 2026 |
| Other Warehousing and Storage Services | Auckland | $1,200,000 | $100,000 | ••• | Feb 2026 |
| Road Freight Transport | Canterbury | $1,300,000 | $300,000 | ••• | Feb 2026 |
| Other Water Transport Support Services | Northland | $1,200,000 | $500,000 | ••• | Dec 2025 |
| Other Transport n.e.c. | Auckland | $400,000 | $200,000 | ••• | Oct 2025 |
| Scenic and Sightseeing Transport | Bay of Plenty | $700,000 | $200,000 | ••• | Oct 2025 |
| Scenic and Sightseeing Transport | Otago | $1,000,000 | $500,000 | ••• | Sep 2025 |
| Courier Pick-up and Delivery Services | Auckland | $500,000 | $100,000 | ••• | Jul 2025 |
| Courier Pick-up and Delivery Services | Manawatu | $600,000 | $200,000 | ••• | Jul 2025 |
See what they actually sold for. A Bizstats valuation report unlocks exact sale prices, SDE multiples and time-to-sell for transport and logistics businesses by ANZSIC sub-category.
Create a Bizstats report →Sample drawn from 277 verified transport and logistics transactions, updated as new sales are recorded by our network of licensed NZ business brokers.
Transport and logistics business sales by NZ region
Transport and logistics transaction activity and median time-to-sell mapped across New Zealand's 16 regions. Auckland leads with 158 recorded sales, around 57% of the national total. Most regions fall below the reporting threshold for time-to-sell. Switch the metric to compare regions.
| Region | Transactions | Median time-to-sell (months) |
|---|---|---|
| Northland | 8 | Insufficient sample |
| Auckland | 158 | 3 |
| Waikato | 20 | 4.5 |
| Bay of Plenty | 26 | 4 |
| Gisborne | 0 | Insufficient sample |
| Taranaki | 6 | Insufficient sample |
| Manawatu | 1 | Insufficient sample |
| Hawke's Bay | 3 | Insufficient sample |
| Wellington | 6 | Insufficient sample |
| Tasman | 0 | Insufficient sample |
| Nelson | 6 | Insufficient sample |
| Marlborough | 3 | Insufficient sample |
| West Coast | 0 | Insufficient sample |
| Canterbury | 27 | 5 |
| Otago | 12 | Insufficient sample |
| Southland | 1 | Insufficient sample |
Put these transport and logistics benchmarks to work
Apply Bizstats transport and logistics benchmarks to a specific business: your own, a target acquisition or a comparable you're researching. Three free tools, no signup, real insights.
Work out Seller's Discretionary Earnings for a freight, courier or warehousing business, step by step.
Calculate SDEStart hereApply transport and logistics multiples to your SDE and get a market value estimate in seconds.
Try for FreeCalculate the return on investment for a transport business purchase.
Calculate ROITransport and logistics business valuation FAQ
ANZSIC Division I covers road freight, courier and delivery, warehousing and storage, taxi and road transport, and transport-support services. Bizstats has recorded 277 sales across the category.
Severely. Median time-to-sell spiked to 10 months in 2020 as the freight market seized, the longest reading in any Bizstats industry. It has since recovered to 4.5 months by 2025.
It is a small market with few recorded sales each year, so the indexed series swing widely, the price index has ranged from 54 to 384. The category is also diverse: an asset-heavy freight operator and a courier round are very different businesses. Read the multi-year trend, not any single year.
It varies enormously with assets and contracts. An owner-driver courier round is valued very differently from a freight operator with a depot and fleet. The Bizstats SDE multiple index has an unusually wide range; exact multiples by sub-category are in a Bizstats valuation report.
The dataset is updated monthly as new transactions flow in from our network of licensed New Zealand business brokers. Recorded coverage reaches back well over a decade, and the indexed trends on this page are benchmarked from 2010.
About this page
The benchmark figures, charts and recent comparables above are drawn from 277 verified transport and logistics business sales recorded by licensed NZ business brokers. The written analysis is generated from that data and reviewed by the Bizstats team, and is refreshed as new sales are recorded. These are indicative market benchmarks, not a formal valuation. See our Terms of Use.
Benchmarks last updated .
Learn more about business valuation
Guides that explain the metrics behind these transport and logistics benchmarks: SDE, earnings multiples, the ANZSIC classification and how market-based valuation works.
Understanding the Role of SDE in Business Valuation
One of the most widely used methods for business valuation is the capitalisation of earnings. Learn why Seller's Discretionary Earnings (SDE) is crucial for SME valuation.
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Value Modifiers in Business Valuation
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Common Misconceptions About SME Business Valuations
This piece will debunk prevalent myths surrounding business valuations in the SME sector, helping business owners, brokers, and advisors make more informed decisions and avoid pitfalls that could impact the sale or purchase of a business.
Understanding ANZSIC
ANZSIC codes classify business data, simplifying your search for accurate comparables on Bizstats.
Market Based Valuation 101
Understand your business's value with Market-Based Valuation: a simple, fast method using real sales data.