As the umbrella and national association, the DSLV represents the interests of the 3,000 leading German forwarding and logistics companies across all modes of transport through 16 regional state associations.

With a total of 595,000 employees and an annual industry turnover of 114 billion euros, they are an essential part of Germany's third-largest industry (as of July 2021).

The membership structure of the DSLV ranges from globally operating logistics groups, 4PL and 3PL providers to larger, owner-operated freight forwarding companies (SMEs) with their own truck fleets as well as charterers of inland vessels and railways to sea, air freight, customs and warehouse specialists.

DSLV is the political mouthpiece as well as the central contact for the federal government, for the institutions of the Bundestag and Bundesrat as well as for all relevant federal ministries and authorities in the legislative and law implementation process as far as logistics and freight transport are concerned.