Kaukokiito
Your partner in logistics
We know this country
We know what it’s like to be an entrepreneur in Finland, and we’re not afraid to put ourselves on the line. These traits unite today’s Kaukokiito employees with the generations that came before us. Our job is to keep Finland moving and the country’s economy vibrant. It’s work we’re proud of.
Over 70 years of logistics
We have been serving Finnish businesses for 70 years. More than 2,000 Kaukokiito employees across Finland work towards a common goal: to always deliver better customer experiences. We produce and develop transport and contract logistics solutions for our customer companies’ needs, utilising the latest technology.
We know how to make everyday life easier
Our everyday work is closely linked to our customers’ everyday lives – we listen, discuss and ask how they are doing. Our everyday activities also generate a large amount of data, which we process to produce valuable information that benefits both us and our customers, such as emission reports.
Logistics of the future
Our goal is to make our technological solutions so easy and intuitive to use that they free up time for other tasks and decision-making. We want to help both our own professionals and our customers focus on precisely those areas where their expertise and human understanding are most needed.
Kaukokiito carriers
Our owners are Finnish carriers and family businesses that are responsible for the logistics operations of the Kaukokiito chain in their respective areas of operation. Together, we ensure that our customers’ shipments are transported from one place to another in a systematic manner and according to the agreed schedule.
Kuljetusliike Ilmari Lehtonen Oy was established in the early 1950s. It is one of the largest transport companies in Northern Finland, with premises in Oulu, Rovaniemi, Kemi, Ylivieska and Ivalo. The company’s hometown is in Rovaniemi and the head office is located in Oulu. Its operating region extends from Northern Ostrobothnia all the way to the northernmost point of Lapland. The line network, however, extends from this region to the whole of Southern Finland. Ilmari Lehtonen has approximately 300 employees, and its fleet numbers some 110 units. www.ilmarilehtonen.fi
Transport company Kantola & Koramo Oy was founded in 1961. The company has a total of six offices: Kuopio, Joensuu, Kuusamo, Kajaani, Savonlinna and Mikkeli. The company’s head office is located in Kuusamo. Kantola & Koramo’s operating area extends from Savo and North Karelia to Kainuu and Koillismaa. Its transport network covers the whole of Southern Finland. The company is known for its diverse services, which include the transport of general cargo, foodstuffs and timber.
The company employs approximately 380 people. In addition, an extensive network of transport companies is involved in its daily operations. Its fleet includes 130 of its own vehicles and, including subcontractors, approximately 175 units. www.kantolakoramo.fi
Transport company Taipale Oy was founded in 1946. It operates in Central Finland and Kanta-Häme. The company has offices in Jyväskylä, Hämeenlinna, Nokia and Virrat, with its head office in Jyväskylä. Its route network extends from Jyväskylä to Häme, Uusimaa, South-West Finland and Ostrobothnia. The company specialises in the transport of general cargo and foodstuffs, as well as special transport.
Taipale has a fleet of around 150 vehicles and employs approximately 350 people. https://kuljetusliiketaipale.fi/
Auramaa-yhtiöt was founded in 1929. The company’s route network extends east to Lappeenranta, from where it curves to cover the entire south-western coast of Finland and the Ostrobothnian coast. The company’s head office is located in Eura, and it has a total of 11 offices. The range of products transported is wide, from heavy industrial bulk transport to temperature-controlled food transport.
The company employs approximately 450 people and operates a fleet of 320 vehicles. The average age of the modern fleet is approximately 3.5 years, which has helped to minimise the environmental impact of its operations.
Kaukokiito before
In the spring of 1953, a group of transport professionals gathered at the Viherkulma restaurant in Helsinki, where they signed the founding document, thereby gaining the right to paint the name Kaukokiito on their vehicles and operate under that name. The company was based in Helsinki, and its first offices were located on Hakaniemi Square.
Little did those provincial men know that seven decades later, more than a thousand Kaukokiito vehicles would be travelling on Finnish roads every day and 2,000 Kaukokiito employees would be working across the country on the road, terminals, warehouses, offices and our customers’ premises, all working towards a common goal: to always deliver better customer experiences.
Much has changed, but the foundation remains the same: our roots are still deep in this country, and our culture of entrepreneurship remains strong. Kaukokiito’s four owner-operators, all family businesses, cherish their history but are eagerly and proudly building something new.
Kaukokiito 70 years
In 2023, the Kaukokiito chain celebrated its 70th anniversary. To mark the occasion, we published Matkalla tulevaisuuteen (only available in Finnish), in which we look back on the past years, but above all look boldly to the future.
The publication describes Kaukokiito’s journey from different perspectives and through the eyes of different people – both our customers and our own Kaukokiito employees. It is not a history book, but rather an overview of who we are today and what the future of logistics looks like.
You can download the publication in PDF format. Enjoy reading!
