Mainfreight began it's operations in Auckland, New Zealand in 1978, soon growing into New Zealand's most extensive freight network. In 1996, they went public and listed on the New Zealand Stock Exchange. To this day, they continue to be one of the best performing businesses on the New Zealand stock exchange. A shift in focus in 1984 saw the opening of the first Mainfreight Air & Ocean branch. Investments in Australian operations began in 1989, driven by a desire to treat New Zealand and Australia as a single market.

Their presence in Australia continued to expand through both acquisition and branch proliferation across strategic locations. They became global in 1999 with the acquisition of businesses in both Asia and the United States. Full ownership of their Asian operations was complete in 2007 and today they have several branches operating out of China, South East Asia, Japan and Korea. Expansion continued in the Americas with the purchase of Target Logistics services in 2007. In 2011, they acquired the business of Wim Bosman Group providing further opportunities to expand their international global network with branches throughout Europe. Their network across the region continues to expand with branches opening up in new countries across the entire supply chain.

The intensification and growth of their network remains a key strategic initiative enabling  them to provide greater levels of logistics efficiency and communication by being closer to their customers. As of 2022, they have 310+ branches in 26 countries in our global network, powered by over 11,000 team members.