DHL Express
Encyclopedia
DHL Express is a division
of the German logistics company Deutsche Post
providing international express mail
services. DHL is a world market leader in sea and air mail.
Originally founded in 1969 to deliver documents between San Francisco and Honolulu, the company expanded its service throughout the world by the late 1970s. The company was primarily interested in offshore and inter-continental deliveries, but the success of FedEx
prompted their own intra-US expansion starting in 1983. DHL aggressively expanded to countries that could not be served by any other delivery service, including the Eastern Bloc
, Vietnam
and the People's Republic of China
.
In 1998, Deutsche Post
began to acquire shares in DHL, finally reached majority ownership in 2001, and completed the purchase in 2002. Deutsche Post then effectively absorbed DHL into its Express division while expanding the use of the DHL brand to other Deutsche Post divisions, business units and subsidiaries. Today, DHL Express shares its well-known DHL brand with other Deutsche Post business units such as DHL Global Forwarding and DHL Supply Chain.
DHL Express holds a Royal Warrant
from Queen Elizabeth II.
was studying law at the University of California, Berkeley
's Boalt Hall School of Law, and had little money. He started running courier duty between San Francisco and Los Angeles
, picking up packages for the last flight of the day, and returning on the first flight the next morning, up to five times a week.
When he graduated, Hillblom decided to go into the courier business himself. He found a niche that no other company was filling, offering to fly bills of lading from San Francisco to Honolulu. By flying the documents ahead of the freight they could be processed prior to vessel arrival and save valuable time after arrival.
Hillblom put up a portion of his student loans to start the company, bringing in his two friends Adrian Dalsey
and Robert Lynn as partners, with their combined initials as the company name. All three shared a Plymouth Duster
that they drove around San Francisco to pick up the documents in suitcases, then rushed to the airport to book flights using another relatively new invention, the corporate credit card. As the business took off, they started hiring new couriers to join the company. Their first hires were Max and Blanche Kroll, whose apartment in Hawaii often became a makeshift flophouse
for their couriers.
The company started expanding their service through the early 1970s, first to the Philippines
, then Japan
, Hong Kong
, Singapore
and Australia
. For lower-volume routes the company would hire couriers on a one-off basis, trading airline tickets for the delivery. This simple expedient would repeatedly save the company many legal hassles in the future, when would-be investigators would take them up on the open offer and make a delivery while taking their family on vacation. The first was when the FBI was tipped off about the groups of briefcase-carrying young men making repeated trips to Hawaii, and when they investigated and found nothing amiss, several agents became regular couriers for the company.
.
DHL turned their attention to the overnight market in the US, following the success of FedEx, and opened a major distribution hub in Cincinnati in 1983. However, DHL was never able to overcome FedEx's head start, capturing only 6% of the domestic market. In comparison, at the same time they were by far the largest international carrier, with 40% of that market. By the late 1980s the domestic operations were losing money, while the foreign operations continued to account for 2/3 of the company's income. A European hub opened in Brussels
in 1985. DHL may also have been reluctant to invest in the US market during the 1990s due to numerous lawsuits involving the company in the US courts, instituted by South Pacific Islanders claiming paternity of children by Larry Hillblom, who had died in an air crash over the Pacific Ocean, his body never recovered. These lawsuits persisted throughout the 90's and were only settled when DNA was, under pressure of the courts, obtained from the relatives of Mr. Hillblom.
began to acquire shares in DHL, finally reached majority ownership
in 2001, and completed the purchase in 2002. Deutsche Post then effectively absorbed DHL into its Express division while expanding the use of the DHL brand to other Deutsche Post divisions, business units and subsidiaries. Today, the DHL Express shares its well-known DHL brand with other Deutsche Post business units such as DHL Global Forwarding, DHL Freight, DHL Supply Chain and DHL Global Mail.
All US domestic flights were handled by DHL Airways, Inc. which in 2003 was renamed ASTAR Air Cargo
. DHL's first airline still remains with over 550 pilots in service, as of October 2008.
Headquarters for the Americas
are located in Plantation, Florida
, USA, while its Asia-Pacific and Emerging Markets headquarters are located in Singapore
, Malaysia and Hong Kong
. The European hub is in Leipzig.
Most of DHL Express' business is incorporated as DHL International GmbH.
Major competitors include FedEx
, UPS
, TOLL
, TNT
and national post carriers such as United States Postal Service
and Royal Mail
. However, DHL has a minor partnership with the USPS
, which allows DHL to deliver small packages to the recipient through the USPS network. It is also the sole provider for transferring USPS mail in and out of Iraq
and Afghanistan
.
DHL offers worldwide services, including deliveries to countries such as Iraq
, Afghanistan and Burma. As it is German-owned, DHL is not affected by U.S. embargo
es or sanctions and will ship to Cuba
, Iran and North Korea
. However there are strict codes for delivering to North Korea, as the country has shaky relations with the West.
As DHL is not a US company, it is not allowed to make domestic flights between U.S. airports. DHL contracts these services to other providers.
which they hope to accomplish with 50% of their vans.
On 16 September 2005 DHL won a High Court injunction establishing an exclusion zone around each of its 288 buildings in the UK
as well as the homes of its 18,000 UK employees. The firm has been the subject of a campaign of intimidation
because of their business with Huntingdon Life Sciences
. The judge banned protesters from coming within 50 yards (45.7 m) of any DHL premises or the homes of their employees as well as any organized demonstration within 100 yards (91.4 m) unless the police had been given four hours' notice. The injunction also protects anyone doing business with DHL from intimidation.
Le Mans Prototype
s in the IMSA
American Le Mans Series
. DHL also sponsors Ryan Hunter-Reay
's #28 IndyCar Series
car for Andretti Autosport. Manchester United Football Club
announced their first training kit sponsor in August 2011, agreeing a four-year deal with DHL reported to be worth £40 million; it is believed to be the first instance of training kit sponsorship in English football.
In 2010, DHL partnered with Inc. Magazine to profile the fastest growing businesses in the international business world.
Division (business)
A division of a business entity is a portion of that business that operates under a different name. It is the equivalent of a corporation or limited liability company obtaining a fictitious name or "doing business as" certificate and operating a business under that fictitious name...
of the German logistics company Deutsche Post
Deutsche Post
Deutsche Post AG, operating under the trade name Deutsche Post DHL, is the world's largest logistics group. With its headquarters in Bonn, the corporation has 467,088 employees in more than 220 countries and territories worldwide and generated revenue of € 51.48 billion in 2010...
providing international express mail
Express mail
In most postal systems express mail refers to an accelerated delivery service for which the customer pays a surcharge and receives faster delivery. Express mail is a service for domestic mail and is governed by a country's own postal administration...
services. DHL is a world market leader in sea and air mail.
Originally founded in 1969 to deliver documents between San Francisco and Honolulu, the company expanded its service throughout the world by the late 1970s. The company was primarily interested in offshore and inter-continental deliveries, but the success of FedEx
FedEx
FedEx Corporation , originally known as FDX Corporation, is a logistics services company, based in the United States with headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee...
prompted their own intra-US expansion starting in 1983. DHL aggressively expanded to countries that could not be served by any other delivery service, including the Eastern Bloc
Eastern bloc
The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...
, Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
and the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
.
In 1998, Deutsche Post
Deutsche Post
Deutsche Post AG, operating under the trade name Deutsche Post DHL, is the world's largest logistics group. With its headquarters in Bonn, the corporation has 467,088 employees in more than 220 countries and territories worldwide and generated revenue of € 51.48 billion in 2010...
began to acquire shares in DHL, finally reached majority ownership in 2001, and completed the purchase in 2002. Deutsche Post then effectively absorbed DHL into its Express division while expanding the use of the DHL brand to other Deutsche Post divisions, business units and subsidiaries. Today, DHL Express shares its well-known DHL brand with other Deutsche Post business units such as DHL Global Forwarding and DHL Supply Chain.
DHL Express holds a Royal Warrant
Royal Warrant
Royal warrants of appointment have been issued for centuries to those who supply goods or services to a royal court or certain royal personages. The warrant enables the supplier to advertise the fact that they supply to the royal family, so lending prestige to the supplier...
from Queen Elizabeth II.
Genesis
Larry HillblomLarry Hillblom
Larry Lee Hillblom was an American businessman, and a co-founder of DHL Worldwide Express, a shipping company.-Background:Larry Hillblom was born and raised in Kingsburg, California. Larry Hillblom was a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley's Boalt Hall School of Law and briefly...
was studying law at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
's Boalt Hall School of Law, and had little money. He started running courier duty between San Francisco and Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, picking up packages for the last flight of the day, and returning on the first flight the next morning, up to five times a week.
When he graduated, Hillblom decided to go into the courier business himself. He found a niche that no other company was filling, offering to fly bills of lading from San Francisco to Honolulu. By flying the documents ahead of the freight they could be processed prior to vessel arrival and save valuable time after arrival.
Hillblom put up a portion of his student loans to start the company, bringing in his two friends Adrian Dalsey
Adrian Dalsey
Adrian Dalsey was a co-founder of DHL, a shipping company. He was born in Illinois on Oct 14th, 1914, to a Jewish Polish father and an American mother. He attended Wheaton College , but later dropped out...
and Robert Lynn as partners, with their combined initials as the company name. All three shared a Plymouth Duster
Plymouth Duster
The first Plymouth Duster was a semi-fastback version of the Plymouth Valiant automobile, produced in the US from 1970 to 1976.The Duster name was later revived for optional trim packages on certain versions of the 1979-1980 Plymouth Volare, 1985-1987 Plymouth Turismo, and 1992-1994 Plymouth...
that they drove around San Francisco to pick up the documents in suitcases, then rushed to the airport to book flights using another relatively new invention, the corporate credit card. As the business took off, they started hiring new couriers to join the company. Their first hires were Max and Blanche Kroll, whose apartment in Hawaii often became a makeshift flophouse
Flophouse
A flophouse , doss-house or dosshouse is a place that offers very cheap lodging, generally by providing only minimal services.-Characteristics:...
for their couriers.
The company started expanding their service through the early 1970s, first to the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, then Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. For lower-volume routes the company would hire couriers on a one-off basis, trading airline tickets for the delivery. This simple expedient would repeatedly save the company many legal hassles in the future, when would-be investigators would take them up on the open offer and make a delivery while taking their family on vacation. The first was when the FBI was tipped off about the groups of briefcase-carrying young men making repeated trips to Hawaii, and when they investigated and found nothing amiss, several agents became regular couriers for the company.
Domestic expansion
In the 1970s DHL was one of the only truly international delivery companies, and the only one offering overnight service. The only major competitor in the overnight market was Federal Express (FedEx), which didn't open its first international service until 1981, expanding to Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Nevertheless, the domestic market was extremely profitable, and DHL was the third largest courier behind FedEx and the UPSUnited Parcel Service
United Parcel Service, Inc. , typically referred to by the acronym UPS, is a package delivery company. Headquartered in Sandy Springs, Georgia, United States, UPS delivers more than 15 million packages a day to 6.1 million customers in more than 220 countries and territories around the...
.
DHL turned their attention to the overnight market in the US, following the success of FedEx, and opened a major distribution hub in Cincinnati in 1983. However, DHL was never able to overcome FedEx's head start, capturing only 6% of the domestic market. In comparison, at the same time they were by far the largest international carrier, with 40% of that market. By the late 1980s the domestic operations were losing money, while the foreign operations continued to account for 2/3 of the company's income. A European hub opened in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
in 1985. DHL may also have been reluctant to invest in the US market during the 1990s due to numerous lawsuits involving the company in the US courts, instituted by South Pacific Islanders claiming paternity of children by Larry Hillblom, who had died in an air crash over the Pacific Ocean, his body never recovered. These lawsuits persisted throughout the 90's and were only settled when DNA was, under pressure of the courts, obtained from the relatives of Mr. Hillblom.
DP purchase
In 1998, Deutsche PostDeutsche Post
Deutsche Post AG, operating under the trade name Deutsche Post DHL, is the world's largest logistics group. With its headquarters in Bonn, the corporation has 467,088 employees in more than 220 countries and territories worldwide and generated revenue of € 51.48 billion in 2010...
began to acquire shares in DHL, finally reached majority ownership
Ownership
Ownership is the state or fact of exclusive rights and control over property, which may be an object, land/real estate or intellectual property. Ownership involves multiple rights, collectively referred to as title, which may be separated and held by different parties. The concept of ownership has...
in 2001, and completed the purchase in 2002. Deutsche Post then effectively absorbed DHL into its Express division while expanding the use of the DHL brand to other Deutsche Post divisions, business units and subsidiaries. Today, the DHL Express shares its well-known DHL brand with other Deutsche Post business units such as DHL Global Forwarding, DHL Freight, DHL Supply Chain and DHL Global Mail.
Astar Air Cargo
ASTAR Air Cargo is an American cargo airline based in Miami, Florida, USA. It operates regularly scheduled cargo charter services to over 34 US airports and nine international airports, as well as worldwide charter freight services. It provides air freight services to six domestic and foreign...
. DHL's first airline still remains with over 550 pilots in service, as of October 2008.
- 2001: Deutsche Post acquired a majority (51%) of DHL's shares, and the remaining 49% in 2002. The new DHL was launched by merging the old DHL, Danzas and Securicor Omega Euro Express.
- 2001: The PackstationPackstationPackstation is a service run by DHL Parcel Germany, a business unit of Deutsche Post's Mail division, in Germany. It provides automated booths for self-service collection of parcels and oversize letters as well as self-service dispatch of parcels 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Packstation...
, an automated delivery booth, is introduced as a pilot project in Dortmund and Mainz. - 2002: Bashkirian Airlines Flight 2937Bashkirian Airlines Flight 2937The 2002 Überlingen mid-air collision occurred at 23:35 UTC on 1 July 2002 between Bashkirian Airlines Flight 2937 and DHL Flight 611 over the towns of Überlingen and Owingen in southern Germany...
, a Tupolev Tu-154Tupolev Tu-154The Tupolev Tu-154 is a three-engine medium-range narrow-body airliner designed in the mid 1960s and manufactured by Tupolev. As the mainstay 'workhorse' of Soviet and Russian airlines for several decades, it serviced over a sixth of the world's landmass and carried half of all passengers flown...
passenger jet, collided with DHL Flight 611, a Boeing 757-200 cargo jet, at 35000 ft (10,668 m) over ÜberlingenÜberlingenÜberlingen is a city on the northern shore of Lake Constance . After the city of Friedrichshafen, it is the second largest city in the Bodenseekreis , and a central point for the outlying communities...
, Germany, due to a miscommunication between the pilots of Flight 2937 and Swiss air traffic controlSkyguideskyguide is the air navigation services company that controls Swiss airspace....
. The 69 people aboard the Tupolev (consisting mainly of Russian schoolchildren) and the two pilots of the Boeing were killed. - August 2003: Deutsche Post acquires Airborne ExpressAirborne ExpressAirborne Express was an express delivery company and cargo airline. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, its hub was at Wilmington, Ohio.Airborne was founded as the Airborne Flower Traffic Association of California in 1946 to fly flowers from the state of Hawaii to US Mainland.Airborne Express...
, and begins to integrate it into DHL. The Airborne Express Airline named ABX Air is to provide contract ACMI service until 2011. - 22 November 2003: DHL shootdown incident in BaghdadDHL shootdown incident in BaghdadOn 22 November 2003, shortly after takeoff from Baghdad, Iraq, an Airbus A300 cargo plane owned by European Air Transport was struck on the left wing tip by a surface-to-air missile. Severe wing damage resulted in a fire and complete loss of hydraulic flight control systems. Because outboard left...
: Iraqi insurgents fired an SA-7 "Grail" surface-to-air missileSurface-to-air missileA surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...
at a European Air TransportEuropean Air TransportEuropean Air Transport N.V./S.A. was a cargo airline with its head office in Building 4-5 on the grounds of Brussels Airport and in Zaventem, Belgium...
Airbus A300Airbus A300The Airbus A300 is a short- to medium-range widebody jet airliner. Launched in 1972 as the world's first twin-engined widebody, it was the first product of Airbus Industrie, a consortium of European aerospace companies, wholly owned today by EADS...
operating on behalf of DHL. The aircraft had taken off from BaghdadBaghdadBaghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
airport. The missile struck the left wing, disabling all three hydraulic systems and setting the wing on fire. The aircraft began a dangerous phugoidPhugoidA phugoid or fugoid is an aircraft motion where the vehicle pitches up and climbs, and then pitches down and descends, accompanied by speeding up and slowing down as it goes "uphill" and "downhill." This is one of the basic flight dynamics modes of an aircraft , and a classic example of a positive...
(vertical oscillation) but the crew managed to land safely at the airport despite only being able to control the aircraft by adjusting the engine thrust. - September 2004: a planned expansion by DHL at Brussels International Airport created a political crisis in BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. - 21 October 2004: DHL Express announced that it would move its European hub from Brussels to LeipzigLeipzigLeipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
, Germany (VatryVatryVatry is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France....
, FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
was considered and rejected). DHL's unions call a strike in response, paralyzing work for a day. - 8 November 2004: DHL Express invests €120 million in Indian domestic courier Blue DartBlue Dart AviationBlue Dart Aviation is an all-cargo airline based in Chennai, India. It operates scheduled night express cargo flights including domestic and regional charters. It has an in-house maintenance capability and provides aircraft maintenance and engineering support to other airlines .- History :The...
and becomes the majority shareholder in the company. - September 2005: Deutsche Post made an offer to buy contract logistics company Exel plcExelDHL Supply Chain is a division of Deutsche Post providing contract logistics and value-added services.- History :On 14 December 2005 Deutsche Post announced the completion of the acquisition of Exel plc, becoming the global No. 1 in air freight, ocean freight and contract logistics...
, which had just acquired Tibbett & Britten Group. - On December 14, 2005, Deutsche Post announced the completion of the acquisition of Exel plc. When integrating Exel into its Logistics division, it added its well-known DHL brand acquired with the purchase of DHL Express to form the name DHL Exel Supply Chain. Following the latest deal, DHL have a global workforce of 285,000 people (500,000 people including DPWN and other sister companies) and roughly $65 billion in annual sales.
- September 2006: DHL wins ten year contract worth £1.6 billion, to run the NHS Supply ChainNHS Supply ChainNHS Supply Chain is a joint venture between the Supply Chain Management Division of the NHS Business Services Authority and DHL. The organisation's role is to provide a dedicated supply chain to the National Health Service in England.-History:...
(part of the UK's National Health ServiceNational Health ServiceThe National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
). DHL will be responsible for providing logistics services for over 500,000 products to support 600 hospitals and other health providers in EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. As part of this new contract, in 2008 DHL will open a new 250000 sq ft (23,225.8 m²) distribution centre to act as a stock holding hub for food and other products, with another distribution centre opening in 2012. The two new distribution centres will create around 1,000 new jobs. - September 2007: DHL Express co-founds new cargo airline AeroLogicAerologicAeroLogic GmbH, a joint-venture between DHL Aviation and Lufthansa Cargo, is a German cargo airline headquartered in Schkeuditz, Saxony. It operates cargo flights out of Leipzig/Halle Airport and Frankfurt, most of which are on behalf of its parent companies....
, based at Leipzig/Halle AirportLeipzig/Halle AirportLeipzig/Halle Airport, sometimes called Schkeuditz Airport , is located in Schkeuditz, Saxony and serves both Leipzig, Saxony and Halle, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.It has more than two million passengers per year....
, in a 50:50 joint venture with Lufthansa CargoLufthansa CargoLufthansa Cargo AG is a cargo airline from Germany, operating worldwide air freight and logistics services on behalf of Lufthansa, of which it is a wholly owned subsidiary. The company is headquartered in Building 451 of the Frankfurt Airport area in Frankfurt, the major hub of Lufthansa...
. The carrier will operate up to 11 Boeing 777FsBoeing 777The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the world's largest twinjet and is commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven". The aircraft has seating for over 300 passengers and has a range from , depending on model...
by 2012. - December 2007: DHL becomes the first ever carrier to transport cargo via wind powered ships flying MS Beluga SkysailsMS Beluga SkysailsMS Beluga SkySails is a German commercial container cargo ship. It is the world's first ship partially powered by a giant computer-controlled kite, called the SkySails system...
kites. - May 2008: DHL Aviation moved their central depot to Leipzig; Germany, resulting in a significant positioning for improved service and timeliness to the European Union.
- 28 May 2008: DHL Express announced the restructuring plans for its United States network, including terminating its business relationship with ABX AirABX AirABX Air, Inc., formerly Airborne Express, is a cargo airline headquartered at Wilmington Air Park in unincorporated Clinton County, Ohio, United States, near the City of Wilmington. ABX Air operates scheduled, ad hoc charter and ACMI freight services. It also provides flight support services and...
and entering into a contract with competitor UPSUnited Parcel ServiceUnited Parcel Service, Inc. , typically referred to by the acronym UPS, is a package delivery company. Headquartered in Sandy Springs, Georgia, United States, UPS delivers more than 15 million packages a day to 6.1 million customers in more than 220 countries and territories around the...
for air freight operations. Its cargo hub would shift from Wilmington to Louisville. The Air Line Pilots Association, InternationalAir Line Pilots Association, InternationalThe Air Line Pilots Association, International , is the collective bargaining representative for over 59,000 pilots of 39 U.S. and Canadian airlines. ALPA was formed in 1931 and is a member of the AFL-CIO and the Canadian Labour Congress...
protests. See also: Wilmington, OhioWilmington, OhioWilmington is a city in and the county seat of Clinton County, Ohio, United States. The population was 12,520 at the 2010 census. At city entrances from state routes, county roads, and U.S. highways, the city slogan of "We Honor Our Champions" is seen, accompanied by signs that highlight various... - October 2008: Two DHL Express Middle East senior executives, David Giles and Jason Bresler, were assassinated in Kabul, by one of their own Afghan employees; they received military honors by the U.S. military, the first of such kind in Afghanistan.
- 10 November 2008: DHL announces that it is cutting 9,500 jobs as it discontinues domestic air and ground operations within the United States to deal with economic uncertainty. It is retaining international services, and is still in talks with UPS to transport DHL packages between U.S. airports.
- 30 January 2009 DHL ends domestic pick up and delivery service in the United States, effectively leaving UPS and FedEx as the two major express parcel delivery companies in the United States Limited domestic service is still available from DHL, provided that the packages are tendered to USPSUnited States Postal ServiceThe United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
for local delivery. NewEgg is one such company that uses this option as of May 10, 2011. - April 2009: UPS announced that DHL and UPS have ended negotiations for an agreement for UPS to provide airlift for DHL packages between airports in North America. DHL said in a statement, "We have not been able to come to a conclusive agreement that is acceptable to both parties." DHL will continue to use its current air cargo providers, ASTAR Air Cargo and ABX Air for now.
- On 18 March 2010 a DHL Antonov An-26Antonov An-26The Antonov An-26 is a twin-engined turboprop military transport aircraft, designed and produced in the USSR from 12 March 1968.-Development:...
aircraft made an emergency landing on the frozen Lake ÜlemisteLake ÜlemisteLake Ülemiste is the largest of the lakes surrounding Tallinn, Estonia. Ülemiste is where most of the city gets its drinking water from. The lake is fed mostly by Kurna stream and Pirita River ....
, close to Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport. Initial reports indicated problems with the landing gear and one of the engines. The flight was being operated by ExinExinExin is a cargo airline based in Lublin, Poland. Its main base is Katowice International Airport.-Destinations:Exin operates the following services on behalf of DHL Aviation :**Copenhagen - Copenhagen Airport...
on behalf of DHL. The aircraft involved was SP-FDO and the flight had departed from Helsinki Airport. Two of the six crew members were injured.
Services
DHL Express's global headquarters are part of the Deutsche Post headquarters in Bonn.Headquarters for the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
are located in Plantation, Florida
Plantation, Florida
Plantation is the name of the following places in the U.S. state of Florida:*Plantation, Florida, a city in Broward County; the largest of the places named "Plantation" in Florida*Plantation, Sarasota County, Florida, a census-designated place...
, USA, while its Asia-Pacific and Emerging Markets headquarters are located in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Malaysia and Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. The European hub is in Leipzig.
Most of DHL Express' business is incorporated as DHL International GmbH.
Major competitors include FedEx
FedEx
FedEx Corporation , originally known as FDX Corporation, is a logistics services company, based in the United States with headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee...
, UPS
United Parcel Service
United Parcel Service, Inc. , typically referred to by the acronym UPS, is a package delivery company. Headquartered in Sandy Springs, Georgia, United States, UPS delivers more than 15 million packages a day to 6.1 million customers in more than 220 countries and territories around the...
, TOLL
Toll Holdings
TOLL , properly TOLL Holdings Limited, is Australia's largest transport company, based in Melbourne, Victoria. The company has operations in road, rail, sea and air in 55 countries....
, TNT
TNT N.V.
TNT N.V., more commonly known as TNT, is an international express and mail delivery services company with headquarters in Hoofddorp, Netherlands. In the Netherlands, TNT operates the national postal service under the name TNT Post. The group also offers postal services in eight other European...
and national post carriers such as United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
and Royal Mail
Royal Mail
Royal Mail is the government-owned postal service in the United Kingdom. Royal Mail Holdings plc owns Royal Mail Group Limited, which in turn operates the brands Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide...
. However, DHL has a minor partnership with the USPS
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
, which allows DHL to deliver small packages to the recipient through the USPS network. It is also the sole provider for transferring USPS mail in and out of Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
.
DHL offers worldwide services, including deliveries to countries such as Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, Afghanistan and Burma. As it is German-owned, DHL is not affected by U.S. embargo
Embargo
An embargo is the partial or complete prohibition of commerce and trade with a particular country, in order to isolate it. Embargoes are considered strong diplomatic measures imposed in an effort, by the imposing country, to elicit a given national-interest result from the country on which it is...
es or sanctions and will ship to Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, Iran and North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
. However there are strict codes for delivering to North Korea, as the country has shaky relations with the West.
As DHL is not a US company, it is not allowed to make domestic flights between U.S. airports. DHL contracts these services to other providers.
Environmental record
Measures have been taken to physically control the amount of polluting by use of the alternative fuel examples. DHL changed vehicles in certain delivery fleets in accordance to their use of newer fuel ideas. The fuel was switched to compressed natural gasCompressed natural gas
Compressed natural gas is a fossil fuel substitute for gasoline , diesel, or propane/LPG. Although its combustion does produce greenhouse gases, it is a more environmentally clean alternative to those fuels, and it is much safer than other fuels in the event of a spill...
which they hope to accomplish with 50% of their vans.
On 16 September 2005 DHL won a High Court injunction establishing an exclusion zone around each of its 288 buildings in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
as well as the homes of its 18,000 UK employees. The firm has been the subject of a campaign of intimidation
Intimidation
Intimidation is intentional behavior "which would cause a person of ordinary sensibilities" fear of injury or harm. It's not necessary to prove that the behavior was so violent as to cause terror or that the victim was actually frightened.Criminal threatening is the crime of intentionally or...
because of their business with Huntingdon Life Sciences
Huntingdon Life Sciences
Huntingdon Life Sciences is a contract animal-testing company founded in 1952 in England, with facilities in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire; Eye, Suffolk; New Jersey in the U.S., and Japan...
. The judge banned protesters from coming within 50 yards (45.7 m) of any DHL premises or the homes of their employees as well as any organized demonstration within 100 yards (91.4 m) unless the police had been given four hours' notice. The injunction also protects anyone doing business with DHL from intimidation.
DHL Aviation
Deutsche Post owns four airline subsidiaries operating for DHL Express, operating a total of 80 aircraft, which are collectively referred to as DHL Aviation:- DHL Aero ExpresoDHL Aero ExpresoDHL Aero Expreso S.A. is a cargo airline based in Panama City, Panama. It is wholly owned by Deutsche Post World Net and operates the group's DHL-branded parcel and express services in Central and South America. Its main base is Tocumen International Airport, Panama City.- History :The airline was...
, Panama CityPanama CityPanama is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Panama. It has a population of 880,691, with a total metro population of 1,272,672, and it is located at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal, in the province of the same name. The city is the political and administrative center of the...
, PanamaPanamaPanama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
, services destinations in Central and South America. - DHL Air UK, Hounslow, United Kingdom, provides services for the European network from East Midlands Airport.
- European Air TransportEuropean Air TransportEuropean Air Transport N.V./S.A. was a cargo airline with its head office in Building 4-5 on the grounds of Brussels Airport and in Zaventem, Belgium...
, Brussels AirportBrussels AirportBrussels Airport is an international airport northeast of Brussels, Belgium. The airport is partially in Zaventem and partially in the Diegem area of Machelen, both located in the Flemish Region of Belgium.Brussels Airport currently consists of 54 contact gates, and a total of 109 gates...
, Belgium, runs the European network. Its base has been moved to Leipzig/Halle AirportLeipzig/Halle AirportLeipzig/Halle Airport, sometimes called Schkeuditz Airport , is located in Schkeuditz, Saxony and serves both Leipzig, Saxony and Halle, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.It has more than two million passengers per year....
. - SNAS/DHL, Muharraq, Bahrain, provides services from Bahrain International AirportBahrain International AirportBahrain International Airport is an international airport located in Muharraq, an island on the northern tip of Bahrain, about northeast of the capital Manama...
for a wide variety of Middle EastMiddle EastThe Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
destinations, including AfghanistanAfghanistanAfghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
.
Sponsorships
For several years, DHL was the primary sponsor of the Porsche RS SpyderPorsche RS Spyder
The RS Spyder is a racing car designed by Porsche to compete in Le Mans Prototype Class 2 racing. The car takes its name from the legendary 550 Spyder of the 1950s...
Le Mans Prototype
Le Mans Prototype
A Le Mans Prototype is a type of sports prototype race car most notably used in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, American Le Mans Series and Le Mans Series...
s in the IMSA
IMSA
IMSA can refer to:* International Management Systems Association, original name of the International Project Management Association * Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, a residential magnet school located in Aurora, Illinois...
American Le Mans Series
American Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consists of a series of endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Teams compete in one of five classes: LMP1, LMP2 and LMPC...
. DHL also sponsors Ryan Hunter-Reay
Ryan Hunter-Reay
Ryan Hunter-Reay is a professional American race car driver best known as the only driver to have won races in each of North America's top open wheel formulas, CART the ChampCar World Series and the IndyCar Series...
's #28 IndyCar Series
IndyCar Series
The IZOD IndyCar Series is the premier level of American open wheel racing. The current championship, founded by Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony George, began in 1996 as a competitor to CART known as the Indy Racing League . Citing CART's increasing reliance on expensive machinery and...
car for Andretti Autosport. Manchester United Football Club
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
announced their first training kit sponsor in August 2011, agreeing a four-year deal with DHL reported to be worth £40 million; it is believed to be the first instance of training kit sponsorship in English football.
In 2010, DHL partnered with Inc. Magazine to profile the fastest growing businesses in the international business world.
External links
- Official site
- Deutsche Post World Net
- The business of climate: A look to technology "The State of Global Trade"; interview with Herman Ude, CEO DHL Global Forwarding Freight regarding APEC Singapore 2009APEC Singapore 2009Singapore hosted the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings from February to November 2009. The APEC 2009 meetings will culminate in the 17th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting , where Leaders of APEC's 21 member economies will meet from 14 to 15 November 2009.-Theme:The theme for 2009 is...
- Major DHL Express feature on Global Aviation Resource
- Non-document Shipments to Private Individuals in Russia