With the world forever changing, and at speed, DHL is constantly reshaping to fit, adapt and deliver. At the time this meant applying local solutions to bridge global distances, including setting up express logistics centres to manage next-morning deliveries worldwide and introducing Import Express to enable shipments from anywhere to anywhere.
The DHL founders noticed that the transport of goods from California to Hawaii was very slow, not only because of the low speeds reached by ships, but also because of sluggish customs clearance.
They decided to check what would happen if the shipping documents were delivered to the port by plane, while the ship was traveling by sea, to obtain faster customs clearance. Instead of starting the check-in process after the ship arrived, it was enough to check the compliance of the documents with the load during unloading and the goods could move on. And damn effective. Pressure to shorten delivery times as much as possible put air transport and its development in the spotlight.
DHL achieved record speeds over long distances. It needed only to develop fast procedures for last mile deliveries to introduce an innovative and quick delivery in one day, and even within a few hours door-to-door service. The introduction of a tracking system in turned out to be a brilliant move — DHL was the first in this field.
The transparency of the service and the ability to check the status of a delivery at every stage is extremely valuable for people waiting for shipments. The company also sought new outlets for service, working out an arrangement with Hilton International Co.
It was a win-win situation as Hilton was able to offer its patrons a high-class delivery service and DHL was guaranteed new outlets for its business. Although DHL had a strong international presence, business was occasionally made difficult because it was necessary for the company to negotiate with foreign governments. In , for example, the French post office sought to reassert a monopoly dating back to the 15th century, and DHL--possessing 80 percent of the French market--was ordered to halt operations outside Paris.
What could have been a potential crisis for the company was, however, favorably resolved. DHL continued to expand its horizons, though, adding Eastern bloc nations in Despite counting 97 percent of the nation's largest companies among its customers, DHL still held only a minuscule share of the overall domestic market.
To bolster its share of the American market, DHL installed two major hubs at airports in Cincinnati and Salt Lake City, and added nine mini-hubs in major cities across the country. The company also bought three Boeing s and seven Learjets, as well as new sorting equipment. In addition, in DHL Worldwide started using helicopters in New York and Houston to expedite documents during rush hour and the following year initiated helicopter service in Los Angeles as well.
Once the hubs had been installed, DHL Airways began offering point-to-point overnight service between American cities. Still, for the year ending in , DHL reached only two or three percent of the domestic market--yet had more than 5, employees with offices in over 90 countries. As in its earliest days, banks accounted for a large portion of its business; other common shipments consisted of computer tapes, spare parts, and shipping papers.
That year, DHL estimated it carried 80 percent of the bank material traveling by courier from Europe to the U. In , as former courier-driver Joseph Waechter became president of DHL Airways, DHL provided service to more than countries, and its stations were handling 15 million international and domestic shipments annually.
But just as DHL was looking to cut into the business of its domestic competitors, those same companies were aiming to siphon off portions of DHL's international business. As competition became more intense, DHL increasingly began to cooperate with businesses in similar areas. The company teamed up with Western Union to deliver documents generated on Western Union's EasyLink electronic mails, allowing people to send documents via courier without having to hand-deliver material to the courier's office.
Lynch remained with the company just two years and was replaced by Patrick Foley, the former chairman of Hyatt Hotels. However, an important competitive battleground existed in Japan, and while FedEx and UPS gained footholds in that country in the s, by DHL still controlled 80 percent of the Japanese overseas market.
Within our worldwide network, DHL Express delivers on time at the right address. DHL Express understands that your shipment is far more than just a parcel. Our logistics processes connect your company with your customer. No matter what you send, we know that your shipment can make all the difference. Just as you promised your customer! This will allow Belgian companies to increase their export volume and deliver packages abroad even more quickly and reliably.
The Brussels Hub will triple capacity from 12, to 39, shipments per hour thanks to the modernization of the sorting technologies used, allowing DHL to respond to expected further growth in international express shipments. Our service centers across the country provide you with an excellent service next door.
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