Drone deliveries take off for DHL

Express delivery firms may still be exploring the potential of unmanned aerial vehicles for their own purposes, but they can also be a lucrative source of business in themselves.
DHL’s Global Forwarding air and ocean freight specialist has signed a contract with Chinese consumer electronics exporter, Shenzhen Youkeshu Technologies to transport remote-controlled helicopters, parts and other hobbyist items.
DHL will establish a dedicated 24/7 freight control tower in Shenzhen to manage the shipments to more than 100 countries. It will also provide air, sea, and rail freight services to hubs in Asia and Europe.
The shipper said it had selected DHL because of its extensive freight network and the professionalism of its operations personnel. Vice president, Marpo Wang, said: “With more than 100,000sq m of warehouse storage for around 100,000 stock-keeping units from 4,000 different suppliers, we needed a solutions provider who could not only provide a wide range of forwarding modes and routes, but also manage our complex space and delivery requirements in an effective and timely manner. We have already worked with DHL for two years on a range of forwarding requirements and have great trust in their ability to coordinate immense amounts of freight traffic in an efficient and agile manner.”
He added: “E-commerce has brought significantly more complexity to how we manage factors like shipment volume, transit time, and cargo-ready dates, demanding a great deal of agility to accurately meet constant swings in demand. DHL’s expertise and dedicated personnel will play a major role in developing and adapting our strategy for B2B and B2C e-commerce fulfillment in overseas markets, particularly as we continue to expand our product range with new designs for drones and other unmanned aerial vehicles.”