DHL Express adds delivery feature as US peak season volumes surge

DHL Express has introduced a new service feature in time for the record holiday season that helps customers and future shipping recipients tailor their delivery options ahead of time for incoming deliveries.
The roll-out of the On-Demand Delivery service across DHL’s global network comes as the parcel and e-commerce giant is forecasting a 17% rise in peak season international shipment volume growth in the US this year, compared with 2017.
On-Demand Delivery, which was initially developed in response to significant growth in premium cross-border e-commerce volumes, allows shippers to activate specific delivery options and have DHL Express notify package recipients via email or text of a shipment’s progress.
Even those who don’t have yet a shipment in progress can subscribe and have the delivery preferences set for all future shipments. DHL Express can then match their contact information to their preferences, and deliver their packages is already specified by the recipient.
Greg Hewitt, chief executive for DHL Express US, said: “DHL express is well prepared to support customers during the holiday season. We have continued investment in US facilities as well as expanded owing to continental air capacity.
“You put in place the right capacity resources and extra volumes and to ensure the delivery processes are more than convenient than ever”.
Before the start of the peak season, DHL Express surveyed US e-commerce businesses, including its customers, and found that that they were expecting an increase of between 20% and 40% in their sales on Cyber Monday.
DHL has prepped its operations to meet the growing role of e-commerce in the retail sector and to mitigate operational challenges of both the retail and logistics industries.
DHL Express has introduced upgrades to its service capabilities, among them additional flights recently launched to key countries in North and South America.
They include a new direct flight from Miami to Bogotá, Colombia, and another from the DHL Americas hub at the Cincinnati North Kentucky international airport directly to Vancouver, Canada.
In the past six months, DHL Express also expanded its facilities in Tuscan Arizona, Ontario California, Baltimore Maryland and Charleston South Carolina, in addition to opening a new service centre in Sunnyvale California.