DHL Wins Great Package Race for International Delivery

PLANTATION, Fla. – November 16, 2009/ DHL, the world’s leading express delivery and logistics company, was determined to be the winner for the international delivery portion of the Great Package Race of 2009. In a race involving all major package delivery providers in the United States, DHL Express was the first to reach the capital city of Mongolia in the student-managed contest, conducted yearly by The Supply Chain & Logistics Institute at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Under the direction of Professor John Bartholdi, similar packages were sent anonymously from a local retail shipping store in Atlanta, Georgia via UPS, FedEx, DHL and the USPS. Packages were addressed to one remote location in the U.S. and one international destination -- Ulan Bator -- the capital city of Mongolia. To provide a more accurate assessment of service, none of the transportation providers were aware of the test. DHL Express service was used for the international shipment.

DHL Express was the first carrier to reach the finish line to Ulan Bator in the 6,750-mile trip, with the other carriers reaching the delivery destination in the capital city of Mongolia one and two days later and one package taking over three weeks. Students participating in the annual undergraduate exercise concluded “more evidence of (DHL’s) strong international network,” and also observed that DHL Express was the best carrier in terms of tracking updates and visibility along the delivery route to Mongolia.

Tracking updates in DHL’s system revealed that after the package left the U.S., it arrived just two days later at DHL’s Incheon Gateway in Korea and was cleared by Customs the same day. Following a direct flight from Korea to Ulan Bator, the shipment was delivered in the early afternoon on the day it was received at the DHL office.

“We are pleased to see our specialization in international delivery pull through in this race to be the first delivery carrier in this contest to reach an international destination from the U.S.,” said Ian Clough, CEO of DHL Express, U.S. A. “Our strong global network gives DHL Express the ability and flexibility to ship not only to hundreds of cities and ports, but to get shipments to even the world’s most remote destinations.”

DHL Express is the international shipping and logistics expert. Its U. S. A. operations focus exclusively on import and export services to and from the U.S. market to more than 220 countries and territories worldwide through its unparalleled global network, catering to companies that operate globally and require fast, reliable international shipping services. This year, the U.S. Express network enhanced its international capabilities through new dedicated flights; a new principal hub in Cincinnati, Ohio and a new partner for retail access to international shipping services. The company also enhanced its culture of international expertise by providing Certified International Specialist training to all employees, a new requirement for every DHL U.S. Express employee. With more than 40 years of international shipping experience and 46 state-of-the-art hubs around the world from Shanghai to Cincinnati, approximately 95% of U.S. inbound shipments are cleared on the day of arrival, where regulations permit.

For more information about the Great Package Race, go to the following link at : http://www2.isye.gatech.edu/~jjb/wh/package-race/package-race.html