DHL has launched a new road freight transportation service between Europe and the Middle East totarget the growing market for slower and cheaper long-haul ground transportation within or between
world regions. TNT, FedEx and UPS are also expanding their portfolio of continental road freightservices as customers downgrade from more expensive express or air freight services.The new DHL Freight service uses the existing road networks in Europe and the Middle East,and offers regular departures at prices lower than air freight but with faster transit times thanocean freight. For shipments to and from the fast-growing Middle East region, customers can nowchoose the most suitable mode of transport depending on the time/cost restraints associated witheach individual shipment, DHL said in a statement.
“With this new choice, it is really worthwhile for our European customers with clients in theMiddle East region to take another look at their shipment structure,” said Thomas George, CEO DHLFreight. “Using DHL’s Road Freight Service between Europe and Middle East can lead to remarkablecost savings and an optimised supply chain.”
Shipments from Europe to the Middle East are initially consolidated in 13 major gateways andthen trucked to the Transit Center in Istanbul. From there, the cargo is fed into the Middle Eastnetwork. Routes operate from Istanbul directly to Syria and Iran, and via Amman in Jordan to Egypt,Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states. In the Middle East, DHL operates 16 major distribution centres,numerous local terminals and the most up-to-date truck fleet in the region.
Each shipment is assigned a unique code and can be tracked online. In addition, DHL takescare of all administrative work, such as customs clearance, letters of credit and allrisk-insurance services. With access to the larger DHL network, DHL Freight customers can benefitfrom further synergies when it comes to courier services, warehousing solutions as well as air andocean freight.
Within Europe, DHL Express and DHL Freight each operate a continental road network, with theformer designed for express deliveries on a guaranteed basis, and the latter targeting large-scaleheavy freight transportation. Elsewhere, DHL Express operates road networks in the Middle East andsouth-east Asia.
The expansion of continental, intra-regional or even intercontinental road services is alsobeing pursued by the other three integrators. TNT, which has an extensive European road network, isexpanding its road networks in south-east Asia/China, the Middle East and South America. In theUSA, both FedEx Freight and UPS Freight are enhancing their services with new products. Forexample, FedEx Freight this month introduced time-definite morning deliveries in the USA, while UPSFreight has over the last year improved transit times and upgraded its US-Canada services.
