DHL has signed a memorandum of understanding with China’s fourth largest city, Chengdu, to carryout a comprehensive city logistics study, as part of a wider international project.
Its cross-divisional unit DHL Customer Solutions & Innovation will focus its City LogisticsMaster Plan on analysing the supply chains for shipping consumer goods between supermarkets,wholesale markets and franchised stores within the 14 million-population metropolis.
Bill Meahl, Chief Commercial Officer at DHL, explained: “By 2050, more than 70% of the worldpopulation will live in cities, and with our global City Logistics programme, we develop solutionsfor more-efficient logistics in these growing cities. Advanced logistics solutions not onlycontribute to a better living environment by reducing emissions but also help local businessesexploit their full potential through efficient transport management.”
A major element of DHL’s approach to city logistics is the implementation of urban freightcentres that significantly decrease cargo traffic, thus improving the air quality, increasingefficiency and service quality. In addition, logistics processes can be better monitored thisway.
Jörg Hanser, Director Solutions & Innovation at DHL, said: “DHL’s new cooperation with theCity of Chengdu is a great opportunity to prove our global capabilities in the increasinglyimportant field of city logistics. With the research, DHL will be able to gain a good understandingof the challenges of the Chinese city to develop a tailor-made city logistics solution that meetsChengdu’s specific needs and can also be seen as a model for other megacities in China. Theimplementation of this solution could be a key success factor for the region and will help use itsenormous business potential in the best possible way.”
Chen Zhongwei, Chief of the Logistics Commission in Chengdu, highlighted the importance ofoptimising transport activities in the rapidly growing city. “An optimised organisation of productsflows and services in urban areas not only raises the living standards but also strengthens thecompetitive advantage of the respective metropolis.”
Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan province in the southwest of China and one of the mostimportant economic, transport and communication centres in western China. Global corporations areincreasingly choosing the city as their logistics hub for operations in the region, DHL added.
The company is already engaged with a number of local governments in municipalities in the fieldof city logistics. Together with various technical partners including Siemens, DLR, SAP andTurkcell, the DHL City Logistics teams are working on optimising urban logistics and trafficflows.
