About DHL Express
Our roadmap to the future is our Strategy 2020: Focus. Connect. Grow.
We want to connect people and improve their lives. And we do it by being uncompromisingly customer-centric and delivering excellence day in and day out
- DHL Express vision is to be the Logistics Company for the World.
- DHL Express mission is Excellence. Simply Delivered.
- DHL Express strategy is Strategy 2020: Focus. Connect. Growth.
DHL Express is one of the international market leaders in express delivery with over 50 years of successful experience. The key to its success is its global network of over 120,000 employees in 220 countries and territories of the world, every one of them striving to deliver the best-in-class service.
Express delivery industry in general and DHL in particular came to life due to innovative thinking of three entrepreneurs from San Francisco. In 1969 Adrian Dalsey, Larry Hillblom and Robert Lynn set up door-to- door express delivery of document and non-document shipments, thus becoming pioneers of logistics industry.
The idea which made a big difference in the world and brought countries and continents closer was simple as all breakthrough ideas are. The three partners decided to reduce the time of customs clearance for shipments by speeding up delivery of customs documents. Due to express courier delivery the paperwork arrived at customs offices before the actual freight arrival at the destination port, thus enabling goods to pass through customs without any delay.
On September 20, 1969 Dalsey, Hillblom and Lynn (the D, H and L in the company name) registered their enterprise. The first DHL customers were Seatrain Lines, APL and Matson Navigation. Banks were also among the first to fully realize advantages of working with DHL: they used the company services to ensure fast and safe delivery of documents.
The innovative company expanded its geography and entered the international market in 1972. Following its aim to be wherever its customers need it, DHL opened its offices in the People’s Republic of China (1980) and the Soviet Union (1984) during the high Cold War.
Improving its skills to transport heavy shipments all over the world as well as mastering the complex supply chain management, the express delivery provider enjoyed rapid development. In 2002 a German corporation Deutsche Post became the major shareholder in DHL. The event was followed by integration with the market leader in freight forwarding Danzas Air&Ocean. In 2005 the company merges with Exel, an expert in contract logistics. As a result, DHL gained the opportunity to provide the full scope of logistics services operating its unique network which spans 220 countries and territories of the world.
In 2007 DHL opened the Innovation Center, a one-of-a-kind facility. It is here that high-tech, flexible and sustainable logistics solutions are designed and special offers are worked out for global customers.
The company was the first to offer to its clients an opportunity to make a contribution into the environmental protection by choosing dedicated green services for shipments aimed at reducing emissions into the atmosphere and mitigate the impact of CO2 produced by airplanes and trucks when carrying shipments. In 2008 DHL became the first operator on express delivery and logistics market to publicly announce its commitment to reduce CO2 emissions by 30% by 2020.
In 2008 DHL opened a new shipment sorting hub in Leipzig/Halle, Germany. The hub became one of the largest logistics facilities in Europe and enabled the company to offer even shorter transit times to the most remote areas of the world.
Nowadays DHL is the world leader in logistics and express delivery operating on the global scale. DHL offers to its customers cutting-edge technology and solutions for international express delivery, international post services, air, land and ocean freight, contract logistics and e-commerce. DHL’s network spans over 220 countries in the world. DHL employs over 120,000 highly competent international specialists who make sure that the company offers top-quality and safe service while meeting customers’ needs and offering the best possible logistics solutions. DHL is a socially responsible company as it supports environmental programs aimed at climate protection, develops projects to train specialists and gives support in the event of a natural disaster.
In Russia DHL operates the territory which covers over 8,200 locations and has about 190 offices in around the country. The total fleet of DHL Express in Russia now comprises over 550 vehicles.