Robbing thieves of their opportunities

The thieves rolled quietly onto the lonely lay-by near Newark, UK, at 01:45, March 24, fired up their blowtorches and set to work. Only hours later did the driver discover two full pallets of designer shoes missing from his load.

A month earlier, but not far off on the A46, a lorry driver awakes at 05:00 to find a gang breaking into his vehicle. They threaten him, and then slash open the canvas on his vehicle. After loading more than a dozen pallets of Dyson DC15 vacuum cleaners into a white Ford Transit panel van, they vanish into the night.

These are but two examples of a long list of criminal incidents affecting shipments across Europe on a daily basis. The theft of shipments causes businesses over EUR8 billion in damages every year, according to the European Union. For high-tech devices, consumer goods and all manner of other products: if it can be shipped by road, it can also become a target of thieves for reselling on secondary markets (e.g. black markets). To outfox the thieves DHL Freight has launched a new service: DHL HIGHVALUE gives companies security that their goods are transported according to high security standards.

Full visibility of shipments during transport

The security measures attached to the service were designed to ensure that goods are protected at every point in the supply chain - from pick up at the manufacturer to delivery at the customer - while ensuring customers have the option of receiving proactive updates and full visibility of their shipments during transport. This starts with strong security protocols at the DHL terminals, such as access controls and video camera monitoring. This continues during the transport phase: drivers of DHL HIGHVALUE shipments are specially trained to be aware of possible dangers and how to avoid them; a second driver can also be added upon request or even the entire tour monitored via GPS in real time.

DHL HIGHVALUE vehicles are sealed before departure and either outfitted with strengthened, slash-resistant tarpaulin or box trailers. For stops and breaks along the route, predetermined, secure parking locations are identified and approved during the planning phase.

Overall, the DHL HIGHVALUE offering provides four key factors for customers: high security, proactive communication, visibility of shipments through enhanced transparency, and lastly, DHL Freight's unparalleled less-than-truckload (LTL) high-value network coverage in Europe.

High-value transportation services across Europe

Although DHL Freight has already been offering high-value transportation services in selected countries to businesses whose products include valuable goods like electronics and high-end clothing at full truckload (FTL), the new DHL HIGHVALUE is now a standard offering for LTL shipments and will be made available across Europe in a step-by-step approach. In addition to Germany, Hungary and the Netherlands, the first step will include Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland and the UK. Small and medium-sized enterprises as well as major corporate clients now have the option of theft-proof overland transport for high-value shipments weighing up to 2,500 kg. Full coverage of all European countries is envisaged for 2012.

DHL Freight CEO Thomas George sees the expansion of the high-value service as a key move in anticipation of increasing demand. "Our experience over the years has shown that security and security-related services are priority issues for many DHL Freight customers," he says. "We believe that the freight market will see a growing demand for security, transparency and proactive management in the transport of theft-sensitive products in particular."