GLOBAL FORWARDING, FREIGHT

Structure and Services

With its Global Forwarding and Freight business units, the GLOBAL FORWARDING, FREIGHT division is the world's largest provider of air and ocean freight services and one of the leading overland freight forwarders in Europe and the Middle East. We develop global and individual transport solutions for our customers, provide capacity and co-ordinate the dispatch of goods and information in more than 150 countries.

We broker between our customers and freight carriers and combine their orders in order to reach a volume that allows us to secure cargo space and charter capacity from airlines, shipping companies and freight carriers at competitive prices. We also make use of the air freight capacity of our EXPRESS division. Since we purchase transport services rather than providing them ourselves, we are able to operate our business with a very low level of fixed assets.

Global Forwarding Services

Our customers come from companies of all sizes. They operate primarily in the technology, pharmaceutical, automotive, manufacturing/mechanical engineering, fashion and consumer goods sectors. Within the Global Forwarding business unit we provide them the following services.

• Developing global and individual transport solutions for our customers, provide capacity and co-ordinate the dispatch of goods and information.
• Brokering between our customers and freight carriers and combine their orders in order to reach a volume that allows us to secure cargo space and charter capacity from airlines, shipping companies and freight carriers at competitive prices.
• Ensuring that shipments of all kinds are transported to their destination by air or by sea.
• Providing special transport-related services: we store, collect and deliver the goods, handle customs formalities, insure the load and supply information. In this way, we ensure safety and reliability even across national borders.
• Additional services: Planning and implementing industrial projects worldwide, in particular for the oil and energy industry. Contracting for transport management services in order to combine all means of transport for our customers with the goal of reducing complexity, improving quality and lowering costs.

Freight services

DHL Freight is the second-largest overland freight forwarder in Europe and the Middle East. DHL is also one of the leading providers of trade fair, exhibition and event logistics. The freight business unit is a broker of freight capacity and offers the following services in more than 53 countries.  

• Overland transport business: Providing full-truckload, part-truckload and less-than-truckload services.
• Offering intermodal services with other carriers, especially rail transport companies.
• The range of services includes handling customs formalities and providing insurance.
• Trade fair, exhibition and event logistics: Freight services include trade fair transport and customised full-service solutions for exhibitors, event organisers, event management and staging companies and event agencies.