GLS accelerates European parcel shipment
General Logistics Systems (GLS) is reducing its regular delivery time for international parcels in Central Europe by one third. Parcel shipments that have to cross two borders now arrive at their destination one day earlier. Since April 1st, six countries are integrated into the “Euro 48” project.
For Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Austria, the Czech Republic and the major part of France GLS is reducing the regular delivery time of its interna-tional basic parcel product from 72 to 48 hours. This affects shipments that cross two national borders. For neighbouring countries, a delivery time rang-ing from 24 to 48 hours is the rule at GLS.
An example: a parcel that is sent from Kolding in Denmark to Klagenfurt in southeast Austria, a distance of more than 1,300 kilometres, now only takes two days.
New day sorting in the Neuenstein European hub
GLS succeeds in reducing delivery time by accelerating scheduled transports between the Neuenstein European hub (Germany) and the neighbouring countries that are integrated in the “Euro 48” project. International parcels from these countries are already on their way to Neuenstein during the night and arrive at the European hub before midday. A newly introduced day sort-ing – between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. – makes the interim stop here shorter. This way, shipments arrive the same evening at the responsible hub in the country of destination – just in time for the final sorting and subsequent delivery on the next day.
Eastern Europe stands to benefit
Hungary, Slovenia and Slovakia also stand to benefit from the quicker transit time since shipments to these countries are routed via Ansfelden in Austria. The time savings for transports to Austria reduce the total transport time by 24 hours. A shipment from Belgium to Slovenia, for example, now takes 72 hours.
Faster shipment – throughout Europe
“New economic areas have developed over and beyond national borders in Europe. Cross-border parcel services will continue to increase considerably within the EU”, explains Rico Back, CEO at GLS B.V., Amsterdam. The “Euro 48“ project is an important step in meeting this demand. In the long-term, GLS is planning to connect all European regions that can be reached by road within two days with its basic parcel product in a regular delivery time of 48 hours.
Quality delivered by GLS
General Logistics Systems B.V., Amsterdam (GLS), is a Pan-European company providing reliable, high-quality parcel and express services as well as value-added logistics solutions. The company offers its services through wholly owned and part-ner companies in 41 European states. The GLS system consists of 29 central tran-shipment points, 667 depots and 14,500 people. Some 17,700 vehicles are on route moving 280 million parcels annually for 220,000 customers throughout Europe. In the financial year 2004/2005, GLS achieved revenues of 1.34 billion euros. GLS stands for “European Leader in Quality“. This is something that everyone working for GLS strives to achieve every day.
