DHL trial Thames delivery barges in bid to “go green”

DHL Express is reportedly targeting a roll-out of delivery barges on the Thames this year, as part of its “go green” strategy, says The Loadstar.

Chief executive John Pearson confirmed to The Loadstar the company’s UK division was working on a scheme similar to that in Amsterdam.

“Over the past three or four months, Paul [Hampson, UK operations director] and the team have been exploring moving stuff up and down the Thames,” said Mr Pearson. “From there the packages would be put onto bikes to get to their final destination in the wider city.”

A spokesperson for DHL Express UK told The Loadstar the operator was running a pilot programme with barges and was also hoping to utilise its ‘cubicycle’ – a cargo quadricycle with a container capable of holding 125kg. Several were already operating, she added.

“Providing the pilot goes successfully, we are targeting roll-out of the barge system at some point in 2019,” she continued.
“We would be using it to move documents and small packages along the main body of the Thames but at the moment are not considering using the canals.”