DHL becomes a contender

When considering carriers for overnight express packages, shippers may now have three legitimate options: FedEx, UPS and newcomer DHL Express. DHL commissioned a transit study this summer that demonstrates the carrier is performing as well or better than its veteran U.S. competitors.

The study tracked 14,400 overnight express shipments between 44 major U.S. cities across 480 lanes during July. The results showed UPS and DHL tied at a 90% reliability rate for 10:30 a.m. delivery, followed closely by FedEx at 88%.

“For two or three years, we’ve battled quite a degree of skepticism,” says DHL Americas CEO John Mullen. This study, he says, vindicates DHL’s efforts to break into the UPS/FedEx duopoly. “It has been a difficult road but we have come through it, and we think our customers can feel safe that they are not taking a chance on a niche player with us.”