DHL sorting center. How does this work. DHL express delivery service

DHL is a German company for international courier delivery of mail and cargo. It is one of the world's leading logistics companies. Founded on September 20, 1969. The initial task was to organize courier mail between Honolulu and San Francisco. The geography of transportation gradually expanded. The main area of ​​work was the organization of courier work between countries, including the states that were part of the Warsaw Pact.

DHL worked with Soviet Union at a time when other Western companies were not able to establish business with the countries of the socialist bloc. The company name comes from capital letters The founders' surnames are Adrian Dalsey, Larry Hillblom and Robert Lynn. The headquarters is located in Bonn, Germany. The position of Chairman of the Board of Directors of the company is occupied by Frank Appel. In 2011, the number of employees was 275,000. Urgent delivery of mail and cargo occurs in more than 120,000 cities located in 220 countries. DHL Express owns approximately 76,000 vehicles.

Every day, thousands of people on our planet are faced with the need to convey something important and urgent to a neighboring city or to another country. And it cannot be sent by email or send by SMS. As a rule, this is something material, the urgency of delivery of which determines a profitable deal, the success of an important event, or even a person’s life.

For all this, there are express delivery services that, despite bad weather, despite the political situation, despite natural disasters, deliver your message to the addressee within 24 hours.

Recently, DHL Express gave me the opportunity to see with my own eyes the path that urgent documents and express cargo take before reaching the recipient, what happens to them after the courier picks them up, and how DHL manages to deliver documents to other countries within days...

Every morning around 9 am a DHL plane arrives at Sheremetyevo:

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What pleasantly surprised me was that DHL uses our Tu-204 to transport goods:

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Every evening this plane takes all parcels sent from Russia to a sorting center in Germany, and the next morning returns to Moscow with new cargo:

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During the day he stays at Sheremetyevo, where ground services closely monitor his condition:

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After all formalities have been completed and the authorities have given the go-ahead, the unloading of the aircraft begins:

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All goods are packed in containers special form, exactly repeating the fuselage of the aircraft so that its entire volume can be used:

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Unloading takes place at the airport:

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The most urgent documents are unloaded first, and they are immediately sent to the customs terminal for release at customs and simultaneous sorting:

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The first batch of containers with the most urgent documents and cargo leaves the plane:

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All correspondence is processed in a special sorting area:

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Documents from Moscow recipients are sorted directly to Sheremetyevo according to delivery routes.

The DHL employee scans the barcode on the shipment, after which the program determines the correct route number:

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Route numbers are displayed on the monitor:

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Each courier is assigned his own territory, which corresponds to specific number route. After delivery to service centers in Moscow, the courier receives the appropriate bag and delivers throughout its territory:

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Documents for Russian regions are sorted into floor baskets. Express cargo is imported and exported through Sheremetyevo for the main territory of Russia - from Kaliningrad to Eastern Siberia:

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While urgent documents are being processed, the loaders continue to unload the aircraft and deliver the following consignments to the customs terminal:

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The floor in the sorting center is designed in such a way that even a heavy pallet with cargo can be safely moved on it in any direction:

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DHL determines delivery prices based on physical or volumetric weight. In order not to take extra money from the client, each parcel is measured and weighed:

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In Moscow, DHL has two large service centers: in the northern and southern parts of the city. Depending on the further route across the country, each cargo from Sheremetyevo is transported to one of them. Green bags are used for one service center, yellow bags are used for another:

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I took these photos right after the “Bloggers Against Garbage” event. At that time, on the notice board of the customs terminal in Sheremetyevo there was a call for company employees to take part in the action. 

 Taking this opportunity, I would like to express my deep gratitude and appreciation to DHL for their help with the delivery of inventory. As usual in our country, all the T-shirts, gloves, garbage bags and bandanas were ready at the last minute, and DHL had only 2 days to deliver all this to more than 120 cities in Russia:

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Next to the warehouse, in the office, there are customs operations specialists working on cargo declaration: 

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Customs is located in the same building and is separated by a glass counter:

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Once all the documents are collected, company employees send an electronic declaration via the Internet, and necessary documents they give it to customs, getting up from the table and walking 10 meters to the window: 

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The office is decorated in a modern corporate style:

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DHL adheres to electronic document management, that is, as far as possible, all necessary documents are not printed, but sent by email. Also, all waste is collected separately and sent for recycling:

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To send cargo by DHL, you can call a courier or bring the parcel to one of the company’s service branches in Moscow and other cities:

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DHL Headquarters:

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Customer service call center. All incoming calls flow here:

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According to company standards, each call must be answered within 10 seconds of receipt. The level of service is displayed on large monitors hung throughout the room. The same monitors hang in the management office: 

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Moscow couriers. Here they receive the assignment and print it out accompanying documents:

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Each of them has its own table with a route number, where the items that need to be delivered are already located:

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Sometimes the entire cargo of the route fits into a small box:

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However, the express delivery service does not sacrifice efficiency for saving gas and sends cargo along each route in a separate vehicle:

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Sorting center or "station" in the north of Moscow:

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The sorting center has a scanner through which all shipments pass. Each shipment is checked for substances and items prohibited for transportation:

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All shipments are carefully measured and weighed:

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Along with the physical cargo comes virtual cargo - all information is entered into the IT system immediately after the next stage of processing or delivery. Almost immediately the status is visible to the client, and detailed information is visible to a DHL employee in any other office in the world:

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From Moscow service centers cargo is sent to airports for further delivery to Russian cities:

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DHL has three global sorting centers and is currently building a fourth in Shanghai. Investments in infrastructure, personnel and operational processes are large-scale, but when you look at this business up close, you understand why it is necessary. It seems simpler - to bring something from A to B, but in reality, as it turns out, there is so much that needs to be done - pick it up, check for safety, prepare accompanying documents, book a seat on the plane, bring it to the airport, load it, sometimes fly halfway around the world, unload it , clear customs and only then deliver safely.

Many foreign online stores, sellers on eBay (especially European branches) can send a parcel to your address using a courier service DHL delivery Express (not to be confused with DHL - German Post). However, if the cost of such a parcel is more than 200 euros (including delivery), Russian Federation, before it is delivered, it will have to go through customs clearance. We will focus on the algorithm of this procedure.

If you, as an individual, receive a parcel from abroad in the Russian Federation through the DHL courier delivery service, then you need to know the following:

1. WITH individuals in the Russian Federation DHL delivery service to at the moment does not work, but an exception is made for some foreign online stores, such as Shopbop.com, Gilt.com, Amazon.com, MYHABIT.com.
2. The duty-free limit for citizens of the Russian Federation does not change depending on the delivery service and is 1000 euros.
3. If the customs value of a parcel received via DHL is less than 200 euros, then it is usually immediately handed over to the recipient without completing any additional documents. However, especially in the regions, they require registration of parcels with a value of up to 200 euros.
4. If the customs value of the postal item, minus delivery, exceeds 200 euros, it will require customs clearance. It can be done either independently or for a fee, with the help of a customs broker (in Moscow this service will cost approximately 600 rubles. If you decide to use the services of a broker, then upon receipt it is enough to transfer the required amount to the courier; no additional documents are required.).

Below, we have compiled a brief algorithm of actions that you will have to perform if the cost received through DHL parcels more than 200 euros and you want to do customs clearance yourself.

1. As soon as the parcel arrives at your regional DHL office and its cost is more than 200 euros, a company agent contacts you (usually by phone), reports this fact and that it is necessary to carry out customs clearance either independently or through a broker (usually the latter is recommended ).
2. If you have indicated that you will resolve the issue yourself, he will offer to send you an application form by fax or e-mail, which must be filled out.
3. In addition to the fully completed application (2 copies, sample, for Moscow), you may need the following documents:
   1. Original and copy of civil passport (all pages with photos and registration address).
   2. An official statement of payment card transactions from the bank with a stamp where you can identify the payment confirming the cost of the parcel. Sometimes it is enough to independently print out online banking pages or transactions in Paypal (where this operation is available). Please note that in the card statement, the funds for the required transaction should not be blocked, but withdrawn.
   3. A copy of the front side of the payment card (it is advisable to have the original with you).
   4. A copy of the order confirmation. This may be a letter (printout), which usually arrives by email when the order is made (or sent). If these letters are not available, print a screenshot of the online store page where there is information about the order. At this point it is better to collect everything that is available.
4. Having previously called the DHL agent and clarified his work schedule (usually weekdays from 9 to 16 plus a lunch break), you yourself take the completed application and copies of documents to the DHL office (in Moscow, this is usually 8 March str., building 14, addresses and telephone numbers other branches are available on the DHL website).
5. The registration procedure takes different times, depending on the agent: from 20 minutes to an hour.
6. After everything necessary documents are issued (the fee, if necessary, paid), you agree with the agent on the date of delivery of the parcel (usually the next day the courier delivers it to the specified address). In some regions they offer to pick up the parcel immediately, independently.

Now some more useful information:

• As soon as DHL representatives have contacted you, find out the cost of brokerage services and if you intend to carry out customs clearance yourself, clearly and unambiguously inform us about this. Brokerage services often imposed, and very persistently.
• Remember that DHL stores the parcel for free only for the first three days, then for another week (531 rubles for the entire time). Weekends and holidays are also taken into account. After this time, the parcel may be sent back.
• In different regions of the Russian Federation, the amounts charged for processing and storing a parcel vary, as does the entire procedure. In some places they just ask you to come to the office to sign documents, in some places they make you sweat.

List of companies and stores with which DHL works when sending orders to the Russian Federation:

• NET-A-PORTER.COM UK/US
• OUTNET UK/US
• AMAZON US/CA
• Jimmy Choo UK
• ACCESS USA
• DSNR (Fulfillment Center) IL
• Global Fine Arts/Fulfillment center US
• ESCADA (only for Vladivostok)
• ShopBop.com US
• Fred Perry UK
• MR PORTER UK
• BROWNS UK
• FiftyOne US
• Mountoberon BE
• MYHABIT
• Matchesfashion UK
• Loropiana IT
• Schoolwear International UK
• Herring Shoes UK
• CreateSpace US
• G&BNEGOZIOnline IT
• Luisaviaroma IT
• Fashionis IT
• Antonioli IT
• Getwear.com IN
• Braccialini.it IT
• Three Floor Fashion UK

DHL Express is one of the leaders in the field of international express delivery. It is a structural division of the Deutsche Post DHL holding, which is represented in more than 220 countries and territories and is the most international company in the world.

DHL Express delivers correspondence and cargo both within the countries in which it has a presence and between different countries.

Please note that DHL Express is not a postal operator, so the procedures for delivering international cargo will differ significantly from the procedures of postal operators.

Also distinctive feature DHL Express means that the shipment is delivered to the addressee at the specified address by courier to the door.

Cargoes prohibited for shipment via DHL network:

• Alcoholic drinks
• Animals
• Antiques (breakable and/or fragile)
• Asbestos
• Precious metals in ingots
• Currency
• Firearms, including parts and ammunition
• Hazardous or flammable materials (as defined in the IATA Instructions)
• Human remains, including ashes
• Jewelry, precious metals, gems
• Narcotic drugs
• Property the transportation of which is prohibited by any law, regulation or statute of any federal, state or local government of any country from or through which transportation may occur.
• Counterfeit products

Restricted cargo for transportation:

• Antiques and works of art (insured and uninsured) with a value of more than 500,000 euros per item. (In the business justification, indicate the details of packaging that guarantees the product’s immobility during transportation). – Regardless of the cost, if the cargo is insured, customers are required to provide an independent expert assessment of the value in advance.
• Excise stamps and outstanding postage stamps.
• Raw tobacco and tobacco products (cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, smoking and pipe tobacco).
• Dangerous goods. (Coordination with the additional service department is required.)
• Furs, ivory and products made from them.
• Parts, mechanisms firearms, accessories (sight, trigger, bolts and nuts).
• Electroshock equipment, stun guns, stun guns or other items capable of producing an electrical discharge with the intent to cause harm, injure or temporarily disable (directly or indirectly intended for these purposes). * Items that could potentially be used as weapons, but this is not their intended purpose ( kitchen knives), including decorative items(sabers, swords, etc.) are accepted for shipment without restrictions, but the sender must attach a certificate/certificate/passport (stamped) that this item is not a melee weapon.
• Wrist watch without precious metals, if the cost of one product is more than 5,000 euros, the cost of a batch is more than 75,000 euros. * If the estimated value does not exceed the specified limits, then the watches are accepted without restrictions.
• Payment documents in bearer form (activated SIM, credit and debit cards, which can be used by a third party, bearer checks, non-registered tickets for various events, lottery tickets, traveler's checks, prepaid telephone cards, vouchers, tokens that are equivalent cash, money transfers).
• Toy, air pistols.

Since DHL Express is a freight carrier, there are size and weight restrictions. various conditions applications. You can learn more about weight and volume restrictions in the company’s recommendations on this issue (in Russian, format.pdf).

The DHL shipping service is the number one company in the provision of logistics services and fast delivery throughout Russia and abroad. Delivery within Russia covers more than 850 cities, shipping worldwide – 220 countries.

The company was founded in September 1969 by Adrian Dalsey, Larry Hillblom and Robert Lynn. By the way, the name of the service came from the capital letters of the founders’ surnames. DHL has been represented in the Russian Federation since 1984; the company's central office is located in Moscow.

Almost every day, many people in our country have the need to send some important documents to another locality; the conclusion of a profitable deal, the positive result of an event, etc., depend on the speed of delivery of this parcel.

This is why there is the DHL fast delivery service, which provides a wide range of services for transporting various shipments throughout Russia and abroad. So you can send documents by express mail DHL.

Eat different types express delivery: urgent same-day delivery, delivery within a few days with a choice of when to receive the parcel.

You can send documents by express mail throughout Russia by visiting a branch, ordering a courier to your address, or using the online sending service.

How to determine the cost of sending documents using DHL

You can calculate the cost of delivery depending on the weight of the cargo, the distance between the shipping and delivery points and the shipping method using a special DHL calculator.

How to pay for DHL services

There are various ways payment for delivery services - cash or payment credit card. Those who often use the company's delivery services can open an account with DHL and use it to receive discounts.

After sending the parcel, you are left with a shipping invoice, which serves as confirmation of delivery and has an individual number. Using the invoice number, you can track the movement of goods in real time on the company’s website. If you want to get information about the location of your shipment directly from a DHL employee or ask questions about delivery that concern you, you can call the customer service department.