The logistics group Deutsche Post DHL wants to expand its business with express services. In future, more than one billion euros will be spent on sorting systems, airplanes and vehicles, the company said.
At the Cologne / Bonn airport, the Group officially opened a new hub, which was built for 123 million euros. Every night up to 14 DHL Express machines arrive there. But the strongest express hub in Germany and Europe remains Leipzig with up to 70 machines per night.
Express shipping is now the most profitable business for Deutsche Post DHL. Around 100,000 people worldwide are employed in this area of the Bonn-based Group, which means about every fifth group employee. Big competitors are UPS and Fedex.
Especially companies use express mail to send contracts, reports or spare parts with a guaranteed delivery time. Private customers have only played a secondary role in the business model for a long time, but in view of the booming online trade, they are becoming more important.
Compared to regular mail and regular parcel services, express shipping is much more expensive - and thus lucrative for the service provider. However, he is also suspected of putting more strain on the environment through the increased use of aircraft and trucks. The ecological meaning of express deliveries ultimately depends on which means of transport to the customer will be used, explained the federation for environment and nature protection Germany (BUND) in the weekly paper "the time".
