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 services postal items 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 while others Western companies did not have the opportunity to establish business with the countries of the socialist bloc. The company name comes from the capital letters of the surnames of the founders - 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 journey urgent documents and express cargo 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 24 hours...

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 cargo is packed in specially shaped containers that exactly replicate 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 its own territory, which corresponds to a specific route number. 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 e-mail. 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 task and print out the 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 easier 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 the DHL Express courier delivery service (not to be confused with DHL - German Post). However, if the cost of such a parcel is more than 200 euros (including delivery), in the 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, the DHL delivery service does not currently work, but an exception has been 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 short algorithm of actions that you will have to take if the cost of the parcel received via DHL is more than 200 euros and you want to carry out 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 are often imposed, and quite 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 In the Russian Federation, the amounts charged for processing and storing the 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 of 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 (with a stamp) that this item is not a bladed 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 that can be used by a third party, checks payable to bearer, non-registered tickets for various events, lottery tickets, traveler's checks, prepaid telephone cards, vouchers, tokens that are the equivalent cash, money transfers).
• Toy, air pistols.

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

General information about DHL Express

DHL Express is a company that provides express delivery around the world and occupies one of the leading positions. Has many differences with postal operators. As a subsidiary, it is subordinate to the Deutsche Post DHL holding. This company has representative offices in more than 200 countries. Postbank and Deutsche Post (German Post) are other divisions of the holding. The headquarters is located in Germany, Bonn. From its founding in 1969 until the end of the 70s. The post office was very small and local - it delivered correspondence between two cities: from San Francisco to Honolulu and back. The name comes from the first letters of the surnames of the people who became the founders of the company: A. Dalsey, L. Hillblom, R. Lynn. In the early 90s. Deutsche Post was privatized. It was only in 1998 that Deutsche Post moved to acquire shares in DHL. Within four years, the company bought up all the shares and completely absorbed DHL, turning it into another mail service - DHL Express. Local postal operator for recent years has developed into a strong competitive logistics company on a global scale. The DHL brand is divided between DHL Express, DHL Global Mail (direct mail delivery), DHL Freight (land delivery), DHL Global Forwarding (air and sea delivery), DHL Supply Chain (supply chain management).

How DHL Express works

The company strives to provide customers best service. In addition to improving the quality of delivery, the company follows a policy of price loyalty so that customers can easily use the company’s services, and the company continues to develop high level. The company has the right to execute documents, go through customs control with payment of taxes and duties, transfer the shipment to another recipient (customs broker or other person authorized to dispose of the received shipment). Any shipment can be inspected by company employees without notifying the sender and recipient.

Invoice

Mandatory for every DHL shipment. It provides information about the delivery point, what is being delivered, the method of payment, delivery time, and delivery conditions. Necessary for: identifying the person responsible for the cargo, confirming that the shipment has been transferred for forwarding, tracking the cargo, and clearing customs.

There is a standard tariff - a basic package for processing, registration and forwarding. Additional payment is taken for services not included in the tariff. Of these: transportation of certain dangerous products; the company’s work to find the addressee if the address was incorrect, incomplete or outdated; for exceeding the size and weight of the item., etc. Return services, additional payments, taxes, duties and fees are paid by the sender.

Cargo packaging

Boxes are better suited for products of different sizes and irregular shapes, protects against possible deformations. Wooden containers are suitable for heavy items and transportation in a car. Double-layer cardboard is a cheaper alternative to wooden containers. Cardboard envelopes are used for correspondence and documents. Waterproof and anti-static packaging available. Fabric packaging is not allowed.

Same day delivery. Carried out throughout the country (service area is limited) and is used for urgent delivery. A courier is called to send the goods.

Delivery by a certain time. Carried out throughout the country. Delivery occurs at the appointed time or by the end of the next business day. Below in the table are restrictions for shipments within the country and abroad.

Delivery by a specific day. It is better suited for sending large cargo that does not require urgent delivery.
DHL Express restrictions for domestic and international shipments

Items that DHL does not ship: drinks containing alcohol, antiques, asbestos, currency, military equipment, as defined by IATA, materials that have flammable and dangerous properties, precious stones and metals, animals, furs, drugs, firearms and ammunition, dangerous goods, pornography, ivory, property (the transport of which is prohibited by any law, regulation or law of any government, local, federal or state level any country to or through the territory of which transportation is carried out), tobacco raw materials, remains and ashes of human origin, jewelry, electrical appliances (electric shock and other equipment designed to create an electric discharge with the purpose of causing physical harm or injury and capable of temporarily incapacitating). Goods that can be indirectly used as edged weapons (for example, kitchen knives) must be sent by the sender with any document (with a stamp) confirming that the goods being sent are not edged weapons.

Delivery by DHL Express

Delivery is carried out all over the world - any correspondence and various cargo can be delivered to any of more than 120 thousand cities around the world. The shipment is delivered to the addressee on a “door to door” basis. Depending on the country, certain types of delivery are available. If the shipment was not delivered or the sender recalled the package, the company will take all measures for return shipment. If the sender-receiver refuses to pay for return services or for a number of other reasons, the company can sell the goods by sending part of the proceeds to the sender of the goods.

DHL Express tracking

All DHL Express shipments have a ten-character digital track code (this is also the number on the label). You can track the track code on the company's official website.

Contacts and useful links:

DHL official website: www.dhl.com
DHL on Facebook: www.facebook.com/dhl
Contact center: www.dhl.com/en/contact_center.html#.U-ITCKOettw
Track your shipment: dct.dhl.com/input.jsp?langId=en
Find an office in the right country: www.dhl.com/en/express/shipping/find_dhl_locations.html
Shipment tracking: www.dhl.com/en/express/tracking.html
DHL for Russia: www.dhl.ru/ru/express.html
DHL for Ukraine (in Russian): www.dhl.com.ua/ru.html

To track your parcel you need to take a few simple steps.
1. Go to the main page
2. Enter the track code in the field with the heading "Track postal item"
3. Click on the "Track parcel" button located to the right of the field.
4. After a few seconds, the tracking result will be displayed.
5. Study the result, and especially carefully the latest status.
6. Forecasted delivery period is displayed in the track code information.

Try it, it's not difficult ;)

If you do not understand the movements between postal companies, click on the link with the text “Group by company”, which is located under the tracking statuses.

If there are any difficulties with the statuses on English, click on the link with the text “Translate into Russian”, which is located under the tracking statuses.

Carefully read the "Track Code Information" block, there you will find estimated delivery times and other useful information.

If, when tracking, a block is displayed in a red frame with the heading “Pay Attention!”, carefully read everything that is written in it.

In these information blocks you will find 90% of the answers to all your questions.

If in the block "Pay Attention!" it is written that the track code is not tracked in the destination country, in this case, tracking the parcel becomes impossible after the parcel is sent to the destination country / after arriving at the Moscow Distribution Center / Item Arrived at Pulkovo / Arrived in Pulkovo / Left Luxembourg / Left Helsinki / Sending to the Russian Federation or after a long pause of 1 - 2 weeks, it is impossible to track the location of the parcel. No, and nowhere. Not at all =)
In this case, you need to wait for a notification from your post office.

To calculate delivery times in Russia (for example, after export, from Moscow to your city), use the "Delivery Time Calculator"

If the seller promised that the parcel would arrive in two weeks, but the parcel takes more than two weeks, this is normal, the sellers are interested in sales, and that’s why they are misleading.

If less than 7 - 14 days have passed since the receipt of the track code, and the parcel is not tracked, or the seller claims that he sent the parcel, and the status of the parcel “the item pre-advised” / “Email notification received” does not change for several days, this is normal, You can read more by following the link: .

If the status of the mail item does not change for 7 - 20 days, do not worry, this is normal for international mail items.

If your previous orders arrived in 2-3 weeks, and the new parcel takes more than a month, this is normal, because... parcels go on different routes, in different ways, they can wait 1 day for shipment by plane, or maybe a week.

If the parcel has left the sorting center, customs, intermediate point and there are no new statuses within 7 - 20 days, do not worry, the parcel is not a courier who is delivering the parcel from one city to your home. In order for it to appear new status, the package must arrive, unload, scan, etc. at the next sorting point or post office, and this takes much more time than just getting from one city to another.

If you do not understand the meaning of such statuses as Reception / Export / Import / Arrived at the place of delivery, etc., you can see a breakdown of the main statuses of international mail:

If the parcel is not delivered to your post office 5 days before the end of the protection period, you have the right to open a dispute.

If, based on the above, you do not understand anything, read these instructions again, and again, until you are completely clear;)