At the beginning of this year, DHL Global Forwarding opened its new warehouse and headquarters at Schiphol, featuring a perishables setup of 1,300 m². "It was easy to settle in here, as we find working in the new office much more pleasant than before. We also receive positive feedback from our customers. For instance, waiting times for trucks have been reduced, and the entire logistics handling is now managed even more professionally," says Ivo Koopmans, Head of Cool Chain at DHL Global Forwarding.
The warehouse spans a total area of 23,000 m², with 38 docks, two of which are equipped with a 20-foot dock lift. "In our new facility, we can store our customers' fresh products in various temperature zones and fully close the cold chain. All our operations take place in our Perishables Center," explains Ivo. "The great thing is that our new building enables us to offer end-to-end solutions for both air and sea freight. I work closely with our sea freight reefer manager, Rainier Nel, to develop customized solutions."
Rainier Nel
No shipment too small
According to Ivo, the familiar DHL vans in the streets sometimes cause confusion regarding the exact activities of DHL Global Forwarding. "We are happy to explain the differences in services among all DHL entities. One misconception we would like to address is that potential customers sometimes think they are too small to work with DHL. We want to emphasize that no customer or shipment is too small for us! We place great importance on the personal aspect of our service. We see that this resonates in the market. People don't want to get lost in choice numbers; they need direct contact. We value building and maintaining our customer relationships very highly."
While there used to be more distinct import and export seasons, Ivo notes that this has shifted in recent years. "The entire flow is simply different than before. We are experiencing higher peaks and deeper valleys in volumes for both our export and import streams. For example, the berry season from Peru and Zimbabwe has started much earlier this year. We also see that the volumes of fruits and vegetables transported through us are larger than in previous years," says Ivo.
Margins under pressure
"We are seeing that margins are under more pressure this year, which applies to all destinations. We have transitioned from a situation where air freight capacity was scarce to one where there is now an excess of capacity. This has impacted the rates," observes Ivo (photo on the right). "Currently, we are in the final stages of negotiations with our partners for the upcoming winter season."
"We are very proud of our loyal customer base, which we have built over the years through our service. We also see that more and more people are reaching out to us with various inquiries related to perishables logistics. Customer demand goes beyond just sending and receiving sea or air freight and the associated activities. We also provide necessary advisory services and, in collaboration with our offices at home and abroad, serve as a one-stop shop for various projects."
DHL Global Forwarding is represented by a delegation from around the world at Fruit Attraction in Madrid. "For us, this fresh produce trade fair presents an ideal opportunity to meet with our global offices, discuss developments, and engage with existing and potential clients and shippers," concludes Ivo. You can find DHL's booth in Hall 7, Stand 7B19.
For more information
DHL Global Forwarding
Ivo Koopmans, Head of Cool Chain
[email protected]
Rainier Nel, Reefer Manager BeNeLux
[email protected]