Our global freight forwarding network keeps our customers freight moving across the world.

DHL joins Colombian earthquake humanitarian aid efforts

DHL Group has operated a humanitarian aid freighter flight to Colombia carrying nearly 40 tons of aid for communities affected by the recent earthquake in the country. The Boeing 767F from Miami International Airport landed at Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport in Cali on 15 August with food, drinking water, hygiene kits, essential family supplies, medical materials and first-aid items for people affected by the magnitude 7.4 earthquake on 10 August. The flight operation was coordinated by DHL Group's Disaster Response Team (DRT), which is part of DHL Group's GoHelp disaster management programme and is comprised of specially trained volunteers from across DHL's divisions, "Transporting nearly 40 tons of aid to Colombia involves much more than loading supplies onto an aircraft. Behind every shipment is a significant effort involving sorting, preparation, packing, organization, and coordination to ensure that each item reaches the country and can continue its journey to affected areas," said Gilberto Castro, head of DHL Group's DRT for the Americas. The supplies were provided by Global Empowerment Mission (GEM), an international humanitarian organisation specialising in disaster response and recovery, and will be distributed in the affected areas in coordination with local authorities and other humanitarian organisations leading the response efforts on the ground. The relief supplies were prepared by volunteers at GEM's headquarters and consolidated at the DHL Hub located at Miami International Airport before being transported on the humanitarian flight to Cali. As part of DHL Group's response to the emergency, DHL's three divisions in Colombia (DHL Express, DHL Supply Chain, and DHL Global Forwarding) have combined their capabilities and logistics expertise across several initiatives, including the humanitarian flight, the transportation of five tons of aid by road to Cali and Pereira for distribution in affected areas, and the work carried out by DRT members alongside local DHL teams and other relevant partners. Country managers and employees from DHL's three divisions in Colombia have also mobilised across the country to support colleagues and their families affected by the earthquake through donations of food, medicines, and essential supplies, while contributing their time, commitment, and expertise. "When a natural disaster occurs, every minute counts and preparedness makes a difference. Our role is to contribute logistics expertise, capacity, and coordination to help ensure aid reaches the people who need it most. That is the purpose that drives our volunteers and the teams involved in every operation," added Castro. In June, DHL Group launched the DHL Academy of Humanitarian Logistics, an initiative designed to provide humanitarian organizations with practical training and specialized logistics expertise to strengthen disaster preparedness and emergency response capabilities. Avianca Cargo has also independently and in partnership with GOL transported over 100 tons of aid to Colombia.

Appeal to president as congestion at Durban box terminal hits crisis point

Extreme congestion at South Africa's Durban Gateway Terminal has got so bad that on Friday, the presidency was called in to help as the port struggles to migrate to a new management system amid equipment breakdowns. And one source told The Loadstar this morning little had changed over the weekend, adding that the port's operator "hasn't managed to claw back much of the congestion, stacks are still very elevated". Carriers are warning shippers to expect delays of anywhere up to a week as the port tries to clear a cargo backlog, with MSC warning that impending bad weather could create further issues. Noting that August was "traditionally the windiest period of the year in Durban," MSC told customers that "weather-related disruptions may place additional pressure on terminal performance", while pointing out that productivity was less than a third of its usual level. It further noted that "several quay cranes are experiencing breakdowns and reliability issues, due to ageing equipment, and there is a shortage of straddle carriers", adding that while there were investment plans under consideration, "no new equipment has been commissioned". The South African Association of Freight Forwarders (SAAFF) said the issues had emerged in the wake of the terminal's transition to the Navis N4 container management system, the wider operational and equipment issues compounding the situation. Chief executive Juanita Maree said: "Given the inability of the relevant port structures to contain and resolve the situation, SAAFF has escalated the matter to the highest office in the country, on behalf of industry, calling for immediate intervention. "This is now a crisis. With severe knock-on effects spreading rapidly across national supply chains, we can confirm that a delegation from the presidency has visited the port to engage directly and support mobilisation of solutions commensurate with its scale and urgency." SAAFF is also calling for urgent changes to the rules around private sector participation in the nation's gateways, including implementation of structures for prevention, early warning, and rapid intervention. International Container Terminal Services (ICTSI) acquired 49% of Durban Gateway Terminal this year after a contentious battle with APM Terminals, following South Africa's decision to allow private sector participation in port operations. The deal with ICTSI was seen as necessary to deal with a decades-long problem of inadequate equipment and unending problems with congestion, but voices have expressed criticism that these developments are not happening fast enough.

BNSF's switching rate blitz - gauging the impact

Rewind: a dispute over switching fees at a handful of Nebraska grain elevators is quietly testing the limits of railroad competition in America's heartland. When BNSF Railway rewrote its reciprocal switching tariff on May 1, the effect at one Grand Island, Nebraska facility was immediate and blunt: the per-car switching fee jumped from $295 to $1,395. At five other locations across Nebraska, Iowa, and Texas, the longstanding $105 unit-train grain rate simply vanished, replaced by a standard merchandise rate ...