Special deliveries

CAPE-TOWN, South-Africa—During 2014, DHL Express  had the opportunity to test its global transportation network with some unusual and non-traditional deliveries.

Oliver Facey, vice-president of operations for DHL Express Sub Saharan Africa, says that some of the more unusual delivery requests received in 2014 ranged from an East Africa based client’s weekly request for the delivery of a curry from his favorite local restaurant in Europe to a delivery that enabled a gold medal for a South African athlete.

In August 2014, South African pole vaulting athlete, Cheyne Rahme realized he could not check-in his six-meter-long pole on his flight to Morocco for the 19th Africa Senior Championships – just four days before he was set to compete. DHL managed to deliver the pole to the competition venue – with just a few hours to spare before Rahme competed, and went on to win a gold medal.

DHL also transported two giant pandas over 8,000 kilometers from China to Belgium in 2014. Flown on a dedicated DHL Boeing 767 freighter aircraft, the two four-year old pandas were accompanied by a team of animal handlers, a veterinary physician and a plentiful supply of 100 kilograms of bamboo.

Similarly in 2013, DHL also helped the relocation of three endangered Black Rhinos across different continents and nine gorillas from the UK to Gabon.

DHL is also using creative solutions to make deliveries all over the world, using electric bicycles in Italy, helicopters for deliveries in New York, Los Angeles and London, as well as couriers making use of skis when parts of Germany experience heavy snowfall.

DHL also operates a canal river boat in Amsterdam which serves as a fully functional service center from which bicycle couriers deliver parcels.