DHL Express to add around 400 U.S.-based jobs

Driven by double-digit annual year-to-date volume gains, global express delivery and logistics services provider DHL Express recently announced it plans to add around 400 new United States-based jobs at airport gateways and hubs. 

Company officials attributed the significant DHL Express volume gains in recent months to what it called a spike in online shopping, led by consumers remaining quarantined because of COVID-19. And they added that urgent shipments for things like masks, gloves and other types of PPE equipment have contributed to volume gains typically seen over the holiday season.

DHL Express U.S. CEO Greg Hewitt told LM these new positions are comprised of permanent, full- and part-time opportunities in direct management, clearance and gateway operations, pick-up and delivery service, and ramp sorting operations throughout the U.S.

DHL Express said that the new job locations include:

• about 150 jobs to handle the 30% year-over-year volume increase at the DHL Express Americas Hub (Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport);
• about 30 jobs are being added at its gateway at the Miami International Airport, which connects to the DHL Express South America, Central America, and Caribbean network, to account for higher annual volumes; and
• the DHL Express Chicago O’Hare International Gateway will require more than 50 permanent employees, in order to meet a 25% annual volume gain, with the company expecting shipment volumes to remain at elevated levels, with businesses restocking inventory to prepare to re-openings, among other locations

The company also noted that it is expecting a 22% volume increase, due to a new Hong Kong-Los Angeles-Miami flight that kicked off in late May.

Hewitt explained that there are various shipper customer benefits of these new jobs at DHL Express.  

“We strive for service excellence, and we take pride in our delivery times,” he said. “Guaranteeing we have the right number of employees throughout the country to complete each step that goes into the delivery of a shipment is a priority for us. Higher volume of shipments means we need more help, and these new positions put us where we need to be.”

When asked what the biggest challenges are in dealing with holiday season-like volumes without the usual preparation time for peak season, Hewitt noted that peak season usually starts around Thanksgiving, and in the past, DHL Express has been able to begin preparing about three months in advance, hiring the necessary amount of personnel to help it process more packages within the same timeframe.  

“This year has been very different, as we were faced with an unprecedented shipment volume for Q1,” he said. “We managed this on a day-to-day basis, planning each week by adding extra charter flights and implementing modified shifts. It was a challenge to our operations to keep up with the unexpected higher volume, but we are thankful for our highly-trained teams, who have been working hard and with dedication during this pandemic. With their help, we were able to pivot, adapt and improvise to keep our facilities operational while ensuring our people’s safety. We foresee our volumes remaining high as a result of continued e-commerce growth, and as brick and mortar businesses restock their inventories. So we are continuing to hire for positions that we would normally fill in in September, and most of these will be permanent.”