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Shipment Handling Procedures

The following procedures have been established for the handling of DHL Same Day shipments.

While these procedures may be familiar to agents currently providing service to us, we ask all agents to review this manual and adopt the procedures. This information is considered DHL Same Day confidential and is intended to be shared with DHL Same Day Agents only. It should not be shared with any other parties.

Accuracy on all information is the key to a good relationship with our customers as well as our agents.

The following procedures will help to ensure that our agents fully understand the process. DHL Same Day offers several types of jobs.
  • Next Flight Out (code NFO) – DHL Same Day will pick up the package, ship it on an airline and deliver the package in the destination city. Air waybills should be consigned to “Blue Sky”.
  • Hold for Pick-Up (code HFP) – DHL Same Day will pick up a customer shipment and tender it to an airline. The customer is then responsible for retrieving it from the airline at destination. Air waybills should be consigned to “Hold for Pickup by Company Name and/or Individual’s name” as shown in the Delivery Information portion of the job. The first line of the delivery address will always be “HFPU XXX (where XXX is the destination airport).
  • Airport Retrieval (code RTV) – Our customer will ship packages and DHL Same Day will retrieve them at the destination city airport for delivery.
  • Drive (code DRV) – DHL Same Day will pick up the package and drive it to the delivery location.
The following pages will fully define the processes and procedures for each phase (timed event), of a job order.

Pick up from a Customer location
When the job is initially dispatched, the agent should respond to DHL Same Day within 5-10 minutes to accept or refuse the job. If the job has been accepted the package must be picked up within 60 minutes from the time of dispatch.

  1. The following alert information will be provided by DHL Same Day dispatch by web, pager, fax or telephone.
    1. DHL Same Day Job Number.
    2. Time and date of Pick-Up.
    3. Name and address location of the company, business or individual from whom you will be making the picking up.
    4. Contact person and telephone number at pick up location.
    5. Pieces and weight as provided by the customer. This may or may not be accurate.
    6. Airline, flight number(s), origin airport, connecting airport (if any), destination airport, estimated time of departure (ETD), estimated time of arrival (ETA) and date.
    It is critical that this information be accurately relayed to your driver/ courier.

  2. From the pick-up location the agent/driver must verify:
    1. Pieces and weight - Report what your driver actually picks up. For example, the customer may claim 3 pieces at 30 lbs. By the time your driver arrives, the Shipping Dept. has packaged all 3 pieces in one carton. You should report “1 piece at 30 lbs”. (If any one package is over 70lbs or exceeds 90 inches in combined dimensions, you must notify DHL Same Day immediately).
    2. Delivery Address.
    3. Any other pertinent information.
    4. Driver or agent must immediately call DHL Same Day if he/she experiences any problems making the pick-up.
    5. After the driver has successfully picked up the shipment we expect immediate departure for the airport or destination if a drive job. DHL Same Day jobs are time sensitive and immediate delivery is required.

  3. Tendering a package to an Airline:
    On arrival at the airline, the driver will first determine whether or not the designated flight is departing on time.
    1. If the flight is delayed by more than 15 minutes, cancelled, or the cut-off time is missed, do not tender the package to the designated airlines. Driver must contact DHL Same Day immediately for further instructions. DO NOT reroute shipments or allow airline to route.
    2. If the flight is scheduled to depart on time, do the following:
      Complete the airline air waybill with the following information:
      1. Shipper info – DHL Same Day 21240 Ridgetop Circle Sterling VA 20166
      2. Consignee’s name (DHL Same Day or Blue DHL Same Day unless otherwise specified).
      3. DHL Same Day Account Number.
      4. Designated flight number(s) and airport code(s).
      5. DHL Same Day job # in reference field on airline air waybill.
      6. Provide airline the IAC Form.
    Package the shipment in an airline/DHL Same Day bag/box and/or consolidate shipment when possible.

  4. Tender the shipment to the designated airline. All packages are to be shipped over the counter and NOT as Cargo or Freight unless specified otherwise by DHL Same Day. Retain a copy of the airline air waybill.

  5. After the driver has completed all of the above DHL Same Day must be contacted and given the following information:
    1. Airline air waybill number/flight number(s).
    2. Description of the shipment (packaging) pieces and weight as tendered to the airline. For example, 4 pieces at 18 lbs placed in a bag and tendered as 1 piece at 18 lbs.
    3. Time the shipment was tendered to the airline.

    Note: The agent is responsible for making sure the airline air waybill is filled out correctly. Contact DHL Same Day dispatch @ 800-225-8293, if you need help. If you pick up multiple jobs going to the airport, the agent is responsible for making sure each package is sent to the proper destination. If the packages are switched you will not be paid for either job.

    Tendering information (air waybill #, pieces, weight, and time tendered) must be provided to the appropriate DHL Same Day office at least 30 minutes before the scheduled flight departure.

Retrieving packages from an airline for delivery
  1. The following information will be relayed to you by web, pager, fax or telephone contact.
    1. DHL Same Day Job Number
    2. Flight information:
      1. Airline
      2. Flight Number
      3. Estimated time of arrival (ETA)
    3. Delivery Information
      1. Delivery name, address and phone number.
      2. Promised delivery deadline. Contact DHL Same Day immediately if you believe you will be unable for any reason to deliver at or before the delivery deadline.
    4. Description of Material Shipped
      1. Number of pieces/weight.
      2. Physical description of material.

  2. Airport Recovery
    1. The driver must be at the passenger baggage claim or designated airline “small package” recovery area 30 minutes after arrival of flight. Last flights of the night are an exception; the driver must be at the airline at the arrival time of the flight.
    2. Ensure all material is recovered and accounted for by verifying the airline air waybill number and piece count while still at the designated airline recovery counter. If a package/s appears damaged or the pieces and weight do not match, do not sign for and take possession of the shipment. Notify DHL Same Day immediately.
    3. If any discrepancies or problems occur notify DHL Same Day immediately.
    4. All deliveries are urgent and are to be delivered upon arrival unless otherwise instructed by DHL Same Day.
    Note: If you encounter any flight delays, airport closings, slow offloads, or a shipment that is damaged or short pieces, notify DHL Same Day immediately.

  3. Delivery
    1. Deliver all packages as instructed to the consignee or a responsible representatives at address location provided on the DHL Same Day job. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES should a package be delivered to an alternate location, left with a security guard or in a mailroom without obtaining prior approval from DHL Same Day.
    2. Never leave a delivery in a mailbox! Federal law prohibits mailbox deliveries.

  4. Proof of Delivery
    Communicating POD information is part of our service expectation. The following POD information is required:
    1. Signature name, time and date.
    2. Location of person who signed for package.
    3. Verification of pieces and weight.
Charges
Your charge/s for the service should be provided at the time the airline air waybill or POD is given. All charges should be included and separated (attempt charges, waiting time, extra weight charges).

In the event charges are not provided when the service is provided, you will have 24 hours after the job has been completed provide the charges.

Service failures on the part of an agent will be reviewed and may result in a no charge on the job.

DHL Same Day recognizes the following days as Holidays: New Years Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.

Agent Standard Service Requirements
  • Provide 24-hour service, 365 days a year.

  • Maintain a central dispatch office, electronic pager, cellular phone, or other communication system providing instantaneous response.

  • Immediately advise DHL Same Day of any delays in transportation or other problems.

  • Obtain legible signature (first and last name) for all deliveries.

  • Provide Proof of Delivery to DHL Same Day within 15 minutes of delivery.

  • Call DHL Same Day with airline waybill numbers (AWB’s) or other routing details immediately after tendering shipment/s to the airline/s.

  • Confirm Bill-of-Lading (BOL) numbers, piece count, weights, addresses, and other pertinent information for every transaction.

  • Provide pick-up service within 60 minutes of dispatch. Confirm all pick-ups.

  • Provide delivery service within 90 minutes of flight arrival, or as instructed.

  • Maintain a supply of DHL Same Day Bills of Lading (BOLs) and prepare BOLs for all shipments.

  • Consolidate shipments whenever possible using our orange DHL Same Day plastic bags or drawstring bags, bags/boxes provided by the airline, or as directed by DHL Same Day.

  • Reference DHL Same Day’s job numbers for each transaction, when invoicing, and include BOLs, waybills, and other documentation with each invoice.

  • Maintain a professional appearance and courteous demeanor at all times.

  • Provide complete job costs at the completion of every transaction.

  • Always identify the correct office that dispatched the job.

DHL Same Day’s Highly Monitored Accounts
All DHL Same Day shipments are time-sensitive and critical as customers are paying a premium price for same-day delivery services. The following accounts ship commodities that are highly monitored and require special services as noted:

  1. Technicolor (movie film shipped to theaters all over the country).
    • Pickup and delivery times are pinpoint times. If the pickup is at 13:00, you must pickup exactly at 13:00. If the delivery is at 17:00, you must deliver at exactly 17:00.
    • Drivers must call in on-boards from pickup theater or when recovering from airport. They must confirm the name of the print, the number of cans, and the Print I.D. number.
    • Deliveries must always be made to the delivery address on the job. Do not deliver to an alternate location unless authorized by DHL Same Day. Never call the theaters for information. When calling in a POD, indicate the time of delivery, the name of the person who signed (first and last name), the number of cans, the print title and Print I.D. number.
  2. New Breed (medical account shipping MRI equipment).
    • Pickups need to be made within 45 minutes.
    • On-boards need to be called in immediately, and pieces and weight must be confirmed.
    • Shipments may have tip-indicators/meters on them. If they do, shipments may not be tipped.
    • Any delays must be communicated immediately.
    • POD must include the person’s first name, last name, and department/location.
  3. St. Jude (medical parts for heart machines/surgery)
    • This account can involve delivering parts immediately to a hospital when a patient is literally “on-the-table” for surgery and can present a life and death situation.
    • On-boards and delivery POD’s must be called in immediately. The POD must include the first name, last name, and department
  4. Decision One
    • Pickups must be made immediately and on-boards are required.
  5. Aircraft on the Ground (AOG) Aircraft parts for airplanes grounded and unable to fly until the parts are received.)
    • Pickups must be made immediately and on-boards are required.
  6. Harris FTI (critical communication equipment for the FAA)
    • Deliveries and Hold for pick up at the warehouse shipments require verification of FAA ID and Harris FTI “trouble ticket#”
This document contains DHL Same Day proprietary information. Distribution to unauthorized parties is strictly forbidden and subject to contract termination and/or civil penalties.