DHL Express Kenya Bolsters Fleet To Meet Growing Client Demand

Leading international express and logistics company, DHL Express Kenya has introduced a new fleet of 8 vehicles in a bid to cater to a growing local and global customer base.

Ezra Ogutu, Acting DHL Express Country Manager for Kenya, explains that in a competitive economic environment, specialized road transportation is still critical to meeting clients’ varying logistics demands. “An increase in delivery volumes has led to the need for an increased fleet size, as well as specialized vehicles that optimize service levels.”

Factors such as increased fuel efficiency, safe and reliable vehicles, increased load capacity, ease of packing and delivery, as well as a comfortable driving cabin were key requirements when selecting the vehicles,” says Ogutu.

“The vehicles are designed to allow easier driver access to the cabin, a lockable sliding door between the cabin and the cargo area, a foldable passenger jump seat in the cabin, a scanner cradle to scan package barcodes, shelving to assist with load planning, as well as rear doors that open the full height of the Crafter and 280 degrees wide. The demo models tested revealed that the additional space, foldable shelving system and internal door also helped improve the driver’s time dramatically.”

Ogutu adds that the new vehicles are more environmentally responsible with reduced CO2 emissions, which will make a positive impact on the company’s carbon footprint. The vehicles are also fitted with a GPS driver assist function to optimize route planning, as well as rear view cameras and air-conditioning for driver safety and comfort.

Ogutu says the company is also in the process of replacing all vehicles in the current fleet to accommodate future growth and these various developments highlight the company’s investment in Kenya and the growing need for logistics services within the country. The emergence of technology and e-commerce, driven by consumers using the internet to conduct business, is increasingly requiring a higher volume of goods to be transported same-day. The company is also in the process of upgrading its airport facility to enhance efficiency and speed of work. The facility which operate as an Airside Transit Gateway facility is the only facility in Kenya that operates 24 hours and houses KEBS, customs officers in-house.

“We understand that in order to achieve growth we need to ensure that our employees have the right resources available in order to maintain our excellent service standards. The replacement of our fleet will support our drivers to meet these expectations,” concludes Ogutu.