Innovations Fuel DHL's Perishables Service
By Staff -- Logistics Management, 10/1/1999
They won't reveal exactly how it works but executives at DHL Airways say "innovative" packaging is the key to success for the air-express carrier's "ThermoExpress" temperature-controlled service.
The new service, launched last month, promises consistent temperatures ranging from 46 degrees Fahrenheit to minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit for up to four days in transit. To maintain those temperatures, DHL relies on a new, patented insulated package and proprietary refrigerant packets that are placed around perishable items inside. DHL has not identified the materials used in either type of packaging.
One advantage of ThermoExpress is that it eliminates the need for dry ice, which must be declared as a hazardous material in international transportation. The refrigerant packets can be "set" at specific temperatures; dry ice, by contrast, has an extremely low temperature that may be too harsh for some products. Because the packaging maintains temperatures for four days, moreover, shippers need not limit shipments to costly non-stop international flights.
ThermoExpress is available on domestic flights and outbound international flights from the United States. Pricing is based on a premium added to normal weight- and destination-based freight charges.
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