DHL Global Forwarding announced the launch of 15 new stations to the Thermonet network. More than 65 stations to be certified by the end of the year. 

DHL Global Forwarding, the air and ocean freight specialist within Deutsche Post DHL, announced that 15 more certified Life Sciences stations are going live in the second quarter of 2014, primarily in the Americas and EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) regions. Adding to the existing Thermonet network, DHL is spreading the service across the globe for Life Sciences and Healthcare customers with temperature-controlled airfreight shipment needs.    

“Our customers in the Life Sciences and Healthcare sector are looking for better ways to manage the risk of product damage and loss from temperature deviations in increasingly long and diverse supply chains globally. With DHL Thermonet we are defining the new standard to tackle these requirements”, says Roger Crook, CEO DHL Global Forwarding, Freight and Executive Board sponsor for the Life Sciences and Healthcare sector.    

In recent years, temperature controlled products for the pharmaceutical industry have gained significantly in importance. The driving force is biotechnology products, which generally must be kept within a strict temperature range during transportation. The worldwide sales volume of this product category tripled from USD 56 bn in 2004 to an estimated USD 167 bn in 2013.  For the future, further growth is expected.   

The current DHL Thermonet network with 45 stations in operation is also growing fast and progressively, driving DHL’s sector capabilities globally. The new stations are spread over the Americas with one each in Argentina, Chile, Columbia and Canada as well was two stations each in Brazil and Venezuela. In EMEA, new stations in Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Israel and Sweden will join the network along with one new station in South Africa. All stations will be audited against globally defined Good Distribution Practices (GDP) to ensure conformity across the network.   

DHL Thermonet provides seamless temperature visibility along the supply chain, 24/7 proactive monitoring and intervention based on pre-determined touch points and DHL’s RFID SmartSensor technology, that is GDP certified. Temperature data and logistics events can be accessed via the proprietary LifeTrack IT platform that also houses all product-specific SOPs, facilitating early intervention and simplifying document control. DHL Global Forwarding is looking to further spread the Thermonet network. By the end of the year, over 65 stations across the globe will be integrated.   

DHL – The Logistics company for the world   

DHL is the global market leader in the logistics industry and “The Logistics company for the world”. DHL commits its expertise in international express, air and ocean freight, road and rail transportation, contract logistics and international mail services to its customers. A global network composed of more than 220 countries and territories and about 285,000 employees worldwide offers customers superior service quality and local knowledge to satisfy their supply chain requirements. DHL accepts its social responsibility by supporting environmental protection, disaster management and education.   

more about DHL