PLANTATION, Fla. DHL has announced a new shipment visibility enhancement to its Global Forwarding Consolidated Distribution Service (CDS), a US Import service that enables customers to reduce brokerage fees and shorten delivery times for shipments originating in Asia, Europe, and Latin America.

The new web-based tracking service provides point-to-point tracking for shipments as they pass through DHLs international freight forwarding and U.S. Express network.

The relocation of manufacturing bases worldwide has required businesses to operate on a global scale, with products moving greater distances across multiple borders. To speed up shipments through this lengthened supply chain, DHL created CDS, a virtual warehouse which eliminates the need for a costly distribution center. With CDS, bulk shipments sent from overseas can be broken down and inducted directly into the DHL US Express or Global Forwarding network for final delivery to the end consumer, bypassing time-consuming warehouse stops.

With web-based tracking, DHL customers can now get full visibility of their goods through the CDS service, from point of production to point of purchase. Customers can track shipments from a single tracking site, and obtain near real time information on the status of shipments as they transfer from bulk international air or ocean line-haul shipments to smaller units within the DHL U.S. Express or Global Forwarding heavyweight network.

By linking the unique capabilities of DHLs heavy weight and express operations, we have created a virtual moving warehouse for customers in the air or over water, said Bruce Grout, Senior Vice President of DHL Global Forwarding Consolidated Distribution Service. CDS makes it easier for businesses to operate globally and cost-effectively, while being responsive to market demand.

CDS shipments originating overseas are prepared with U.S. domestic shipping labels for transport via air or ocean. When the palletized shipments reach a DHL U.S. import gateway, they clear Customs as a bulk clearance under one Customs entry, lowering brokerage fees. The shipments are then broken down and inducted into the DHL U.S. Express or Heavyweight delivery network, and routed to the appropriate DHL service center for final delivery. The customer receives all inclusive, door-to-door pricing a single invoice includes clearance charges, duties and taxes.

DHL customers using the CDS service can prepare shipments for DHL by using one of several electronic shipping options, including: DHL WebShip, DHL EasyShip automated shipment processing system, Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) or XML technology designed to work with a customers order management system.

CDS is being used by customers in the textile, electronics, pharmaceutical and other industries where a single importer-of-record has multiple final delivery points within the United States.