DHL prepares for new EU security rules

   The transition period of new EU air security rules regarding known consignors ends April 29, and DHL is among the carriers that have been adding extra security programs to help shippers meet the new rules.
   Shipments from parties not identified as known consignors by the EU have to submit to extra screening of their goods before shipment.
   According to data released by DB Schenker last month, only a small number of air freight shippers the company works with have been given known consignor status. In Germany, officials said, this could lead to 50 percent to 70 percent of the shipped cargo being classified as unsecured, which will be subject to security checks before being loaded on the plane. According to DHL, 5 percent of about 65,000 freight companies subject to the new rules will have been certified by the deadline.
   “The rising volume of non-secure freight requires safety precautions and guidelines that could potentially lead to delays and higher costs,” according to DHL.
   At DHL Global Forwarding, officials have been planning for the need for increased security checks of goods leaving the European Union starting at the end of the month. A new joint-venture partner Luftfrachtsicherheit-Service GmbH has provided DHL with specialist X-ray units and explosive detectors to help with the increased regulations. According to DHL officials, the joint venture has lead to 20 new jobs, some of whom are specially trained staff who will manually inspect cargo.
   “Security is the number one priority when transporting cargo by plane, so we started exploring this issue early on,” DHL Global Forwarding’s Jurgen Klenner said in a statement. “One objective was to seamlessly integrate the new legal provisions with our own processes. Another objective was to ensure that our services remain unchanged in terms of quality.” – Jon Ross