DHL Supply Chain renames Exel Freight Connect as DHL Transport Brokerage

Earlier this week, DHL Supply Chain, a subsidiary of Deutsche Post DHL Group and a United States-based provider of contract logistics and transportation brokerage services, said its freight brokerage operation, Exel Freight Connect, has been renamed as DHL Transport Brokerage.

Company officials said that this name change follows a January 2016 move, when the North American supply chain business of Deutsche Post DHL Group started operating as DHL Supply Chain, with the new DHL Transport moniker serving as the next phase of the company’s multi-year brand transition.

Columbus, Ohio-based DHL Transport Brokerage provides custom freight brokerage offerings across various business lines, including truckload, less-than-truckload (LTL), and expedited shipments for customers in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. This group manages more than $1 billion in freight on an annual basis through its carrier network.

“We are excited about the introduction of this new company name – DHL Transport Brokerage – as it better reflects where our business is headed,” said Jim Monkmeyer, President of Transportation, DHL Supply Chain, in a statement. “The DHL Transport Brokerage name shows our commitment to our customers, as we'll be able to provide them with a more consistent and seamless experience across all markets. Under this new name, we'll continue to exceed our customers' expectations by moving even the toughest of loads through our partnership with thousands of trusted carriers and by offering innovative, industry-leading solutions, so each load is delivered on-time, every time.”

In an interview at the CSCMP EDGE Conference in Atlanta this week, Monkmeyer said that there were a few drivers for this name change.

One was that DHL Supply Chain is integrating its dedicated fleet, managed transportation, and brokerage operations.

“Most customers think they want one or the other or the other, but what they really need is the option among all three services,” he explained. “We are working on the organizational changes and the technological changes to integrate them in real-time to be able to take advantage of when you have overflow in the fleet it goes into brokerage so it is all kind of seamless for the customer. The status update on the back end would also apply to all three modes. So we cannot have something called Exel anymore. It took us ten years to retire that name from the warehousing business in the U.S. DHL bought Exel in 2006, and this is one of the last remaining pieces.”

DHL Transport Brokerage’s carrier network is comprised of 9,000 partners, with Monkmeyer noting that number is growing rapidly.