Santa’s helpers wear safety vests

It’s noon in Malmö, a city nestled at the southern tip of Sweden and just a stone’s throw from Copenhagen, Denmark. But you wouldn’t know it. We’re inside DHL Freight’s local facility, a freight terminal like many other DHL logistics centers and warehouses around the world.

Ahmed Al-Khafaji surveys the scene as he throws on his orange, reflective safety vest. Christmas is just weeks away, his shift has just started, and he and his coworkers are about to be busier than Santa’s elves.

It’s loud. The massive sorting system that dominates the room has a lot of moving parts. Parcel upon parcel passes by on a conveyor belt that moves thousands of boxes every hour.

But the noise doesn’t bother Ahmed – nor does the number of parcels. It’s peak season, and it’s not his first. He’s been with DHL since before he graduated from high school. Back then, he worked part-time, coming in two or three times per week after class. As soon as he graduated, we offered him a job.

“I’ve learned so much since then,” says Ahmed. “I’m qualified to operate a forklift and understand all the systems here.”

He wants to continue to grow at DHL Freight and can see himself one day leading this place and being a role model for the next generation.

Ahmed moves swiftly around the room. He and his colleagues take turns at different stations, feeding parcels into the sorting system, stacking boxes on roll containers, and loading them into delivery trucks.

They look like a well-oiled team on a mission – and they are.

Last year, they processed a whopping 70,000 shipments in one day – the 2023 record. This year, they want to exceed that.

Little by little, the stacks of boxes get higher. Some 7,000-10,000 shipments arrive and depart the terminal by truck every hour. Incoming parcels are fed into the sorting system at eight infeed stations, where they are sorted for destinations all across Sweden and beyond.

During peak season, Ahmed and his team handle an average of 40,000-50,000 shipments a day. A new sorting system installed in 2022 helps make that possible.

Before most people even think about the holiday season, we’re already gearing up for the peak season: The sharp increase in our business caused by the end-of-year shopping frenzy. But our peak starts well before the holidays. Much of the goods DHL Freight handles are destined for stores and warehouses, ensuring their shelves are full to overflowing in time for the big rush, especially on days like Black Friday or Cyber Monday.

Peak season planning  is actually a year-round activity at DHL. In January, we manage the wave of returns and start looking ahead to the next peak. We forecast volumes and book space with freight forwarding partners. Starting in early October, our parcel centers will run at full capacity through Christmas.

Although Santa and his elves typically get all the credit, it’s safe to say that the holidays wouldn’t be the same without our orange-vested crew in Malmö, one of many worldwide hard at work behind the scenes. Something to think about when you look at those presents under the tree this year.