Why planning for peak season starts now

Lennart Macke knows a thing or two about freight forwarding. After beginning his career in logistics in 2015 as an apprentice at Euronet, a subsidiary of DHL Freight, and stints as a dispatcher and team lead, he is now a freight forwarding manager overseeing 30 logistics professionals.

His tight-knit team is diverse, with veterans working alongside newbies. Teamwork and communication are vital. His crew gathers regularly for “performance dialogues” – sometimes twice a day – to discuss ongoing projects and solve problems together. They are also in continual contact with customers and logistics partners who supply trucks and drivers.

It’s a complex operation with a lot of moving parts. But you can see that Lennart thrives on it – and he’s all business. His desk is tidy and spotless. His notebook, keyboard, and computer screens are all he needs.

Euronet handles transportation between 38 DHL parcel centers across Germany from three locations. Lennart and his team are responsible for 14 of them, covering a region spanning from Germany’s industrial heartland in the west, near cities like Düsseldorf, to the town of Neumünster north of Hamburg. It’s all part of DHL Post & Parcel Germany’s dense, nationwide network.

Lennart’s job is to ensure that there are always enough vehicles – trains included! – at each location while minimizing the movement of empty containers.

“We have to check whether the expected orders match the available capacities,” says Lennart. “And it’s not just about full trucks and on-time departures. Our main aim is to ensure enough vehicles are available at all locations and that as few empty vehicles are on the road as possible.”

He says it’s like a never-ending puzzle – and often, it takes teamwork, agility, and creativity to fit the pieces together.

“Of course, there can also be problems,” he adds. “Trains can be canceled, snow can throw a wrench in the gears, other technical problems can happen, or even a strike can disrupt operations.”

When things like that happen, there isn’t much time to respond. That’s why planning and preparation are ongoing. What’s more, it’s never possible to predict precisely how many parcels will be shipped – it’s all based on forecasts, which are getting more sophisticated but are still only estimates.

Today, all the pieces fit together well, so Lennart can switch off his monitors and head home knowing that the all-important night shift crew – when all that planning turns into action – is as prepared as they’ll ever be.

All the moves Lennart spent days and even months planning for take place at night. The freight is packed in containers, traveling by road or rail between 6:00 pm and 5:00 am.

On heavy-traffic days, 500,000 parcels are not uncommon. Lennart and his team must ensure that some 250 containers, also known as swap bodies, are available to handle that volume and in the right locations. A swap body is a modular, detachable freight container designed to be easily transferred between trucks, trains, and ships. Lennart typically books 12 trains on the weekends and another 20 during the peak season spike, bringing the total number of swap bodies in circulation to over 1,500.

Before you attempt to put this puzzle together, you need to know approximately how many pieces you will have. Only then can you ensure that the right vehicles are in the right place at the right time.

“Preparations for peak season have basically been underway since the beginning of the year,” says Lennart. “That’s when we’re already purchasing capacities from our freight forwarding partners.”

While product returns are still coming in January, many retailers, for example, start crunching the numbers for the coming end-of-the-year holiday shopping season. Based on forecasts, they can take advantage of ocean freight savings and start moving peak-season moneymakers to the right places in June. Once October rolls around, the game is on, and our parcel centers in Germany and many places worldwide start to ramp up and run at full capacity until Christmas.

If Lennart’s story doesn’t convince you, check out the links below to explore peak season logistics. Or click on the banner below to visit DHL Global Forwarding, Freight to learn more and connect with our teams.