Why does DHL take so long? (11 reasons)
DHL, the logistics company, publishes delivery times between 1 and 20 days after your purchase, depending on the service and the distance between the shipper and recipient. In some cases, it may appear to be shipping quickly, but in other cases, it may seem too long.
This article will explain why DHL shipping takes so long. Of course, it may not get your package to arrive faster, but at least you’ll have a better understanding of what makes your package take forever to reach you.
Why is DHL taking so long in 2022?
In 2022, DHL’s deliveries may slow down due to several factors. Some of these factors, such as severe weather, social unrest and customs clearance, are beyond the company’s control. In other cases, such as vehicle problems and lost packages, the responsibility falls entirely on DHL’s shoulders. Also, depending on the reason, the package may be delayed from a day to a week.
This article has more information on why DHL deliveries are so slow, so if you’re curious, keep reading!
1. The seller did not ship the goods
One of the most common reasons a package seems to take a long time to arrive has nothing to do with DHL. Instead, it’s because the shipper hasn’t put the item in the mail.
Therefore, DHL cannot do anything with the package until it has it.
Also, the shipper may slow down the package for a number of reasons, one of which may be that the item is handcrafted and the item is not ready.
This is common on sites like Etsy, where small businesses assemble materials and produce products to order.
Another reason is that sellers may face supply issues. Without the necessary materials, they cannot fulfill the order or give it to DHL.
However, if it has been more than a week and the shipper has not handed over your package to DHL, it is best to contact them about the holdup.
Depending on the reason and length of the delay, you can choose whether to wait for your order or cancel it.
2. Weather
Another common cause of package delays beyond DHL’s control is bad weather.
This is because any abnormal weather can have a huge impact on whether your package arrives on time or not.
For example, heavy rain can cause flooding or wash out roads, both of which can prevent DHL trucks from reaching their destination.
Snow is another reason packages slow down, as it makes the roads slippery and driving dangerous.
Often, drivers will wait until the situation improves before attempting further deliveries.
So, no matter what kind of bad weather a DHL driver encounters, waiting after a storm can delay the delivery of your package by a day or two, or more.
3. Natural disasters
Like weather events, natural disasters often cause trouble with package delivery. Some examples include wildfires, hurricanes and tornadoes.
If any of these events occur in your package delivery path, you may end up waiting a few extra days for your package to arrive.
4. Vehicle Problems
While DHL does its best to keep its vehicles in top condition, there are many instances of vans breaking down.
When this happens, the driver must determine whether the van needs to be repaired or a new one.
In either case, delivery will be slowed down by at least a few hours. Depending on the availability of other vehicles, the delay may be a day or more.
5. Political unrest
Much of DHL’s business takes place in Europe, which is known for its protests and marches.
Additionally, such incidents can slow down packages as they force drivers to find alternative routes.
In more severe cases, they can even cause border closures and cause your package to get stuck in transit until the incident is resolved.
6. Third Party Delivery
DHL contracts with local postal services in countries around the world to complete last mile deliveries.
In the US, this means DHL hands the package to the United States Postal Service (USPS).
This situation saves DHL money and resources (such as trucks, gas, and staff), but results in slower deliveries.
That’s because the DHL truck has to get to the post office before closing.
Even if they do arrive in time, there’s a good chance the post office won’t be able to sort the package in time.
Understandably, this can cause a delay of a day or two.
7. Incorrect address
A shipper putting the wrong address on a package can cause serious delays.
Even if the shipper can correct the address during delivery, the package must be re-routed, which can delay delivery by several days.
Still, being able to reroute the package is the best case. In most cases, incorrectly addressed packages are returned to the sender as undeliverable.
When this happens, the shipper will have to resend the package with the correct address. Again, this delays delivery by a few days.
8. Lost package
No one wants to hear it, but couriers do lose packages from time to time. This is rare, but it does happen, usually because the package is placed on the wrong truck.
In some cases, DHL can track the package and redirect it where it needs to go, but this is not the norm.
Often, the package is lost for weeks, and the shipper ends up sending a replacement item.
No matter what happens, a lost package means a major delay in your delivery.
9. Signature Request
When a package requires a signature, someone must sign and collect the package at the shipping address.
If no one is available, DHL will hold the package and retry delivery at a later date.
It could be the next day, or it could be a few days later.
10. Remote Distribution Centers
While DHL has a strong presence in Europe, the company has a much smaller presence in the United States.
As a result, US customers tend to live farther from DHL distribution centers and transportation hubs (compared to big companies like FedEx and UPS).
Naturally, that means trucks take longer to deliver, and longer delivery times mean delays.
11. Customs
As a major international shipping company, DHL handles thousands of packages passing through customs every day.
Also, depending on how busy the customs office is, your package may be in one of these centers for 2 days or more.
This process may be further delayed if you have to pay additional fees or have to complete missing paperwork.
To learn more, you can also read our posts on whether DHL ships via USPS, what DHL means, and DHL e-commerce.
in conclusion
Under normal circumstances, you can expect fast delivery times from DHL. However, you should expect some delivery delays when there are issues such as natural disasters, lost packages, etc.
Although you may have to wait a few days for your package due to unforeseen events, DHL will always strive to deliver your package to you on time.
