Cross-border logistics is often described in terms of infrastructure, capacity, and technology. For Ove Dokk, International Business Development Manager at GLS, the differentiator is more human: proximity to customers, entrepreneurial thinking, and the ability to make global shipping feel local.

With a career shaped by experience across major logistics organizations, Dokk brings a perspective grounded in both operational scale and customer intimacy — a balance that increasingly defines success in international parcel delivery.

A Career Built Around Customer-Centric Logistics

Dokk’s professional journey in logistics has exposed him to both highly structured global players and more agile operational environments. That contrast has shaped his appreciation for responsiveness and adaptability.

At GLS, he sees a company that still carries an entrepreneurial spirit despite its size. Over the years, the organization has retained what he describes as a startup-like mindset: quick decision-making, openness to experimentation, and close collaboration with customers.

This approach, he notes, is particularly relevant in e-commerce logistics, where growth can be rapid and operational requirements shift constantly.

Global Reach, Delivered Through Local Expertise

One of the themes Dokk consistently emphasizes is the balance between international scale and local execution.

GLS operates a unified cross-border parcel network spanning Europe and North America, with shared operational standards for pickup, sorting, transport, and delivery. Yet the company deliberately runs its international business through strong national teams that understand local regulations, customer expectations, and market realities.

For Dokk, this dual structure is essential:

Global infrastructure ensures consistency and visibility, while local expertise ensures service relevance. Customers benefit from predictable cross-border performance without losing the responsiveness of local support.

Making International Shipping Feel Domestic

A central ambition Dokk highlights is simplifying cross-border logistics so that it resembles domestic shipping in reliability and ease.

Operational resilience plays a key role. GLS maintains tens of thousands of delivery vehicles and thousands of nightly hub-to-hub truck movements, ensuring flexibility when volumes fluctuate or routes shift.

Equally important is network integration. The strengthening of transatlantic connections between GLS Europe and GLS US has enabled more direct parcel flows, competitive transit times, and improved tracking transparency — features traditionally associated with domestic shipping.

From the customer perspective, complexity is reduced, and international shipping becomes less intimidating.

Supporting SMEs Through Growth and Expansion

Dokk speaks frequently about small and medium-sized enterprises, which form a large portion of GLS’ customer base. Many SMEs lack dedicated logistics teams or deep operational resources, making international expansion challenging.

His focus is on removing friction.

Access to a large road-based parcel network, standardized international services, extensive pickup-point infrastructure, and integrated returns solutions allow smaller merchants to scale without building logistics capabilities internally.

He sees logistics not simply as transportation but as an enabler of business growth. When handled correctly, it removes barriers to entering new markets.

Returns, Convenience, and Customer Confidence

Returns management is another area where Dokk sees logistics shaping customer experience directly. In sectors such as fashion, return rates can be significant, and the ease of returns often determines where consumers choose to shop.

Simplified processes — QR code returns, local drop-off points, automated label generation — reduce friction for both consumers and merchants. At the same time, improved visibility helps retailers manage inventory moving back through the supply chain.

He also acknowledges evolving consumer awareness around sustainability, which is gradually influencing return behaviors and logistics strategies alike.

A Global Expansion

GLS continues to expand outside Europe, particularly in the United States, where operations now extend beyond the West Coast into additional states, including Texas. Asia is served through partnerships, allowing European customers access to key markets while maintaining GLS service standards.

GLS also recognizes the evolving needs of its customers and is continuing to expand into value-added services to complement its core parcel offerings by adding fulfilment solutions and freight services across GLS countries to provide end-to-end logistics support. By integrating these services, GLS aims to help merchants manage inventory, streamline order processing, and meet the demands of cross-border e-commerce.

This dual approach—reinforcing the parcel network while expanding into adjacent logistics services—allows GLS to deliver greater value to its customers, supporting their growth and ensuring the flexibility required in today’s fast-moving retail landscape.

Out-of-Home Delivery and Changing Consumer Behavior

Consumer expectations around delivery flexibility are evolving quickly, and Dokk sees out-of-home delivery — parcel shops and lockers — as a defining trend.

Adoption varies widely across Europe. Nordic markets show strong locker usage, while Southern European countries still favor home delivery. GLS is investing heavily in expanding pickup and drop-off networks to accommodate these regional differences.

For Dokk, convenience, efficiency, and environmental considerations all converge in this shift. Consolidated deliveries reduce urban congestion while giving consumers greater control over when and where they receive parcels.

Technology as an Enabler, Not the Headline

While technology underpins most modern logistics operations, Dokk frames it as an enabler rather than a differentiator in itself.

GLS’ API-driven infrastructure allows customers to integrate shipping directly into their systems — automating label creation, pickup booking, returns processing, parcel tracking, and customs data exchange. Crucially, this technological capability is supported by local teams providing IT assistance in customers’ own languages.

This combination of digital integration and human support reflects Dokk’s broader philosophy: technology should simplify logistics, but relationships still matter.

An Entrepreneurial Mindset in a Global Industry

Looking ahead, Dokk believes logistics providers must remain adaptable. Regulatory changes, evolving e-commerce patterns, sustainability concerns, and shifting consumer expectations will continue to reshape cross-border shipping.

What he sees as GLS’ strength is its ability to combine scale with agility — maintaining a global network while preserving the entrepreneurial culture that allows teams to respond quickly to customer needs.

For Dokk personally, the objective remains consistent: helping businesses expand internationally while keeping logistics straightforward, reliable, and close to the customer.

The post SPOTLIGHT ON...Ove Dokk, International Business Development Manager for GLS appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

The newly released Spring GDS Impact Report 2025 marks a significant milestone for the company, offering a consolidated view of its environmental, social, and governance (ESG) progress. As cross-border e-commerce continues to scale globally, the report highlights how logistics players are transitioning from isolated sustainability initiatives to structured, data-driven decarbonization strategies.

A Growing Logistics Network with Rising Sustainability Expectations

Spring GDS continues to expand its global footprint, now operating across 14 countries with 20 hubs and serving more than 2,500 customers worldwide. In parallel, customer expectations around sustainability are clearly increasing. This is reflected in the company’s Net Promoter Score, which rose to +51 in 2025, and in the fact that 70% of customers now perceive Spring GDS as a sustainable logistics partner.

The company’s first Impact Report serves as a baseline for future ESG reporting, aligns partially with GRI standards, and contributes to PostNL’s broader Net Zero 2040 ambition.

Decarbonization Moves from Initiatives to Strategy

One of the most important shifts highlighted in the report is the transition from fragmented sustainability efforts to a structured decarbonization roadmap. This includes the introduction of new tools, scalable solutions, and measurable targets across the logistics value chain.

Measurable Environmental Impact in 2025

The report outlines several key achievements:

• 4.1 million liters of HVO100 biofuel applied, reducing emissions by 11.9 kilotonnes of CO2e
• Over 90,000 single-use carton boxes eliminated through reusable pallet systems
• 8,000 reusable pallet boxes deployed across the network
• 400 quarterly emissions reports generated for customers
• Launch of 349 customer-specific CO2 reporting solutions

These figures reflect a growing focus on both operational improvements and customer-facing sustainability transparency.

Scope 3 Emissions Dominate the Footprint

A key insight from the report is the overwhelming impact of Scope 3 emissions, which account for 99.7% of total emissions. Within this:

• Transport activities alone represent approximately 75% of emissions
• Purchased goods and services account for 16.7%
• Employee commuting and waste contribute smaller shares

This highlights a structural challenge for asset-light logistics providers: the majority of emissions sit outside direct operational control, requiring strong collaboration across partners and suppliers.

The Three Pillars of Logistics Decarbonization

Spring GDS aligns its strategy with broader industry trends, focusing on three main pathways:

Renewable Fuels as a Short-Term Lever

Biofuels such as HVO100 are currently the most scalable solution for reducing emissions in road transport. The company’s “Out the Tank” solution allows emissions reductions even when direct fuel substitution is not operationally feasible.

Electrification as the Long-Term Transition

Electrification of road transport is identified as the long-term solution, although current limitations around infrastructure and costs remain barriers. Adoption is expected to accelerate as technology matures and regulatory pressure increases.

Sustainable Aviation Fuel for Air Transport

Air freight remains one of the most carbon-intensive parts of logistics. Spring GDS is addressing this through its Book & Claim solution, enabling customers to invest in Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), which can reduce emissions by up to 80% compared to fossil fuels.

From Offsetting to Insetting

Another notable shift is the move away from carbon offsetting towards insetting. Instead of compensating emissions externally, Spring GDS is focusing on reducing emissions directly within its value chain.

While offsetting was still used in 2025 to address residual emissions, it will be phased out from 2026 in favor of operational reductions.

Data Transparency Becomes a Competitive Advantage

The launch of the Spring GDS Emission Tool represents a major step forward in data maturity. By linking shipment-level data with recognized methodologies, the company can now provide detailed emissions insights per shipment, destination, and transport mode.

This level of granularity enables:

• Better decision-making for customers
• Improved reporting accuracy
• Stronger alignment with international standards such as ISO 14083 and the GLEC Framework

As sustainability becomes a key differentiator in logistics partner selection, transparency is evolving into a core competitive advantage.

Circular Logistics Gains Momentum

Beyond transport, packaging innovation is another area of impact. The introduction of reusable orange pallet boxes demonstrates how circular principles can reduce both waste and emissions.

• Up to 2,000 tonnes of CO2e are avoided annually through reduced single-use packaging
• Full recyclability of materials at the end of life
• Improved load efficiency and reduced transport volume

However, full adoption across the network remains a challenge, requiring alignment with partners and operational processes.

A People-Centric Approach to Growth

The report also highlights strong performance on social metrics:

• 739 employees globally
• 86.16% retention rate
• 83% engagement score
• 46% female workforce
• 97.88% safety training coverage

In addition, more than 100 new employees joined in 2025, reflecting continued business growth. Training and development remain a priority, with employees averaging nearly 15 hours of training annually.

Workplace safety also remains a focus, with 26 recorded work-related injuries, all of which are analyzed for continuous improvement.

The Road Ahead: Scaling Impact Across the Value Chain

The Spring GDS Impact Report 2025 makes it clear that the logistics industry is entering a new phase of sustainability. The challenge is no longer defining ambitions, but operationalizing them across complex, global value chains.

Key priorities moving forward include:

• Increasing the share of renewable fuels and electrification
• Scaling SAF adoption in air transport
• Improving last-mile emissions data and performance
• Expanding the use of primary data for more accurate reporting

As cross-border e-commerce continues to grow, the ability to combine scalability with sustainability will define the next generation of logistics leaders.

If you want to find out more, read the full report here: https://www.spring-gds.com/sustainability/impact-report/

And also, you can watch our podcast episode with Thijs Boel, GLS Managing Director for Europe here: https://youtu.be/Y8vx-GPuw8s?si=ky3_Ua_eAhZTRaPT 

The post Spring GDS Impact Report 2025: From Measurement to Meaningful Decarbonization in Cross-Border Logistics appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

Last-mile service providers DPD and Hermes think about increasing prices for parcel home delivery at the front door. The delivery that we know as 'standard delivery' could become a premium service.

If you order a package in Germany, you may have to pay more in the long term. DPD and Hermes parcel services always expect a surcharge. They now expect the home delivery industry to be so developed that home delivery can be a more expensive, premium service.

A spokeswoman for Hermes says to heise.de: "We need to find out to what extent home delivery as a standard service, without extra costs, remains possible." She referred to countries such as Sweden, where home delivery already entails extra costs. If the course of the company, in regard to the handling of the last mile, would change, expenses will rise and the process would be time-consuming.

GLS, a subsidiary of the British Royal Mail, already introduced such surcharges for specific business customers for the Christmas business. GLS imposed surcharges to organisations on whose behalf the company sends packages. It is unclear if these companies pass on the higher door-to-door price.

No surcharges planned with DHL

Market leader Deutsche Post DHL does not plan any surcharges for home delivery. Hermes and DPD also stress that they have no concrete plans, including implementation, anytime soon. Nevertheless, the fundamental considerations and the step of GLS clarify that movement is in the price structure of the parcel market. In Germany, there are many parcel shops, but these are not used much.

The post Online shopping: Possible price increase for home delivery appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.