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I read in the paper about DHL downsizing in the U.S. and contracting out their air services. My DHL delivery person said she got her pink slip with an effective date of June 27. Her boss and everyone else at their site at the airport also got their lay-off notices for the same date. She had additional info about thousands of pilots being laid off, etc.--maybe some rumors in the mix.

I called Technicolor this evening and was told DHL will still bring the prints and not to worry.

Anyone have additional info?

No info, but I wonder if the fuel situation could have an effect on whether DFS picks up another studio or so.

(edit): I've read on another site that DHL is moving their air transport over to UPS planes.

[This message has been edited by rodeojack (edited June 03, 2008).]

Network Global logistics (NGL) did a cutback about a month or so ago. It about labor costs, they laid-off many of their drivers. They are now contracting delivers to cheaper companies. The cost of labor and health costs.

Yeah DHL will still operate it's ground shipment trucks, and deliveries. They are simply contracting with UPS to handle the air shipment portion of thier process. I think it's terrible that all of these people are going to lose thier jobs. I wont get into politics here but, what the hell is happening to this once great country.

I was contacted by Technicolor via telephone and email tonight and told that Sky Courier will be delivering my prints beginning July 1, at no additional cost. The only change will be in the delivery times and the fact they do not have a key to my theatre. In October things will change again, but they have not yet determined who will be getting the contract(s) on that date.

Guess you have all heard Sky Courier will deliver the prints to the theatre physical address only in a two-hour window on Wednesdays.

I asked if they couldn't just send both of ny theatres' prints to the one location so I wouldn't have to sit around at two places for two hours each. They are looking into it, but did not sound encouraging. Sounds like I look forward to October when they are supposed to have a new courier in place.

My vote is for UPS. They deliver my DFS prints and I always get them the next morning even though they are shipped ground. I have never had a problem with them.

We had not been contacted about this so I called Technicolor tonight. The lady told me that DHL was discontinuing service to about 500 theaters (they are closing smaller hubs) and if we were not contacted to set up a Sky Courier delivery window that our shipments would still be coming by DHL, at least through the summer.

It's been 6 or 7 years since we used UPS for deliveries from the Depot, but we had all kinds of issues getting prints from them. Sometimes we would get one can and not the other, sometimes they wouldn't show up until Monday, sometimes they would be on the truck and returned to the Depot. If they go UPS, I hope things have changed since then!