and while you spin yourself through the roof anticipating the worst, don't forget to ignore things like this...

Major Shipper Drops DHL
11/5/2008

Traffic World Staff

Parcel industry consolidator Unishippers became the highest-profile shipper yet to abandon DHL in the United States, announcing to its customers that it has moved to UPS.

The Unishippers move follows an apparent decision by Walgreens last month to drop an shipping agreement with DHL as the express carrier faces a rapid decline in business in the United States and a deeper pullback from domestic delivery than was earlier announced.

DHL parent Deutsche Post World Net last week scaled back its earnings projections for the third quarter partly because of the weakening economy in North America. The company scheduled a press conference for next week to discuss "further steps" in restructuring its troubled U.S. business.

Sources say that restructuring included laying off several hundred sales workers last month. DHL officials refused to comment on that and on growing suggestions that DHL was unable to reach an agreement with UPS on a transportation contract in the United States.

UPS now is openly seeking disgruntled DHL shippers, even posting a prominent "Welcome Center for DHL Customers" on the UPS Web site.

Unishippers, a franchise business that consolidates shipments for small business customers, apparently took the UPS bait and announced the switchover in a letter to customers Oct. 31. Company President Dan Lockwood said in the letter Unishippers switched because it wanted to "do more" for customers.