As a habitual online shopper who buys from sites like AliExpress, eBay, and Amazon it is always important to know which courier will deliver my product faster and with ease. DHL Uganda and FedEx Uganda and their parent international counterparts are some of the top couriers in the business and I tried the out this month, I bought two different items from Mainland China and Hong honk to compare several things. The route each courier takes from China to Uganda, price, customs, and more. We don’t expect Apple-to-Apple comparisons as a lot depends on the seller’s location and how far they are from the nearest courier offices. Please note that there are other companies like UPS that also operate in the same space and also have delivery agents in Uganda.
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The two private giants have been in business for decades and have transported millions of parcels to Uganda. Yet, there remain doubts aplenty about each of their strengths and weaknesses. Although competing with each other daily, DHL Uganda, and FedEx Uganda have their uniqueness. Knowing in-depth about them, their services, their pricing model, etc can help you understand them better. So let’s start the comparison.
For both courier services, I ensured that I don’t make any prior calls as I usually do to alert them of my expected shipment as I wanted to see the efficiency of both companies when it comes to inland delivery. I wanted to check put the promised delivery date by both companies to the test.
DHL Uganda Shipping
Product 1: Summary
Ship date:12th November
Product Cost: $23.91 (`UGX 90,000)
Service: DHL Express International
Weight: Not stated
Shipping Pricing: $60.87 (`UGX 229,000)
Total # of days to deliver: 4 days
Expected Delivery date: 16th November
DHL Parcel Travel history
The DHL parcel had 3 stops before it reach Uganda from China using the route;
- HONG KONG SAR CHINA: From November 12, 2022, and left on November 13, 2022
- BAHRAIN: Arrived on November 14, 2022, and left on November 14, 2022
- DUBAI UAE: Arrived on November 14, 2022, and left on November 15, 2022
- KAMPALA UGANDA: Arrived on November 16, 2022, and Delivered on November 16, 2022
The above route is illustrated with marker destinations in the map shown above interactive map.
DHL Uganda Delivery experience
DHL Express shipping cost me about $60.87 (`UGX 229,000) for shipping and took about 5 days which is very fast with next-day delivery when it arrived in Uganda. I was surprised with the new Bahrain stopover, but that’s part of the company’s logistic route that is way beyond my pay grade. The parcel arrived at the courier’s facility at the airport on the fourth day (16th of November) by 4 PM and only arrived the at DHL Uganda office at 7 AM in the morning on the 17th of November according to the tracking information.
I waited until 10 AM to see if there will be any delivery but in vain. So I had to call their customer care which is very efficient by the way– and was given two options; either I go pick up my parcel at their offices myself or they deliver it the next day on the 18th of November as the delivery serviceman who works in my area was not working on that particular day. I opted for the former option and I picked it myself, but it means if I had let DHL deliver the parcel, it would be a total of 6 days of delivery. It is also fair to say that another person at DHL later called me again to confirm if I was picking up my parcel or if I prefer for it to be delivered.
FedEx Uganda Shipping
Product 2: Summary
Ship date: 15th November
Product Cost: $91.22 (`UGX 343,000)
Service: FedEx International Priority
Weight:1.91 kgs
Shipping Pricing: $40.5 (`UGX 153,000)
Total # of days to deliver: 11 days
Expected Delivery date: 21st November
FedEx Parcel Travel history
The FedEx parcel had 5 stops before it reach Uganda from China using the route; DONGGUAN CHINA-> GUANGZHOU CHINA-> NEW DELHI INDIA-> DUBAI UAE-> NAIROBI KENYA-> KAMPALA UGANDA. As shown in the marker destinations shown below.
FedEx Uganda Delivery experience
In comparison, FedEx International shipping cost me less at $40.5 (UGX 153,000) using the FedEx International Priority service and took 11 days to be delivered to my place with same-day delivery when it arrived in Uganda. FedEx was cheaper than the competition but you pay the price for the delay in waiting for your parcel. Case in point, the shipment had a 3-day stop at Dubai before it proceeded to Kampala on the 17th of November which highly contributed to their 11-day delivery. My delivery experience with FedEx was very smooth, I received a call on 21st November the expected day of delivery of the parcel and I received it indeed via door delivery which was great.
It should be noted that the cost of product 1 shipped via DHL International was way cheaper than product 2 couriered via FedEx International. Even if both sellers had shipped on the same day, there will always be that 7-day delay between the two couriers. If waiting is not an issue then you can always Opt for FedEx which is more affordable.
Tracking, Customer Service, and more
The above results come as no surprise, as DHL has a more extensive global network than FedEx. This is because DHL has more subsidiaries around the world. FedEx’s tracking system is more user-friendly and reliable than DHL’s. The FedEx tracking system is integrated with its website, while the DHL tracking system is not.
In terms of customer service, this is relative as your call will always be picked up at DHL Uganda when compared to FedEx Uganda since it has a dedicated customer service team who are always willing to help with any issues. FedEx is not bad either but I personally found it pretty slow in responding to queries in the past and I hope this has improved with time.
When it comes to reliability, both DHL and FedEx are top-notch companies internationally. However, DHL takes the lead in this category. The company has a 99% on-time delivery rate for domestic shipments and a 97% on-time delivery rate for international shipments. FedEx also has a high on-time delivery rate, but it is slightly lower than DHL at 96% for domestic shipments and 94% for international shipments.
Final thoughts on DHL vs FedEx
DHL Uganda and FedEx Uganda are both reliable shipping companies that offer various services. For this article, we only looked at the importing experience. Both companies have pros and cons, so it’s essential to evaluate your needs before deciding which one to use. If you’re shipping in on a budget, asking your seller to use FedEx at least for my case would be a better option. However, DHL may be a better choice if you need reliability and tracking information. Ultimately, the best courier for you depends on your specific needs.
There are various factors associated with choosing the best courier in Uganda. The most important factor is your need. It is essential to compare different shipping companies before deciding which one to use. Some people might prefer DHL because it offers more reliable and detailed tracking information when bringing in your parcel. Others might select FedEx because it is more budget-friendly with the same service. It all depends on your specific needs as the customer. When choosing between these couriers, make sure to evaluate your requirements carefully. Consider what’s most important to you: cost, speed, or tracking information. Once you know what’s most important to you, it will be easier to decide.
