At the end of February, we talked to Eline, May Lis and Pauline, three enthusiastic bike couriers from our distribution center in Antwerp. We were curious to hear about their experiences as women on bikes in a male-dominated sector.
How their DHL story began
Eline en May Lis have been working at DHL Express for five years now. May Lis initially saw us as a stopover: “I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my career.” But she soon realised that she felt at ease at DHL Express and decided to stay. How their DHL- story began? “By searching ‘become a bike courier’ on Google. Because of the appealing terms and conditions, they decided to give it a shot, and here they are!
Pauline’s story was a bit different: “I was bullied at my previous job. My best friend then put me in touch with DHL Express.” She applied and got hired: “Now I’m part of a team where everyone is supportive and helpful.”
I’ll be right there sir!
“Are we treated differently? No, not really” is the common answer. “The only thing that bothers us sometimes is that people yell ‘I’ll be right there sir!‘ when we ring the doorbell. They don’t really expect women on bikes.”
“Generally we get a lot of respect. For instance, when it rains, people ask us if we would like a cup of coffee. They tell us to drive safely. And when it’s hot outside, they offer us a soda or water. That they care so much brings us a lot of joy.”
They continue: “We notice that we’re like a popular tourist attraction. People take a lot of pictures of us and our bikes. People wave, give us high fives and kids come and say hello.” Eline has already had a pretty unique experience as well: “Somebody gave me a kiss on the head. That was too much of a good thing.”
What about the vans?
They all love their bikes and have a strong opinion about the vans. “Let’s say that none of us are excited to hop in the vans. We prefer to let May Lis stay on her bike because she even states that she won’t stay here if she has to permanently drive a van.”
Pauline gets a bit sad and lonely when she has been driving in a van all day. “When you’re cycling, you meet a lot of people and you feel more surrounded.” The traffic and fear of hitting someone with the van are also key factors on why they prefer the bikes. “We do see the opposite with the van drivers. They would rather stay in their van.” Everyone is right where they’re supposed to be!
“Rather soaked on the bike, than in a traffic jam with the van.”
May Lis
What about sustainability?
For DHL, sustainability is a clear business priority. The goal is to reduce all logistics CO2-emissions to zero by 2050. “The electric vans and bikes are a real asset an step in the right direction!” Working for DHL Express even encouraged Pauline to be more conscious about the environment: “I used to throw litter on the street. But now that I wear my DHL uniform, I feel like I have to be an example. I adopted this attitude outside working hours.”
Positive factors
“Perhaps the most important thing is the respect we get back from the customers” they indicate. “But also the vibe among the couriers. And even the equipment we have at our disposal, like the tumble dryer we can use after a rainy day.” These are all positive factors that May Lis, Pauline and Eline are proud of.
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