FedEx, DHL Seeking to Locate Gulf Region Employees

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ackage-delivery giants FedEx Corp. and DHL said they are asking their employees in the Gulf Coast areas stricken by Hurricane Katrina to check in with the companies with updates on their conditions, locations and to make sure they can get their paychecks.

“We are attempting to find our employees and make sure they are secure,” Doug Duncan, chief executive officer of FedEx Freight, told CNBC Friday. “We have located most of our employees, but the New Orleans area is the biggest concern.”

Duncan said FedEx moved 50 tons of supplies into the Gulf region before Katrina hit on Monday, and another 45 tons to the Houston Astrodome Thursday, where some 10,000 evacuees from New Orleans were transported.

“In other areas we have limited operations, some with generators and we are getting back to a ready state to help with the efforts to get those areas back on their feet,” Duncan said.

FedEx, ranked No. 2 on the Transport Topics 100 listing of U.S. and Canadian for-hire carriers, said in a statement it is asking its employees to call in to 1-800-GO-FEDEX, if they are able to, with an update on their location and condition.

DHL said it is trying to get its DHL Express employees in the region to contact its Baton Rouge, La., office at 225-756-2169, and its DHL Danzas Air & Ocean unit workers to call its Houston office at 281-986-2662.

DHL Americas is ranked No. 4 on the TT 100.