What Is the DHL Logo?
The DHL logo is the letters DHL in red, set with horizontal speed lines on a yellow background. The red is DHL's traditional colour, and the yellow was added after Deutsche Post took full ownership of DHL in 2002. DHL is the express and logistics brand of DHL Group, headquartered in Bonn, Germany, and was founded in San Francisco in 1969.
The express business carries its own version, the DHL Express logo. The red-on-yellow wordmark is available as the DHL logo SVG.
DHL Logo Facts
| Introduced | 2002 to 2003, in red on yellow |
| Symbol | Horizontal speed lines beside the DHL letters |
| Logo type | Wordmark: the letters DHL with speed lines |
| Earlier mark | DHL lettering with triple lines on white, from 1969 |
| Owner | DHL Group |
What the DHL Logo Means
The three letters are the initials of the founders: Adrian Dalsey, Larry Hillblom and Robert Lynn. The red is DHL's traditional colour. The yellow came from Deutsche Post, whose "post yellow" was added to the DHL wordmark to show that the two businesses had become one. The horizontal lines suggest speed and forward motion, fitting for an express courier.
DHL Logo History
DHL started in 1969 with Hillblom and Dalsey flying between San Francisco and Honolulu, carrying bills of lading for their first client, Seatrain Lines. Transform magazine describes the first identity as bold capital letters and triple lines on a white background.
In 1985 the lines were streamlined into what the magazine calls "laser lines", meant to reflect speed.
Deutsche Post began buying shares in DHL in 1998, took a controlling interest in 2001 and owned all of it by the end of 2002. In October 2002 the group announced it would merge DHL, Danzas and Deutsche Post Euro Express into a single DHL, and the post yellow was added to the wordmark.
The relaunch of the new DHL followed in April 2003. A DHL press release from June 2003 summed it up as the traditional red DHL logo set against a new yellow background, with vehicles and aircraft repainted to match.
On 1 July 2023 the parent company dropped Deutsche Post from its own name and became DHL Group, reflecting that most of its business already traded under the DHL brand.
DHL Yellow in Sport
In 2007 DHL began sponsoring the Formula 1 award for the driver with the most fastest laps in a season, and Ferrari's Kimi Räikkönen won the first DHL Fastest Lap Award that year. In August 2011 Manchester United signed DHL as its first training kit sponsor, a deal the club believed was the first of its kind in English football.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does DHL stand for?
DHL stands for the surnames of its three founders: Adrian Dalsey, Larry Hillblom and Robert Lynn.
Why is the DHL logo yellow and red?
The red is DHL's original colour, and the yellow is Deutsche Post's post yellow, added after Deutsche Post took full ownership of DHL in 2002.
When did the DHL logo turn yellow?
The yellow was added to the wordmark in 2002 and rolled out with the relaunch of DHL as a single brand in 2003.
Is DHL German or American?
DHL was founded in San Francisco in 1969. Since 2002 it has been owned by Deutsche Post, the German company that renamed itself DHL Group in 2023.