Air cargo: UPS increases reach of early morning Next Day Air service

UPS said earlier today that it has upgraded the number of U.S.-based locations that can receive delivery of UPS Next Day Air Early A.M. packages.

The company said that this effort consisted of adding or improving coverage for roughly 1,300 ZIP codes, adding that for deliveries by 8 a.m. UPS said it now serves more ZIP codes and businesses than any of its competitors, as well as serving more ZIP codes with regular 10:30 a.m. next-day delivery service than any other carrier.

A company spokesperson told LM that this brings the number of ZIP codes with guaranteed early morning delivery service to approximately 24,000. A complete list of the UPS Next Day Air Early A.M. ZIP codes with committed delivery times is available on ups.com. And with its expansion of “early a.m.” deliveries, UPS said that more than 75 percent of U.S. businesses can now receive guaranteed early morning deliveries.

“In this business environment, companies are seeking growth opportunities and competitive advantages wherever they can to stay ahead in the marketplace,” said the spokesperson. “Earlier delivery times helps our customers across the country get a jump start on the day, meet urgent deadlines and do business faster.”

And particularly for businesses that are in need of very urgent shipments, she said this will be a significant benefit. Some examples cited included healthcare laboratories that need to receive specimens quickly to process patients’ test results faster; or professional service companies like legal and financial firms that depend on urgent documents and need quick turnaround time.

When asked what the primary competitive advantages of this news are for UPS, the spokesperson said that UPS has a comprehensive offering of air services to meet whatever speed of service customers need.

“UPS understands that more than ever before, companies are seeking competitive advantages that will make them stand out in the marketplace,” said Myron Gray, president, U.S. operations for UPS, in a statement. “Earlier deliveries help our customers across the country meet urgent deadlines faster.  This could mean a legal contract arrives in time for an early client meeting, a diabetes pump is delivered to a patient faster or a factory assembly line gets the critical part it needs to get back into operation more quickly.”