Brown plus gray equals green for UPS

RICHMOND, Va. — LTL giant Overnite Corp. will now be called UPS Freight, as the parcel delivery courier continues rebranding the trucking firm it acquired in a $1.25 billion blockbuster deal last year.

Customers will begin seeing the new uniforms and newly branded trucks in the next couple months. The rebranding includes a move to the UPS logo with new colors — a gray reminiscent of the Overnite’s fleet markings combined with UPS’s signature brown.

UPS Freight, which is based in Richmond, Va., will also launch in May of a new Web site for shipping and tracking, www.upsfreight.com. The facilities and fleet, which includes about 7,000 tractors and 22,000 trailers, will continue to operate independently of the UPS package delivery network.

The transition to UPS Freight has led to the deployment of new technology, most significantly the introduction of UPS’s DIAD, the hand-held computer used by drivers that will improve tracking and customer responsiveness.

The rebranding of Overnite will serve as a visible demonstration of UPS’s strategy to provide its customers with a full range of supply chain solutions, the company said.

“We are taking the best of Overnite Transportation and (subsidiary) Motor Cargo and melding it with UPS’s expertise and capabilities for the benefit of customers,” said Leo Suggs, Overnite’s CEO and president. “UPS is known for its technology, its operational expertise and its extensive service options and reliability. We are bringing those same features to our LTL customers. The UPS brand combined with the talents and skills of our employees will increase our ability to attract new customers and create greater value for existing customers. It’s a potent combination.”

UPS conducted a successful sales pilot at the end of 2005 in which UPS’s package delivery sales force sold ground freight services. The pilot clearly demonstrated the synergy between Overnite and UPS customers and the opportunity to sell a combined solution of small package and ground freight services, the company says.