UPS program simplifies packages, heavy loads

ATLANTA — UPS has launched UPS Express Critical, a service that meshes all of UPS’ same-day and urgent capabilities into a single suite, allowing customers to simply manage package and heavy freight shipments together.

For the first time in the industry, customers have a single point of contact regardless of whether they’re shipping a small package or a 1,000 pound machine part — air or ground, domestic or international, the company says. Customers now have a single call center, one bill and one web site to manifest and track their truly urgent shipments.

“Traditionally in our industry, you called different places to move something big versus something small. We think our approach is really going to help our customers because when every second counts, they’ll be calling the same person no matter what they’re shipping,” says Dan Brutto, UPS president of global freight forwarding.

A single “touch point” for all urgent shipping is a convenience UPS has worked to provide by meshing the capabilities of UPS SonicAir, the UPS Airlines and UPS Freight. UPS has access to virtually any type of aircraft or vehicle around the world — both those in its own fleets and those of vendors — meaning customers have a variety of time options, specialized equipment, communication systems, advanced tracking and worldwide reach to meet their needs.

In the not-too-distant past, says Brutto, the need for same day or urgent shipping was driven by crisis situations such as a critical part breaking at an assembly plant. Today, such services often become a normal response to the pace of business.

“The producers of goods used to dictate demand based on how fast things could be pushed through the production and distribution process,” Brutto says. “Now the pace of business is dictated by the customer’s customer at the other end of the supply chain. This trend will continue and UPS now is positioned to set the standard for convenience in the urgent shipping category.”