UPS names president of global freight forwarding

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BRUSSELS, Apr 11 (GCTL18) – Ms. Cindy Miller has been the President of Global Freight Forwarding at United Parcel Service, Inc. since April 2013.

Miller, who began her UPS career as a driver in Philadelphia in 1988, has held various positions in UPS all over the world in her 28 years with the company. Prior to her current position, she served as president of the UPS region in Europe. Under her leadership, UPS achieved record growth and service levels across the region.

Miller also directed key expansions in the Healthcare and Retail/B2C sectors, including the rollout of UPS My Choice and the UPS Access Point network. In addition, Miller oversaw multiple acquisitions and the opening of new or expanded facilities across Europe, including France, Austria, Poland, and Germany.

“The air freight industry is central to the development of trade and the global economy,” said Miller. “With a senior management team of more than 1,200 combined years of experience, customers can rely on UPS to partner with them on their global logistics needs. Customers can also benefit from the tracking capabilities offered by UPS Flex Global View, and our world class brokerage services – tools that can help them expand with confidence into new markets globally.”

 

UPS expands its package service to 23 countries & territories

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HONG KONG, Mar 8 (GCTL18) – UPS has expanded its UPS Worldwide Express package service to 23 additional countries and territories, creating an earlier guaranteed-delivery option for customers in locations that previously had only end-of-day guarantees.

UPS service offers guaranteed delivery on the next possible business day by 10:30 a.m., noon or 2 p.m. depending on the destination, following  last year’s expansion of the service.

This expansion of UPS service will give customers – especially those with time-sensitive shipments – the guaranteed time-of-day deliveries they need to thrive as international trade continues to grow.

“The latest expansion covers growing markets like Colombia, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam, which are increasingly important to global trade,” said Nick Basford, Vice President of International Marketing at UPS. “Colombia has become a key market for U.S. exporters due to the Free Trade Agreement between the two countries.”

Saudi Arabia is a large economy with a growing middle class. And Vietnam is emerging as a manufacturing powerhouse in the Asia Pacific region. UPS service now gives customers more options to reach these and other key global markets.”

“The complexities of trade today necessitate flexibility in order for businesses to compete effectively. With the addition of Macau and Vietnam to UPS’s Express portfolio, Asian businesses are primed for growth,” said Steven Wong, Managing Director of UPS Hong Kong and Macau.

“Improved accessibility to Macau will provide greater opportunity for global businesses; while Hong Kong SMEs stand to benefit from better connectivity with Vietnam, where bilateral trade between the two has exhibited progressive growth.”
 

Speculation is rite that Amazon plans its own air cargo network

WILMINGTON, Ohio, Nov 26 (GCTL18) – Amazon’s moves deeper into logistics may already be extending into air freight and air express delivery operations, according to sources in the US that believe a new air freight operation out of Wilmington Air Park in Ohio may be directly run on behalf of the online retail giant, using infrastructure formerly used by DHL Express.

According to Motherboard, the science and technology channel of the Vice Media group, an air cargo operation under the name ‘Aerosmith’ launched in September at Wilmington, on a trial basis. The operation is being run by the Ohio-based aviation holding company Air Transport Services Group, or ATSG, shipping consumer goods for an unnamed client that many believe to be Amazon, Motherboard reports quoting Lloyd’s Loading List.

The unnamed client has contracted two Boeing 767s from airline ABX and two more from airline Air Transport International, under ‘wet-lease’ (ACMI or aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance) agreements, Motherboard confirmed with Paul Cunningham, a spokesperson for ATSG.

The project involves a hub-and-spoke air freight operation out of Wilmington (ILN) with four flights a day to and from four other confirmed airports: Allentown, PA (ABE), Ontario, CA (ONT), Tampa (TPA) and Oakland (OAK). Amazon has distribution centres about 30 km from ABE and ONT and within 100 km of TPA and OAK, Motherboard noted.

Cunningham declined to say whether the company behind Aerosmith was Amazon, citing a nondisclosure agreement, but said that the cargo being shipped was general consumer goods. The client company had not yet indicated if the project was short or long term, although Cunningham said he expected that it would continue through the peak shipping season in the fourth quarter.

FedEx, UPS, and DHL all confirmed to Motherboard that they were not involved in ‘Aerosmith’. Amazon did not deny it was behind the project, but told Motherboard: “We’ve long utilized air capacity through a variety of great partners to transport packages and we expect that to continue.”

Although Amazon may just be just building up a system to supplement its current system during high-volume periods like the holiday season,

Marc Wulfraat, president of a logistics consulting firm that follows Amazon closely, MWPVL International, said talk of Amazon’s plans to expand into transportation and freight has been intensifying recently. He told Motherboard that he was doubtful it had any concrete air cargo programmes, but suggested the company may be testing the idea as a pilot project, noting: “They are always coming up with new ideas to lower shipping cost. Shipping cost is their big albatross; they’re always looking for ways to bring that under control.”

 

UPS earnings are up 3.5pc in Q3 despite flat revenue growth

ATLANTA, Nov 12 (GCTL18) – UPS’ third-quarter net income increased by 3.5 per cent year on year to US$1.26 billion, while overall revenues declined 0.4 per cent to $14.2 billion due to currency exchange rates and lower fuel surcharges.

The integrator said its net profits showed improvement as a result of “revenue quality enhancements” that began earlier this year, reported Air Cargo World.

Total company shipments during the third quarter rose two per cent compared to the same period last year to 1.1 billion packages, led by domestic air products. “Daily export shipments were up 1.2 per cent over the prior year,” UPS said. “Growth in Europe trans-border and US inbound shipments outweighed a drop in Asia and US exports.”

The International Package segment achieved 10.2 per cent growth in operating profit year on year to $507 million as a result of “revenue quality enhancements, network improvements and export volume growth,” according to the company.

The operating profit from its Supply Chain and Freight

UPS

segment was up 1.9 per cent to $219 million, while third-quarter revenues increased by 0.1 per cent year on year to $2.4 billion largely due the acquisition of trucking firm Coyote Logistics.

“The freight forwarding business continues to benefit from revenue quality initiatives started earlier in the year,” UPS added. “While tonnage and revenue were down, improvements to the network and pricing drove significant operating profit expansion.”

TNT is ‘making progress’ in finding buyers for its freighter fleet

AMSTERDAM, Nov 9 (GCTL18) – Parcel carrier TNT is “making progress” in finding potential buyers for TNT Airways and Madrid-based Pan Air which operate a fleet of 54 aircraft that comprises wholly-owned and leased freighters, according to a spokesman for the TNT group.

In order to gain regulatory approval, TNT is required to sell its freighter fleet so that its US$4.8 billion takeover by US package and logistics giant FedEx can proceed, reported Air Cargo News.

ASL Aviation Group corporate affairs director Andrew Kelly dismissed one media report claiming that the Dublin-based group was again one of the parties interested in TNT’s airline activities, saying: “There was no statement and there is nothing new here.”

ASL had agreed to purchase both of TNT’s airlines for an undisclosed amount when United Parcel Service (UPS) looked certain to acquire the Dutch parcel operator in 2012, until the UPS takeover deal was blocked by European Commission regulators in Brussels.

TNT’s takeover by FedEx is scheduled to receive the green light next year after Brussels announced that it would not be raising anti-competition objections.

UPS to build £120m facility at London Gateway

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LONDON, Nov 3 (GCTL18) – UPS announced plans to construct a 32,000sqm package sorting and delivery facility at the DP World London Gateway Logistics Park in the southeast of England.

At close to £120 million, this project constitutes one of UPS’s largest infrastructure investments outside of the US in the company’s history.

Luis Arriaga, UPS managing director for the UK, Ireland and Nordics, commented: “This construction reaffirms UPS’s commitment to the UK and our confidence in its economy. It is part of our nearly $2 billion in infrastructure investments across Europe over the next five years.”

DP World, chairman Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, commented: “By using DP World London Gateway Park and Port, UPS will have a fast ‘global conveyor-belt’ directly connected to their own worldwide network. UPS’s hub will also provide distribution solutions to other logistics park occupiers. This combination of world class services will be a unique offering for the UK and Europe.”

The facility is expected to be completed in the summer of 2017 and will act as a UK hub and distribution centre for the local area as well as a key gateway to UPS’s global transport network. Once completed, the facility will be able to process approximately 30,000 packages per hour, with room for further expansion.

UPS pilots vote to authorise strike

 

 

NEW YORK, Oct 27 (GCTL18) – UPS pilots voted overwhelmingly to authorise a strike against United Parcel Service (UPS), with almost 97% participation among UPS members of the Independent Pilots Association union.

The vote gives the IPA executive board the authority to formally request a release from federally mediated negotiations with UPS, and the discretion to conduct a strike once mediation is concluded.

IPA president Robert Travis commented: “UPS promises its customers on-time delivery, but after four years of labour negotiations, the company has failed to deliver a contract for its own pilots. In a clear voice, UPS pilots have said they are willing to strike if necessary to finish the job.”

Should the 2,500 UPS pilots go on strike, they will also have the support of other unionised UPS colleagues after International Brotherhood of Teamsters general president James Hoffa pledged the support of 250,000 UPS Teamster co-workers, Lloyd’s List reported. In a letter to the pilots, Hoffa wrote, “If a strike is necessary, we will not cross your lines, but will stand with you on them.”

Welcoming the Teamster union’s support, Travis added: “The employees of UPS make our company strong and productive. Management is playing a risky game using ‘stall and delay’ tactics against its own people. Meanwhile, FedEx is delivering on-time.”

UPS rival FedEx ratified a six-year contract with its pilots last week. “Given that the pilots are the only major employee group at FedEx covered by a collective bargaining agreement, this deal brings labour peace to our main competitor,” said Travis.

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UPS and IPA are scheduled to return to the bargaining table in early November with the federal mediator retaining the right to cancel scheduled sessions.