UPS has announced a nearly US$50m investment in network capabilities and dedicated industry teams targeting automotive and industrial manufacturers in North America, alongside the expansion of its air freight service to and from Mexico.
The company’s North American Air Freight (NAAF) service will, from August, offer one-, two- and three-day options to and from Mexico for the first time, providing a time-definite heavy air freight service for manufacturers moving high-value, production-critical parts. UPS says the expansion is designed to reduce border delays and improve shipment visibility across the region.
“Our automotive and industrial customers want an easy button for logistics,” said Matt Guffey, UPS chief commercial and strategy officer. “They need reliability, visibility and a partner that understands their supply chains – end to end, today and tomorrow. We have made strategic investments to build the team and the network that meet their needs unlike any other in the industry.”
As part of the broader investment, UPS has assembled a dedicated team of more than 300 subject-matter experts with automotive and industrial manufacturing experience. The company says this specialist capacity, combined with its integrated transportation, brokerage and warehousing offering, is intended to reduce the complexity of cross-border shipping compared with fragmented multicarrier models.
UPS highlighted several recent network upgrades supporting the announcement, including automation across 67.5% of its facilities, RFID sensing technology embedded throughout its network, and expanded next-day delivery by 10:30am to more US businesses than other major carriers. The company also pointed to its Ground with Freight Pricing option for shipments over 69kg, and same-day parts delivery to dealerships and repair shops via its Roadie subsidiary.
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