UPS accelerated the guaranteed commit time for its 2nd Day Air A.M. delivery service to 10:30 a.m. from noon and added a Saturday delivery option for UPS 2nd Day Air, the carrier said yesterday.
The moves are part of an expansion of the UPS 2nd Day Air portfolio that also includes the addition of 9,300 ZIP codes to the 2nd Day Air A.M. delivery service area.
These deferred premium services offer any business an economical alternative for time-sensitive shipments that do not require overnight delivery. They are especially popular among manufacturers, online retailers and wholesalers.
UPS, Atlanta, said the earlier commit time of 2nd Day Air A.M. helps manufacturers meet just-in-time schedules more economically while giving them more time in the day to assemble finished products, and it ensures wholesale goods arrive earlier to retailers, providing them more time to restock inventory. The service also is ideal for the distribution and processing of paperwork and payroll for companies with multiple locations. Important documents arrive early enough for same-day processing, and paychecks can be distributed to employees the day they are delivered.
The new 2nd Day Air Saturday delivery option also helps online retailers improve customer service by ensuring delivery two days sooner versus the normal Monday arrival, UPS said. And Saturday is an ideal delivery option for high-value items that require a signature because customers are more likely to be at home.
Adding 9,300 ZIP codes to the service area for 2nd Day Air A.M. raises the total for that service to 26,800. This expansion follows by just six months the expansion of UPS's Next Day Air Early A.M. delivery territory by 7,200 new ZIP codes, extending the company's leadership for early morning delivery to 19,200 ZIP codes nationwide.
The Saturday delivery option for 2nd Day Air costs $12.50 per package in addition to the regular shipping rates. 2nd Day Air is available throughout the United States, including Puerto Rico.
Melissa Campanelli covers postal news, CRM and database marketing for DM News and DMNews.com. To keep up with the latest developments in these areas, subscribe to our daily and weekly e-mail newsletters by visiting www.dmnews.com/newsletters
