UPS rolls out faster LCL service from Asia to U.S.

UPS Inc. said Wednesday it has rolled out a new version of its Asia-to-U.S. less-than-containerload (LCL) ocean service that the company says will cut trans-Pacific transit times by 20 percent over its standard LCL service.

The service is initially available only from Japan, but other Asian points will be added over the next six months, UPS said.

The biggest transit time improvement will be seen on shipments destined for the East Coast, where UPS said it hopes to shave five to six days off the standard 22- to 23-day delivery cycles. The service will cut transit times by approximately two days for shipments bound for the Central and Western United States, UPS said.

To those markets, the standard delivery times are 15 days, the company said.