UPS adds time-definite deliveries to international express freight service

UPS Inc. said today it has added a time-definite commitment to its "Worldwide Express Freight" service, where it delivers palletized shipments weighing more than 150 pounds from 71 origin countries to 67 destination countries.

The new feature, called "UPS Worldwide Express Freight Midday," will offer firm delivery times of noon and 2 p.m. to 35 of the destination countries, Atlanta-based UPS said. The two times are local to the destination market.

The 35 countries account for about two-thirds of world gross domestic product, UPS said.

Under the service, UPS provides door-to-door deliveries within a one- to three-day window, depending on the trade lanes, with customs brokerage included. The company already offers time-definite deliveries at three daily intervals for its international express package services.

"We have customers in the industrial, auto, high-tech, and healthcare fields that need shipments fast, and sometimes end of day just isn't soon enough," John Miltenis, UPS' vice president of international marketing, said in a statement. The new feature is "unique in the market and provides our customers with a strong competitive advantage when timing is critical," Miltenis said. In a related development, UPS said it has expanded the Worldwide Express Freight service to Lebanon, Latvia, and Lithuania, and has added outbound service to Saudi Arabia. The company also announced it expanded its "Worldwide Express" product to more than 7,000 postal codes in 57 countries. UPS offers guaranteed deliveries at 10: 30, noon, and 2 p.m. to 124 countries.