Christmas is almost here. How are couriers coping with the last-minute demand this year?

In 2013, international couriers UPS and FedEx hit the news when they struggled to cope with seasonal demands, leading to millions of delayed parcel deliveries and a lot of angry customers.

Much of the blame was levelled at online retailers, who had heavily encouraged last-minute shopping—including Amazon, who promised Christmas delivery for orders placed as late as 11pm on December 23rd.

Last year things got better, but there was still room for improvement. So how have UPS and FedEx been attempting to cope with demand this year?

Temporary workers

UPS had added 55,000 temporary workers in 2013; FedEx, 25,000. In 2015, UPS recruited a staggering 95,000 seasonal workers, while FedEx upped their recruitment to 55,000.

Free shipping day

Many major retailers declared December 18th 'Free Shipping Day', waiving shipping fees on all online orders. Encouraged to do this by UPS and FedEx, the aim was to get customers to do their shopping earlier on to avoid the bottleneck immediately before Christmas.

Sophisticated technology

UPS is using a smart routing technology called Orion to manage up to 70% of the company's delivery routes within the U.S. The algorithmic technology analyses over 200,000 options for each 120-stop route, then selects the most efficient one. UPS saved up to 6-8 miles per route last year using this technology.

FedEx are using six-sided “scanning tunnels”, which can track weight and dimensions, make sorting decisions, and reduce human input and error.

Large scale operation

Worldport, UPS' sorting hub in Louiseville, Kentucky, has 155 miles' worth of conveyor belts. The facility is the size of 90 American football fields, and a plane lands every 60 seconds to unload goods.

UPS has 38,000 containers that hold 400 packages apiece, which are rolled across the floor and onto planes. 416,000 packages are signed every hour. It takes a package 13 minutes to make its way through the facility.

UPS expects to deliver 630 million packages overall this year.

So how will it go? We'll find out over the next day or two. It's a huge operation for both UPS and FedEx, but they seem to be pulling out all of the stops to deal with Christmas demand.

Sending a parcel with Transglobal Express? Stay apprised of our Christmas schedule.

Send your parcels on time this Christmas

As you may have noticed from all of the decorations, songs and TV ads—the Christmas season is once again upon us!

This is by far the busiest season for deliveries, as families and friends send gifts to their loved ones and businesses cater to customer demand.

So if you have a parcel to send this Christmas, here’s what you need to know to ensure that your parcels are delivered on time.

Collection cut-off dates

Couriers aren’t always exact with their cut-off dates, as high Christmas volume tends to require some leeway. This means that, whoever you’re shipping with, you should always add one or two extra working days to expected transit times.

 (Image credit: Andy Rogers.)

Only UPS and TNT have published clear cut-off dates at the moment, which you can find below. Please note that these dates are for final collections, not deliveries.

UPS

For UPS (click to go to their site), Wednesday December 23rd is the last possible collection date for deliveries that may arrive in time for Christmas—but this will depend on the service (e.g. Express) and collection and delivery locations.

On Thursday December 24th, collection requests can be made until 1pm and will be carried out until 3pm. UPS drop-off centres will be open until 5pm. However, deliveries will arrive at their destinations after Christmas.

TNT

For TNT (click to go to their site), Wednesday December 23rd is the last possible collection date for deliveries that may arrive in time for Christmas, but only if they are next-day delivery services. TNT will still make collections on Thursday December 24th, but deliveries will not arrive until after Christmas.

For information about Transglobal Express cut-off times, please see our website.

Avoiding customs delays

Remember that, if you are sending parcels to a destination outside of the European Union (EU), or to the UK from outside of the EU, they will need to clear customs.

It’s always advisable to allow extra time for customs clearance, but this is particularly true over the Christmas period, when there may be a seasonal backlog.

 (Image credit: Joe Buckingham.)

You should also be aware of carriers’ prohibited and restricted items, which may include perfumes, aerosols, aftershave, alcohol, and certain foods. Believe it or not, even Christmas crackers may be considered an explosive hazard.

Please also check the packaging guidelines for your carrier—you should use sturdy, protective packaging. Your parcel should not be covered in Christmas wrapping paper, as customs officials may need to open your parcel to inspect the goods.

You should know the rules before you send to avoid extra fees and unwanted delays.

Transglobal Express opening hours

With Transglobal Express, you can get a quote and book your parcel delivery online at any time. We offer reduced rates with major carriers such as UPS, TNT and DHL.

If you need any assistance, call us on 0345 145 1212, or email sales@transglobalexpress.co.uk. Our customer services team are available:

Monday to Friday: 8:00am-6:30pm.

Saturday: 9:00am-1:00pm.

Over the Christmas holidays, our offices will be closed on:

Christmas Day (December 25th)
Boxing Day (December 26th - Saturday)
Substitute Boxing Day (December 28th)
New Year’s Day (January 1st)

For more information, or to book your Christmas deliveries, please visit transglobalexpress.co.uk.

How Cecil the lion is changing airline policy

When Cecil the lion was killed by an American big-game hunter in Zimbabwe in July, the controversy made big waves. As outrage gained momentum on social media, conservation organisations rallied, high-level government officials spoke out, and even late-night chat show hosts made pleas for charity donations on his behalf.

The repercussions of the incident have also been felt by the courier industry, with petitions being sent out to carriers asking for a ban on the transportation of big-game hunting trophies, as a way of trying to deny hunters their prizes.

Last month, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines and Air Canada—the big North American airlines—joined a long list of companies who have opted to go ahead with the trophy ban. They are not required by international law, but are doing so seemingly on ethical grounds. They now prohibit the transportation of the "big five": lion, leopard, elephant, rhinoceros and buffalo.

Animal cargo - what are the rules?

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) abides by the Live Animals Regulations (LAR) as a global standard for live animal cargo. For carriers, live animals are usually either a prohibited or a restricted item.

UPS is one company that will transport some live animals, but not obviously dangerous animals, such as those that are poisonous or venomous, or pests such as locusts and mosquitoes. Live bees, strangely enough, can be transported as long as they come with the right packaging.

Endangered or threatened animals are protected under the what-it-says-on-the-tin Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) from 1975, which requires a CITES permit for the transportation of endangered species. But most carriers, including UPS, outright refuse to transport endangered species.

A matter of opinion?

Hunting trophies are a different matter. Airlines are not obligated by international law to prohibit the transport of hunting trophies, even of endangered species. The actual hunting of endangered animals often requires a permit, but can be done legally, and current U.S. law permits the importation of all "big five" animals.

UPS and FedEx are two companies who have not followed the new trend of banning hunting trophies, both stating that they comply with international and U.S. law. UPS' public relations director, Susan Rosenberg, has said that, beyond the law, the ethics of transporting hunting trophies is a matter of opinion and that UPS avoids making judgements.

What do you think? Should all carriers ban hunting trophies? Or should they keep a more hands-off approach?

Transglobal Express is an international freight forwarder. Visit our website for a quote and get great discounts on all major carriers for air freight, sea freight and door-do-door parcel delivery—lions not permitted.

(Image credits: Joe Ross, jude_the_obscure, under a Creative Commons 2.0 license.)

A shark whale of a time with UPS

In 2005 and 2006, UPS donated their services to the Georgia Aquarium. They transported four whale sharks, the largest fish on Earth, across the Pacific Ocean. The sharks were in Taipei, Taiwan, and needed delivering to Atlanta, Georgia, in the U.S, a distance of over 8,000 miles.

Ralph and Norton, two males, were delivered first, followed by two females, Alice and Trixie, a year later. What names they were given by their parents in whale shark language is unknown.

The whale sharks each measured between 11-16 feet in length and weighed about 2,000 pounds. Although they needed to be carried by air, it was soon realised that the sharks wouldn’t fit into economy class. So how was this unusual cargo transported?

 

From UPS, with tanks

The trip required two custom-build tanks, measuring 8 feet by 24, which with the weight of the water and the whale sharks would exceed 50,000 pounds. The tanks came with marine life support systems and a lab that enabled monitoring. While a Boeing 747 plane can carry up to 120,000 pounds in weight, it needed to be distributed over the plane’s point of balance, which is over its main gear.

The trip was time-sensitive situation, as the whales would naturally foul up the water. The plane also needed to make a stopover in Alaska for an official inspection before it would be allowed into the U.S.

As an entire operation, it was incredibly complex, but the UPS team managed to pull it off and the whale sharks were delivered to their new home.

 

Just a small donation

It seems unusual that UPS would shoulder the cost of such an expensive enterprise—but had UPS not donated the transport, costs would have ratcheted up for the Aquarium, to hundreds of thousands and potentially millions of dollars.

 
The same team also transported two beluga whales from Mexico City, which are even heavier than whale sharks at up to 3,500 pounds. UPS also helped FEMA in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, and took the Terracotta Army on tour around the world in 2009.

You can read the full adventures of Bland Matthews, the UPS worker who helped to co-ordinate these deliveries, over at Priceonomics.

For deliveries that aren’t quite so live and flipping, get discounts on international delivery for all major carriers, including UPS, with Transglobal Express. 

(Image credits: Christian Jensen, Warren Lynn under a Creative Commons 2.0 license.)

UPS to increase its fuel fleet by 30%

UPS is expected to expand its fleet of alternative technology by up to 30%. The US parcel delivery giant is due to achieve this by the use on a single large investment in compressed natural gas systems. UPS has said it plans to build up to 15 additional natural gas (CNG) refuelling throughout the US.

Michael Nichols, UPS Senior Vice President of Transportation and Engineering, has said: "Today's CNG announcement demonstrates UPS's plans to expand use of widely available natural gas. CNG is an important building block in our long-term fleet strategy and offers environmental and economic advantages."

UPS already has 8 existing CNG fuel stations situated in California, Colorado, Georgia and Oklahoma, in addition to operating CNG vehicles in Germany, the Netherlands and Thailand. The deployment of the new CNG vehicles will be within 15 US cities, including Atlanta, Dallas, Kansas, Pennsylvania and Louisiana.

UPS has already reduced its use of conventional fuel by 34 million gallons since the year 2000, however the new CNG investment is anticipated to displace the use of 54 million gallons of conventional diesel and gasoline in a year.

UPS prepare for busy week in the US

UPS has said it is expecting its parcel volumes to soar next week as consumers start to return Christmas gifts to retailers. The US parcel delivery giant has said January 6th is to be the busiest, with it being labelled “UPS National Returns Day.” The carrier is expecting more than 800,000 packages to be shipped on the day. By the end of the first full week in January, UPS is anticipating the transport of 4 million return packages and parcels in the USA alone.

UPS Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, Alan Gershenhorn, has said: “As e-commerce continues to grow, simple returns services have become an essential part of the overall consumer shopping experience with 66% reviewing a retailer’s return policy before making a purchase, and 68% said they would complete an online purchase if the retailer simply offered a free return shipping label.”

In a bid to keep its customers informed, UPS has recently updated its website and mobile app to help those looking to return items to find a convenient drop-off location. The firm has recently expanded its network by introducing 400 new UPS Access Points across the US.

UPS invests in cross-border e-commerce shipping company i-parcel

UPS is due to enhance its involvement in cross-border e-commerce to help its online retailers gain better access to transatlantic consumers. American company i-parcel specialise in helping provide localised versions of retail websites selling goods in local currencies, as well as being able to ship  to foreign consumers.

i-parcels is a company that was founded around nine years ago, offering its customers the power to shop using British and American e-commerce websites with ease and as if they were shopping in their own country. Once items are sold to consumers overseas, the company then ships to one of its i-parcel hubs in Los Angeles, Indianapolis, New Jersey in the USA, or Surrey within the UK. i-parcel then helps in assisting the transportation of the goods overseas via commercial airlines using local courier services.

Alan Gershenhorn, UPS Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, has said: "UPS continues to look ahead to the expanding worldwide demands in the ever-growing global e-commerce market. UPS continues to invest in capabilities that enable its e-commerce merchants to meet the growing global demand." Speaking of UPS's involvement with i-parcel, Gershenhorn also added: "i-parcel has been an international bridge linking US and UK merchants to global e-commerce consumers throughout the world and our team is excited to join with UPS to further globalise e-commerce."

UPS appoints new Malaysian general manager

UPS has revealed that Tze Hsien (TM) Lim has been appointed General Manager of UPS Malaysia. As UPS veteran of over 20 years, Lim will take over responsibility for all express delivery and logistics activities on behalf of UPS Malaysia.

Lim will be expected to take lead of the supply chain operations of the company, providing strategic direction to develop business growth. He will also oversee the businesses aspects, including areas such as customer managements, sales and marketing, and operations.

Nando Cesarone, President of UPS Asia Pacific, has said: "The Malaysian economy is expected to continue to expand in the second half of 2014 according to a recent report by the Malaysian Institute of Economic Research." Cesarone also added: "Lim is an asset to the UPS Malaysia team and his extensive experience in a a range of functions...makes him the ideal candidate to lead the business. With this appointment, UPS remains committed to assisting Malaysian companies capture the exponential growth opportunities, and supporting them in expanding regionally and globally in an evolving marketplace."

Having joined the company in 1990, Lim has held various regional and country roles; Lim has been Vice President of Strategy and Operations for UPS China in the past.

UPS provides transportation of Ebola aid

UPS has recently announced its involvement in helping provide transportation of support and commitments totalling a worth of $400,000 in gifts-in-kind (GIK) for the urgent relief in aiding the outbreak of the deadly virus, Ebola which has currently claimed the lives of over 1,500 people in West Africa.

UPS, and The UPS Foundation, have responded to the World Health Organisation's plea for help, with the parcel delivery company offering its transport services at no cost to relief agencies.

UPS is to expedite the transport of 10 pallets of supplied to New York's JFK Airport to be placed onto a humanitarian flight. It has been confirmed an additional $175,000 GIK is to follow via sea freight to the affected area.

UPS has sponsored a charter flight for UNICEF of 55 metric
tones of dry chlorine disinfectant

The US parcel delivery company has also sponsored a Humanitarian Relief charter flight on behalf of UNICEF from Belgium. The aircraft is due to carry 55 metric tones of HTH dry chlorine disinfectant in assist in hygiene activities at Ebola treatment centres in Liberia where more than 40% of deaths due to the virus have occurred.

UPS has a history of working alongside disaster relief organisations to help deliver critical, life-saving aid to people and communities in need around the world. Last year saw the parcel delivery company provide $7.5million in humanitarian relief across 46 countries worldwide.

UPS to expand its Canadian network

UPS has announced its plans to expand its Canadian network by opening three new operation centres within British Colombia. The operation centres are due to be located in Kamloops, Nanaimo and Comox, with the additional expansion of the already existing centre in Kelowna.

Pick up and delivery services for UPS customers in Kamloops have already begun, with this replacing its current agent being used. The scheduled expansion will further enhance UPS's already strong Canadian network, whilst also increasing the brand's reputation further into BC.

Michael Tierney, UPS Canada President, has said: "Expanding our service in BC and across Canada is fueled by market opportunity and customer demand. UPS continues to invest in new capabilities and network capacity to secure customers' confidence and enable their long-term growth."

The expansion is expected to be complete by November of this year, with it representing a multi-million dollar investment. UPS will see its physical presence expand by 36,000 square feet across the four new centres, with approximately 80 jobs being introduced.

UPS to rebrand Kiala locations to expand delivery options

UPS has announced it will be making efforts to rebrand various Kiala locations throughout Spain to make these co-branded as UPS Access Point locations. This will be an initial step in the bid to transform all Kiala locations to UPS Access Point locations, which is due for completion in 2016.

Online retailers in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK can now have their goods shipped directly to a UPS Access Points/Kiala location as an alternative to home delivery, in addition to providing an opportunity for retailers and consumers to meet with growing cross-border e-commerce.

Within Spain, consumers who are not available for a residential delivery will be able to have their parcels and package re-directed to a UPS Access Point/Kiala location, giving them opportunity to pick up their shipments at their own convenience. In most instances, shipments will be able to be collected from the location point the same day.

Christoph Atz, Managing Director for UPS Spain has said: "These additional services address the results of our 2013 Pulse of the Online Shopper survey in which consumers indicated that they want more control over when and where their purchases are delivered, and a convenient returns process. Additionally, it contributes to our sustainability efforts by reducing the number of return trips a driver needs to make to an address, which lowers carbon emissions."

UK Transport Secretary opens new refuelling station at UPS facility

Patrick McLoughlin, the UK's Transport Secretary, recently opened a brand new biomethane refuelling station at one of UPS's hubs within central England.

The newly introduced refuelling station is located at UPS's site in Tamworth, Staffordshire, with it being used by the parcel delivery company's 20 duel-fuel tractor vehicles, using a combination of diesel and biomethane - a renewable fuel.

George Willis, UPS's Managing Director for the UK, Ireland
and Nordics (left), with UK Secretary of State, Patrick
McLoughlin (right)

UPS has said the alternative fuel use that calculated a 40% decrease in carbon emissions and "very low" levels of air pollution. The vehicles are able to travel for longer distances and overnight.

The Director of Sustainability at UPS Europe, Peter Harris has commented: "The transport sector has very limited access to biomethane, as government incentives for producers tend to be preferential towards the energy sector where other alternatives more readily exist." Harris continued: "We hope [this] can encourage a discussion on how best to address this discrepancy."

Biomethane-powered vehicles were first introduced to the UK during the London 2012 Olympics, with UPS being the official logistics partner of the games. It was decided the company would incorporate its vehicles on a permanent basis within the UK following the Games.

McLoughlin commented, on opening the new station located in Tamworth: "I  am really pleased to see this in action here in Tamworth. We are keen to see more use of biogas, which is why we have extended tax incentives on all gas transport fuels. This will provide more support for those considering investing in these technologies."

Toronto Blue Jays player, Joe Carter, delivers surprise to fans with help from UPS

Having been proud sponsor of the Toronto Blue Jays for the third year running, UPS decided to mark its partnership with the baseball team by having Toronto Blue Jays alumni and World Series champion Joe Carter surprise a select few fans of the team. Carter surprised a number of season ticket holders at Toronto's UPS Store.

Blue Jays season ticket holder and avid baseball fan, Jeffery Dorfman, said: "When Joe Carter walked out from behind the counter I was speechless. I've been a season ticket holder since 1988, aside from a repeat of the 92/93 World Series, there is nothing that could make me happier!"

Joe Carter welcomed the loyal customers of The UPS Store with a personalised photograph and autographed Toronto Blue Jays merchandise.

Toronto Blue Jays alumni, Joe Carter

Stephen Brooks, Senior Vice President of Operations for the Blue Jays commented: "The Toronto Blue Jays were excited to provide a unique and special experience for our season ticket holders with the help of Joe Carter and UPS. The Blue Jays would like to thank all the fans and UPS for their support and tremendous interest in the ballclub and encourage them to come out to Rogers Centre this season."

Jim Bena, Vice President of Marketing at UPS Canada commented: "The relationship with the Toronto Blue Jays is founded on shared values - integrity, precision and the consistent drive for excellence; the sponsorship underscores our commitment to these traits." However, Bena also added: "But it's more than that. There's nothing more satisfying than seeing the look on a customer's face when they've received that special something. The Toronto Blue Jays share this analogy in the joy they bring to fans during every game. Makings customers happy if our number one priority."

UPS are to continue its support of the Canadian baseball team, as well as expand its abilities surrounding package deliveries.

FedEx is ranked at 8th place in business magazine's "World's Most Admired Companies" list

Fortune, a popular business magazine, has recently published the results of a survey titled the “World’s Most Admired Companies”, with FedEx being ranked at number 8. The results of the survey portray a comprised list of the most prestigious and well thought of businesses.

Being featured in this list is not a first for FedEx, with the Memphis founded company having being highlighting on previous years editions. Since 2001, FedEx has been positioned among the top 20 companies as decided by Fortune magazine.

Fortune's edition including the "World's Most
Admired Companies" list

The survey takes into account nine separate characteristics and elements with regards to both financial performance and corporate reputation of companies when deciding the position of each within the list. Before arriving at their top 50, both Fortune, and consulting company, Hay Group is forced to eliminate from the starting from approximately 1,400 companies. After much elimination, the two deciders create an industry list of 57 companies. Analysis is given to rate the companies on nine separate criteria, from investment value to social responsibility. To make it successfully onto the list, a company must score within the top half of its industry.

To arrive to their top 50, the Hay Group asked approximately 3,800 respondents to choose the ten companies they admired and respected the most. The list at this stage is made up of the companies that ranked in the top 25% from the previous year’s survey.

The finalised list shows other similar parcel delivery companies, such as UPS, narrowly missing out, with them coming in at position 32. DHL did not make it into the top fifty, but can be seen as being considered for it.

FedEx Corp.’s Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Fredrick W. Smith, has said: “We are honoured to be included on the Fortune World’s Most Admired Companies List. This recognition is possible because of our 300,000 team members who strive to make every FedEx experience outstanding.”

UPS releases fourth quarter results

UPS, the American international parcel delivery company, published its fourth quarter results yesterday.

The company announced earlier in the month that diluted earnings per share for the quarter would be lower than initially anticipated, owing to bad weather and the need to take on an increased number of personnel due to unprecedented order volumes in the run up to Christmas. In spite of this, 2013 results generally compared favourably with the previous year and UPS have promised even better for 2014.

Revenue for the US domestic package, the largest branch of the company, rose 4.2% to $8.9 billion. The international package climbed 5.3% year-on-year from $3.2 to $3.37 billion while revenue from the Supply Chain & Freight division dropped 5.8%. 

Consolidated revenue for the quarter amounted to almost $15 million, an overall 2.8% increase from 2012's $14.57 billion Q4 turnover.

The fourth quarter's performance provided a good end for the US courier - revenue increased 2.4% to over $55 billion and total operating profit rose to $7,034 billion compared to $1,343 billion in 2012. 

Kurt Kuehn, UPS Chief Financial Officer, said, "While the year ended on a challenging note, we are confident in our ability to adapt and we expect much better results in 2014. UPS expects balanced profitability growth across all segments in a slightly better economic environment, resulting in full-year guidance of diluted earnings per share of $5.05 to $5.30, an 11%-to-16% increase over our 2013 adjusted results."

Yodel named worst parcel delivery service in Money Saving Expert poll

Yodel was named the worst parcel delivery service for the second year running earlier this month. A poll on the renowned Money Saving Expert website asked for the views of almost 9,000 users and 58%  of those who had had goods delivered by Yodel rated their experience with the company as bad, compared with only 22% stating is was good.

Marin Lewis, founder of the website, commented, "Yet again Yodel has come bottom of the delivery pile. It's not quite as hideous as last year when 71% rated it bad – but it should act as a serious warning to anyone thinking of using it, or a company that uses it."

According to Martin, part of the reason for people's dissatisfaction was the "indirect nature of delivery firms". Yodel delivers for a number of major retailers including Amazon, Tesco Direct and Argos, meaning that many customers have no choice but to use them if they are purchasing from such companies.

"It's time we put pressure on retailers to stop inflicting this type of delivery on us." urged Martin, "any customer who has an abominable delivery service should complain to the retailer and ask them to justify why they use firms with such dire reputations."

Hermes also came out quite badly in the poll, with 30% of customers reporting a bad service from the company. The most highly-rated services were DPD, Collect Plus, Royal Mail and UPS.

Pharmaceutical industry undergoing supply chain transformation, says UPS survey

UPS's sixth annual "Pain in the (Supply) Chain" survey has revealed that the pharmaceutical supply chain is undergoing significant change amid growing concern about product protection and security and the global regulatory environment.

The survey identifies trends in the pharmaceutical sector by gathering data about the practice and strategic plans of global healthcare executives. Of the 441 executives surveyed in North and South America, Asia and Western Europe, 84% will invest in new technologies over the next five years, 78% will enter new global markets and 70% will transform their supply chain by going direct to providers, retailers and even end-patients.

Product security was cited as a greater concern than cost management for the first time since the survey's inception in 2008 - increasing counterfeit sophistication and poor supply chain disability were the most common reasons for this.

Bill Hook, Vice President of global strategy at UPS Healthcare Logistics said, "healthcare companies are balancing a number of priorities related to capturing business growth opportunities in new markets, protecting increasingly sophisticated and high-value products and navigating a complex regulatory environment worldwide. As the industry shifts to meet new customer and market demands, executives are investing in transformative supply chain strategies and strategic partnerships that will help them achieve long-term business goals."

Transit times to Australia | How long will my parcel take to be delivered?

Not many nations are further from the UK than Australia (London is over 10,000 miles from Sidney as the crow flies!) but with a quality door-to-door courier service, your parcel can still reach its Australian destination in record time. The largest global courier companies such as UPS and DHL offer excellent transit times to Australia and with parcel delivery resellers such as Transglobal Express you can ensure you get quality services from big name carriers for a fraction of the price.

Transglobal Express offer a variety of discounted services from leading couriers including UPS, DHL, TNT and FedEx. You can compare the prices of each and pick the best one to suite your timescale and budget.   All major carriers offer Transit Times Calculator tools; if you know your collection and delivery address, you simply enter these into a quick form and you will see how long your parcel will take to be delivered depending on the service you select. With the UPS Expedited service, you can book a delivery to Australia this Friday morning, have it picked up this afternoon and delivered to Australia by Monday! If your parcel is less time-sensitive, there are more economical services you can select. You can compare a variety of services by getting a quote with Transglobal Express today!

UPS, FedEx and DHL make InformationWeek 500 list for technological innovation

The three of the largest global carriers: UPS, FedEx Corp and DHL Express have each been named on the InformationWeek 500 list this month. The list acknowledges businesses operating in the US for their technological innovation. Last year, UPS came 8th on the list, with FedEx in 35th and German company DHL coming in at 184th place. Although

FedEx has made the list every year since 1995. This year, FedEx was recognized for developing enhancements to its tracking functionality that provides an improved customer experience. The company is ranked number 108 on the list.

"For 25 years, the InformationWeek 500 has honored the most innovative users of business technology," said InformationWeek VP and Editor In Chief Rob Preston.  "Among this year's top companies, we're seeing a tremendous amount of innovation around data analytics, mobile computing and Web commerce in particular. InformationWeek 500 companies not only are embracing new technologies and technology approaches, but also new IT-powered business models, to drive revenue and profitability. Their results speak for themselves."

InformationWeek identifies and honors the nation's most innovative users of business technology with its annual 500 listing, and also tracks the technology, strategies, investments, and administrative practices of America’s best-known companies.

Additional details on the InformationWeek 500 can be found online at www.informationweek.com/iw500/.

2012 UPS 8 , FedEx 35 , DHL 184
2013 UPS 45, FedEX 108, DHL 173

Two pilots die in UPS cargo plane crash in Birmingham, Alabama

A UPS A330 plane crashed early hours of Wednesday morning while approaching Birmingham International Airport in Alabama, USA. The pilot and the co-pilot - the only people on board - were killed in the crash. The plane is thought to have caught fire before the crash-landing in a field near Birmingham Shuttleworth International Airport. William Bell, Mayor of Birmingham reported there had been two to three small explosions on the aircraft that were likely to have been caused by aviation fuel. 

UPS published a statement yesterday offering condolences to the family of the crew members who have lost their lives: "All of us at UPS extend our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of these two crew members. Our efforts are now primarily focussed on helping their families" said UPS Chairman and CEO Scott Davis.