In Wake of 2013 Christmas Snafus, High-Tech Upgrades Made to Handle Deluge
ATLANTA— United Parcel Service Inc. all year has been focused on one day above the rest: Monday Dec. 22, when it will deliver 34 million packages, more than any other in its history.
It is a big test for the delivery giant after last year’s embarrassing and costly holiday debacle in which millions of packages didn’t arrive in time for Christmas. To avoid a recurrence, UPS has spent about $500 million preparing for the holidays with projects including automated sorting systems to rapidly identify ZIP Codes and swiftly reroute packages in the event of bad weather.
That automated system—known as its “Next Generation Sort Aisle”—is now operating at three hubs around the country. The new technology scans packages and quickly flashes instructions to workers so they can process 15% more packages a day, or as many as 47,000 parcels an hour, as measured at one of the hubs.
Rival FedEx Corp. has taken a different approach to e-commerce. After losing a major customer—identified by analysts as Amazon—at its no-frills Smartpost business this year, FedEx Chief Executive Fred Smith said the company is targeting “the right kind of growth within the e-commerce market.” FedEx has said it has spent extensively to prepare for the holiday season.
The U.S. Postal Service, meanwhile, has rolled out seven-day delivery in major metropolitan markets, and sends out letter carriers more than once a day to handle the surge of packages.
as a hedge against the low IQ, no college po mismanagement I started to buy UPS & FDX stock in 1995, have been buying stock since age 12 with help from father and next door neighbor who was a lawyer for a insurance company that bought bonds for their portfolio. this story and the recent one where UPS just got a 375 million contract to fly mail for USPS is great news. my hedge worked, at over 1800 shares each, at $110 & $170 a share I am proud that I never brought into the po mismanagement/union con game………..thinking for ones self in a commie organization-priceless.in addition, apple just split 7 for one, this and 3 other 2-1 splits since 2000 makes me say “screw your bonus” you pinheads. also maxed out TSP even if it is an investment tool for dummies. (ie voted down a gold fund because people might not be able to handle it-but the morons allow people to “borrow” from a retirement fund like it is a ATM-typical govt, they just did not want any competition with the crummy G fund. whatever. 9 worst words in english “where from the gummint and where here to help”!