UPS announces efficiency gains in U.S. to Canada shipping times

UPS said this week it has made changes for U.S. to Canada routes that it said will help businesses and online shoppers receive items from U.S shippers and retailers one day earlier.

And it added that in order to facilitate the growing demand of customers who ship to Canada, UPS will enhance its ground network between Chicago and the majority of Quebec and the Maritime Provinces, explaining that will have a positive impact to volume that originates from 114 U.S. cities that flow through the UPS Chicago Area Consolidation Hub (CACH) to Montreal. Some of the U.S. cities include Albuquerque, Dallas, Houston, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, San Francisco and Seattle. 

“Many retailers in the U.S. can now get their items to consumers in Quebec one day earlier and without extra costs,” said Bill Seward, UPS U.S. International President, in a statement. “Businesses across the Midwest and Western U.S. in all industries can better serve the needs of their Canadian customers by getting their ground shipments delivered one day faster.”

When asked what steps UPS has made to enhance its ground network between Chicago and the majority of Quebec and Maritime Provinces, a company spokesperson explained that UPS periodically reviews how volume flows between multiple origins and destinations in its comprehensive network. 

“Using the CACH facility as a consolidation point for multiple origins, we were able to create a more direct route into eastern Canada,” she said. “By shortening time-in-transit by one day, UPS customers can balance cost and time. Retailers will be able to deliver products much sooner to their customers. Inventory can also be replaced faster.”

UPS brokers more than 6 million shipments into Canada each year, with UPS explaining that with more than 90 percent of the country’s population living within 100 miles of the U.S. border, there is heightened demand for U.S. products. Citing data from eMarketer UPS noted that Canadian e-commerce activity rose 17 percent in 2015, with 62 percent of Canadians currently making purchases from U.S.-based e-tailers.