Does UPS offer a service similar to FedEx CustomCritical?

[Livin the Dream?]

Please forgive me in advance if you feel this is a dumb question, or that I should know the answer. I'm seriously curious.

 

[raceanoncr]

Not that I know of. FDX Custom Critical is, from what I know of, is a service for shippers with just one pallet or more that has to be there yesterday. Often times, it will go by way of large or small straight sleeper truck with LTL as fast as they can. UPSF does not offer this and UPS WOULD not offer this unless you count the SONIC AIR or whatever it's called now. You pay for it though.

 

[some1else]

i tried to sell a customer on sonic air; when they saw me the next day they said "it wasnt THAT important!"

 

[brett636]

i tried to sell a customer on sonic air; when they saw me the next day they said "it wasnt THAT important!"

I've heard that is a crazy expensive service. When I was part-time I held a second job working in LP for Best Buy. Some guy in plain street clothes comes up to me and hands me a package and asks me to sign for it. I look at the company name on the shipping label and it says Sonic Air. That's the only time I have ever seen a Sonic Air Package. It was originally shipped some 5-6 hours earlier. That is one fast service!

 

[Livin the Dream?]

FedEx Custom Critical is a Contracted service - Owner-Operator truck w/sleeper where you drive around the country, sit somewhere & wait for a call to go pick up & immediately deliver. Autonomy.

It is painfully expensive. But, say a UPS hub had a critical mechanical part break, stopping all operations, I guess it is worth it.

 

[UnconTROLLed]

Sonic Air is our "get it there yesterday" service.


The pricing is outrageous, even if it's CRITICAL. A NDA letter from one side of the U.S. to the other is about $150 or in that ballpark iirc.

 

[LLTailor]

Was told that the Custom Critical trailers can be temperature controlled.
Like a mobile fridge/freezer unit to ship things that need to remain cool.

 

[ol'browneye]

Sonic Air is our "get it there yesterday" service.


The pricing is outrageous, even if it's CRITICAL. A NDA letter from one side of the U.S. to the other is about $150 or in that ballpark iirc.

Does anybody remember the old Saturday Night Live skit where the delivery company beat the hell out of the box, put a fake shoe print on it, put a fake shipping date in it then apologized profusely when they delivered it, claiming they lost the package and it was their fault that the delivery was late? I don't remember what the name of the company was but their slogan was "When it absolutely, positively had to be there yesterday!"

I wish I could find it on You Tube.

 

[Catatonic]

Please forgive me in advance if you feel this is a dumb question, or that I should know the answer. I'm seriously curious.

UPS Express CriticalSM
Rely on our fastest shipping service to all 50 states and Puerto Rico when every minute counts

Delivery Commitment

• Best available flight 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year
• Specific delivery commitment provided when order is placed
• On-time delivery to every address in all 50 states and Puerto Rico

Service Area Destinations and Origins:
All 50 states and Puerto Rico

Benefits

• A full range of services, including international, surface, hand-carry or chartered aircraft

• Automated routing lets you choose from the fastest delivery options.
• Fast pickup and door-to-door reliability give you complete peace of mind.

 

[Livin the Dream?]

Anyone ever met one of these mystery employees?


"....Service Area Destinations and Origins:
All 50 states and Puerto Rico
Benefits

• A full range of services, including international, surface, hand-carry or chartered aircraft..."

So, it is international as long as it is in the 50 states and Puerto Rico?

 

[Black_6_Leader]

The simple answer is YES!
http://www.ups-scs.com/transportation/expresscritical.html

Solutions for Time-Critical Freight
UPS Express CriticalSM is your answer for time-critical freight with access to almost any kind of aircraft or vehicle around the world. We can optimize solutions for every shipment, ranging from a one-time urgent shipment to a customized, high-priority solution. Our experienced team can quickly assess a critical situation, identify transportation alternatives, and implement a delivery solution that meets your time and cost requirements.
UPS Express Critical* offers a suite of global freight and transportation services, including:
Air Next-flight-out service within North America and between major metropolitan areas worldwide
Surface Exclusive use, non-stop, door-to-door ground transportation throughout the U.S., and into Canada and Mexico
Charter Air charter management services available around the world
Hand Carry Dedicated hand carry/on-board courier services to maintain constant, in-transit contact with your shipment
International Next-flight-out, charter and courier services providing extensive global coverage
Value Added Services Specialized equipment and shipment handling designed to meet your domestic or international freight needs

Features

• Extensive route optimization capabilities
• One-time shipments or custom solutions
• Proprietary electronic information system for shipment processing and tracking
• Comprehensive inventory of trucks, aircraft and flight schedules
• Specialized equipment and services to meet unique requirements, such as temperature-controlled vehicles and oversize/overweight cargo

Benefits

• Arrange expedited transportation or a combination of services that fit your time-sensitive shipment needs
• Enable real-time shipment tracking from pickup to delivery
• Optimize routes to ensure timely delivery and control costs
• Develop customized solutions to meet special transportation requirements
• Provide quick turnaround and exceptional service quality from a trusted source

Express Critical representatives are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to assist with your time-critical freight shipments. For more information, contact us via e-mail at [email protected], or call 1-800-714-8779 from the U.S. and Canada, or 1-913-693-6205 from outside the U.S. and Canada

 

[ups79]

When sonic air first started a cab driver(any cab driver) would pick up the parcel at the air port and deliver it. No kidding one account I had hit me up real bad after receiving a parcel sonic air delivered by a heavy sit, unshaven, shirt half way out, jacket unbutton, and cigarette hanging out the left side of his mouth.

 

[Livin the Dream?]

Where do I sign up?

 

[barnyard]

Where do I sign up?

To be a Custom Critical contractor, you have to own a sleeper truck and have a team partner so that you can drive darn near non stop from PU to delivery.

UPS contracts out their super premium deliveries. A neighbor of ours, his son was a contractor that delivered stuff for UPS. Once or twice a month, he would pick up a package at the Mpls airport and deliver somewhere in Chicago. Pretty sure it was the same place every time.

The package was ALWAYS delivered the same day it was picked up.

TB

 

[Livin the Dream?]

To be a Custom Critical contractor, you have to own a sleeper truck and have a team partner so that you can drive darn near non stop from PU to delivery.

UPS contracts out their super premium deliveries. A neighbor of ours, his son was a contractor that delivered stuff for UPS. Once or twice a month, he would pick up a package at the Mpls airport and deliver somewhere in Chicago. Pretty sure it was the same place every time.

The package was ALWAYS delivered the same day it was picked up.

TB

The custom critical I know how to sign up - it's pretty interesting - you don't need a partner. You choose what options on the truck, hoping to be used more (Reefer, lift-gate, etc).

 

[tiegirl]

Please forgive me in advance if you feel this is a dumb question, or that I should know the answer. I'm seriously curious.

 

[barnyard]

The custom critical I know how to sign up - it's pretty interesting - you don't need a partner. You choose what options on the truck, hoping to be used more (Reefer, lift-gate, etc).

You do not have to have a partner, but you loose a lot of loads if you do not.

Fed Ex CC used to be a great gig for expediters. Their reputation has gone way down hill the last few years.

TB

 

[JimJimmyJames]

Does anybody remember the old Saturday Night Live skit where the delivery company beat the hell out of the box, put a fake shoe print on it, put a fake shipping date in it then apologized profusely when they delivered it, claiming they lost the package and it was their fault that the delivery was late? I don't remember what the name of the company was but their slogan was "When it absolutely, positively had to be there yesterday!"

I wish I could find it on You Tube.

I remember it. They also did a skit where the delivery company would run people off the road; "We'll screw the other guy to get your package to you on time" or something like that.