Peak volume day for UPS up 9 percent

[tardus]

[I guess this explains the need for many rental trucks this year]: For UPS, it's beginning to look a lot like a normal Christmas. Wednesday was forecast to be the busiest day of the year for the world's largest package delivery company. It expected to deliver a record 24 million shipments in 24 hours. That is 9 percent higher than last year and 2007, the year before the recession took hold. It's 60 percent higher than a normal day. Here's the bigger picture: After two lackluster holiday seasons, consumers are shopping again. Much of it is online, where they're spending more than ever before. The growing number of e-commerce orders handled by UPS and smaller rival FedEx over the past two years helped offset lower shipments in other segments. As of Friday, shoppers have spent $27.46 billion online since Nov. 1, up 12 percent from last year, according to research firm comScore Inc. Online holiday sales rose just 5 percent between 2008 and 2009. Retail experts predict total holiday spending will increase by 2 percent to 4 percent over last year. Memphis, Tenn.-based FedEx had its busiest day last week, when the company predicted it would pick up a record 16 million shipments on Dec. 13. That's up 13 percent from last year and double that of a normal day. FedEx expects to deliver more than 223 million shipments worldwide this holiday season. UPS forecast double that number. Most deliveries on UPS' busiest day were expected to come from online retailers such as Amazon.com. The items shipped most often through UPS and FedEx this year include books, clothes and personal electronics such as iPads and smartphones. The companies also are benefiting from rising imports of computers and other technology gadgets being ordered by businesses. Improving retail sales and shipments are a good sign for the economy as a whole. Jeff Kauffman, an analyst with research firm Sterne Agee, says that the holiday shipping predictions by UPS and FedEx suggest the economy is faring better than most think. "I wouldn't have expected Christmas to look this good," he said. "Take ten steps back and it's a good view." Last year, UPS estimated that 22 million packages were delivered on its busiest day, about the same as in 2007. UPS and FedEx did not offer holiday shipping predictions in 2008, when the recession hit. Atlanta-based UPS hired about 50,000 part-time workers to help with the holiday rush. That's the same as last year but below the 60,000 it hired in 2007. UPS didn't say how many it hired in 2008. The Associated Press

 

[packageguy]

thank god for good numbers like that, need to keep the volume

 

[brett636]

I figured this peak had to be heavier. I have never seen my building use so many rentals for both delivery and feeders.

 

[helenofcalifornia]

I probably ordered about 20 Christmas presents online this year, not requesting UPS only delivery for any of them. 85% of them came UPS, 2 Fedex and one USPS. Pretty good for UPS I'd say.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Our center manager told us we were up about 5% this year over last.

 

[HEFFERNAN]

I didn't see any extra routes in this year. The center manager just used a crowbar to fit all 465 packages in to my P7.

 

[UPSBluRdg03]

I beleive it. We were straight slammed this year. The snow last week didnt help but as of tonight a week later we are pretty much cleaned back up. Tuesday night there were 2800 missed pieces just in my center and like 3200 in the other one. We had about 20 rentals on the road with everyone from sups to our HR manager behind the wheel. Heard a few ole timers say it was the worst theyd ever seen it but you hear that every year. All I know is im dog tired and glad its over.

 

[Coldworld]

Extra volume is only good if they have the staffing to handle it...having 2600 pieces missed is unacceptable no matter what time of year it is...you can only have that happen so many times before customers start to notice.

 

[UPSBluRdg03]

There were 3 days straight where preload didnt even get everything loaded and we were told to leave the building. Left several thousand pieces in the building each day. The cages were still full of air some days but and they still told us to leave. Then add what we just didnt have time to deliver each day and it piled up. I agree it was totally unacceptable. I just hope the customers understand the weather was the main cause and dont hold it against us for too long.

 

[over9five]

Most resi customers won't care about the missed as long as everything gets delivered today!