UPS announces expansion of LCL ocean service

Transportation and logistics bellwether UPS said today it has made a significant expansion to its less-than-container load  (LCL) ocean service, adding direct sailings in 130 lanes.

The company said these origin and destination lanes “cover most of the globe” and are comprised of ports in Asia, Latin America, Africa, Europe, United States, the Caribbean, and the Middle East.

UPS has been an NVOCC (Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier) since 2001 when it acquired global freight forwarder Fritz Companies, which began offering NVOCC services more than three decades prior in 1972. Today, UPS is one of the world’s top NVOCCs, offering LCL services from virtually any origin and destination in the world.

UPS said this service is geared towards shippers that do not have enough cargo to fill an entire ocean freight container, with this service providing them with an economical way of transporting goods compared to other freight transportation modes, as well as being able to leverage other UPS services, including UPS Capital cargo insurance and financing services, customs brokerage, supplier management, sea-air service, UPS Preferred, LCL, and China-Europe Rail service.

 Other benefits of Preferred LCL Ocean Freight include:

• published CFS to door delivery transit times;
• day-definite delivery commitments;
• expedited inland transportation;
• simplified per kilo pricing and invoicing;
• dedicated operational and bi-lingual customer support; and
• advanced technology tools for maximum shipment visibility

UPS has said in the past that its ocean LCL service also provides shippers with greater global access to a freight solution that is cost-effective, dependable and that allows more flexibility for shipper’s inventory levels. And it added that it also allows shippers to reach high-priority emerging markets directly, eliminating significant time and cost barriers.

“This network expansion demonstrates our ongoing investments to continually build out our network so we can meet or exceed customer demands,” said Steve McMichael, UPS Vice President, Global Ocean Freight Services, in a statement. “Shippers are looking for alternative service options to limit risk, increase security, and manage inventory more efficiently with reliable transit times. We provide end-to-end support to help our customers keep promises to their customers.”