UPS Next Day Air

Next Day Air brought UPS into the overnight market that Federal Express had opened, and competition between the two shaped the express options brands offer at checkout today. UPS first flew used and chartered aircraft, built a major air hub in Louisville, Kentucky, and won Federal Aviation Administration approval to operate its own airline, UPS Airlines, in 1988. Because UPS combined air service with its ground network, the same driver could pick up and deliver both ground and air packages. Expedited shipping is now a premium option at checkout, and next-day air rates, cutoff times and dimensional weight rules are key inputs when a brand sets its delivery promise.

• Delivery PromiseDelivery date shown to the shopper
• Cutoff TimeLast order time for same-day shipping
• Dimensional WeightDIM weightBillable weight based on package size

• Jim Casey1888–1983 · Founder of UPS

• Federal Express Begins Overnight Service1973 · 14 jets carry 186 packages through one Memphis hub
• UPS Coverage of All 48 Contiguous States1975 · UPS can deliver to every address in the lower 48

• Air Cargo Deregulation Act of 19771977 · Freed US domestic air cargo routes and rates

1. UPS Airlines (Wikipedia) en.wikipedia.org
2. Our history (UPS) about.ups.com