UPS has recently announced that changes made in shipping routes from the U.S. into Canada have improved the delivery times for shipments, reducing times up to one day. Therefore, recipients can expect to see their packages arrive one day earlier than previously. With an upswing in the shipments from U.S. retailers and other shippers to Canada, UPS is upgrading its ground network between Chicago and Montreal which will affect shipments from up to 114 U.S. cities that flow through the Chicago hub. These cities include Albuquerque, Dallas, Houston, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, San Francisco and Seattle.
Canadian customers who order from U.S. retailers will find that their shipments have been expedited resulting in quicker delivery without any change in cost. Businesses in the U.S. Midwest will be better able to get their ground shipments to customers in Quebec in a timely fashion. UPS routinely reviews routes to determine if changes need to be made to create more efficient delivery to customers. For this instance, the determination was made that eastern Canada could be better served by rerouting to reduce transportation time. Shortening shipping time by one day will have a positive impact on customers and on retailers, allowing retailers to move inventory faster.
UPS handles over 6 million shipments from the U.S. to Canada each year. With over 90 percent of Canada’s population living with 100 miles of the U.S. border, the demand for products from the U.S. is high. Canadian e-commerce activity rose 17 percent in 2015; 62 percent of Canadians bought products from American retailers online. This trend will most likely continue to rise as online shipping continues to grow.