Stay Up to Date on the Parcel Industry
Unlike freight shipping, which moves goods in large quantities (whole truckloads or shipping containers, for example), parcel shipping moves individual goods essentially one at a time (usually by truck or plane). While both focus on the movement of goods, transportation methods, level of service, and cost can be very different between the two services. Freight is almost exclusively used by commercial shippers, while small- to medium-sized retail shippers usually use parcel freight.
Parcel delivery is a cost-effective, efficient, and fast option for businesses shipping items up to 150 pounds. And, unlike freight shipping, packages are delivered directly to a residential or business address. Check back here for the latest parcel freight industry news.
Canada Post and its largest union have finally settled their differences over a labor contract, which must still be approved by rank-and-file letter carriers.
Stord, which provides outsourced e-commerce logistics services, said it will lease a large warehouse in northern Kentucky and outfit it with the latest freight management technology and robotics.
A New York City bill that is seen as targeting Amazon won’t get acted upon this year.
FedEx expects to eat $175 million in extra costs to replace capacity caused by the temporary grounding of MD-11 aircraft, but that’s a blip for a company that just reported a $1.6 billion operating income and a 19% gain in adjusted earnings per share.
In a novel move, the U.S. Postal Service will open access to its last-mile delivery service for companies with the highest bid.
FedEx has adjusted its air network and flying schedule to overcome the loss of grounded MD-11 freighter aircraft, but the changes have overwhelmed staff dedicated to supporting pilots laying over in destination cities.
The monthly BLS report, catching up on October and November data, showed a steady decline in truck transportation employment.
Amazon is giving money-back guarantees to help attract customers to its new wholesale air cargo business, which aims to use unfilled space on its cargo jets with third-party shipments.
Amazon has more than doubled its same-day delivery footprint for fresh groceries since the summer.
The big three domestic parcel carriers are consistently hitting on-time benchmarks even as holiday package volumes spike.
The global postal industry is increasingly focused on parcel shipments over mail for its financial health.
Bouqs has added same-day flower delivery in select markets with the help of Roadie, a UPS company.
With fresh memories of the fatal crash of a freighter aircraft last month, UPS pilots and the company have resumed collective bargaining with the help of the National Mediation Board.
PostNord in Denmark is dropping letter mail service to focus on parcel shipping.
SpeedX has invested in a huge parcel center in Chicago as the arms race among parcel carriers to build competitive networks escalates.
Amazon and the Teamsters faced off this fall in various venues, with a mixed outcome.
10 Roads Express said it has faced “continued and significant headwinds” across the transportation sector, which caused the shut down.
FedEx has removed MD-11 freighter flights from its December schedule. The carrier could be without the freighters for a long time as aviation authorities investigate the cause of the recent UPS MD-11 crash.
FedEx will lay off 856 workers as it permanently closes a facility in Coppell, Texas.
Amazon has closed a distribution center in Little Rock, Arkansas, so the building can be retrofitted to protect the structure from potential earthquake activity.
Canada Post and the mail carriers’ union have agreed to end two years of bitter negotiations pending resolution of some final details.
Canada Post is essentially insolvent and says it needs another cash infusion to survive in the midst of labor unrest and rapidly shrinking parcel business.
E-commerce volumes have been trending upwards much of the year in Australia and the postal operator has added weekend delivery for the busy holiday season.
The left-engine separation that caused a UPS cargo jet to crash in Kentucky this month is tied to metal fatigue in a key structural component, a preliminary report by investigators said.
Walmart posted strong e-commerce numbers for the third quarter and is developing digital tools to make it even easier for customers to place online orders for delivery.
DHL Express has switched to a larger cargo jet operating between Hong Kong and a major manufacturing region in Malaysia to keep up with transport demand.
UPS is making adjustments to keep shipments moving after taking 27 MD-11 aircraft out of service for inspections trying to help customers with stranded goods in a warehouse damaged during the Nov. 4 crash of a UPS flight.
After the U.S. Postal Service deemphasized last-mile delivery service for parcel consolidators, the new chief now says workshare partnerships are a path to revenue growth.
FedEx says it is prepared for the peak shipping season and has more ability to flex its network because of a major transformation initiative currently underway.
The U.S. Postal Service is looking to its parcel business for revenue growth. On Friday, it announced another round of rate increases.
The good news is the U.S. Postal service trimmed its net loss by $500 million in FY2025. The bad news? It still lost $9 billion and operating losses increased $900 million.
The European Union is cracking down on the wave of low-value e-commerce shipments from China. Importers could soon have to pay duties on parcels that currently can enter the zone for free.
UPS could unite management, its union workforce and the cost-efficient crowd-sourced delivery model by trying a new triple-win strategy centered on the UPS Store.
FedEx says it has implemented backup plans to continue delivering parcel and freight shipments without interruption after 25 widebody cargo jets were sidelines for inspections after the UPS aviation accident.
The FAA has prohibited all MD-11 aircraft from flying after the deadly crash of a UPS MD-11 cargo jet this week.
UPS and FedEx have temporarily grounded all 57 MD-11 freighter aircraft in their fleets to conduct checks following the catastrophic accident involving one of the planes this week.
UPS is quickly getting back to work at its Worldport air parcel hub after a one-day suspension of cargo operations because of a major aircraft accident.
Amazon is working to improve driver safety, efficiency and job satisfaction with more investments in high-tech driver academies, AI-powered tools and higher pay rates.
The Teamsters union plans to file a grievance against UPS over the use of non-union drivers by a UPS e-commerce subsidiary, FreightWaves has learned.
Amazon has added a third freighter flight to Honolulu, paving the way for next-day parcel delivery and is carrying pineapples back to the U.S. mainland.
About 2,000 unionized delivery drivers accepted a buyout offer from UPS in the third quarter, according to an estimate by Satish Jindel, a long-time parcel shipping consultant and president of ShipMatrix. UPS CEO Carol Tomé said during Tuesday’s earnings briefing that the buyouts will cost the company $175 million. The Atlanta-based parcel logistics giant has […]
DHL has moved to a bigger package distribution center just outside Manhattan, upgraded parcel handling technology and added a freighter aircraft service to Newark as part of strategic investment in the New York market.
UPS wants to outsource final-mile delivery of its two economy parcel services to the U.S. Post Service, which is better suited to make residential drops because of its lower cost structure.
Last-mile parcel carriers Veho, SpeedX and Gofo continued to build out their capabilities, either through geographic expansion, hiring top executives or partnering with other vendors.
DHL Express Canada has replaced its CEO as part of a routine reassignment of executives.
UPS is speeding up deployment of air conditioned vehicles by agreeing to install systems in existing vehicles after the Teamsters union complained of slow progress purchasing new vehicles with A/C.
By Satish Jindel (The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of FreightWaves or its affiliates.) In 2019, FedEx dropped Amazon as a customer for B2C parcels because the retailer was becoming a competitor, with its own last-mile delivery solution that mimicked FedEx Ground’s model for […]
The United Kingdom’s postal operator, Royal Mail, is putting its multi-channel parcel shipping strategy into overdrive, offering more out-of-home delivery options.
Australia Post is investing heavily in its e-commerce logistics business, including parcel hubs and local delivery stations.
Postal networks could be a good alternative direct-to-consumer shipping option to the U.S. for some shippers dealing with complicated and expensive new tariff rules, as the backlog at UPS warehouses demonstrates.
Canada Post is operating again after a national strike by workers, but new rolling strikes by the union are creating delivery outages and complicating logistical plans.
Canada Post says it will restart operations sometime next week after unionized mail carriers shifted from a national to rotating strikes, but warned of ongoing service disruptions.
A new Amazon fulfillment center near Portland, Oregon, is open for business and the retailer is ready to develop another facility in the Midwest.
Mexico’s tariffs on Chinese goods and new customs requirements are forcing U.S. retailers to rethink fulfillment models.
Final-mile courier Frontdoor Collective is testing a fleet of Chevy electric vans on delivery routes for Target.
Veho is continuing its rapid growth in the parcel delivery industry by expanding warehouse infrastructure in multiple markets to support rising parcel volumes.
FedEx has consolidated its parcel operations and moved into a bigger air freight terminal in Detroit.
The Supreme Court will hear a case involving the U.S. Postal Service and whether it can be sued for deliberately withholding mail from a resident.
A group of New York City retail stores that offer parcel pick up and drop off counters is adding parcel lockers from GoLocker to increase convenience for online sellers and shoppers.
Striking Canada Post workers are angered by the company’s new contract offer because it is worse than the previous one and calls for job reductions as part of a major downsizing plan.
Startup e-commerce logistics companies Gofo Express and Veho have invested in new high-capacity sortation centers to help speed deliveries for retail customers.
An Amazon driver shot a U.S. Postal Service worker when they crossed paths at an apartment complex.
Parcel industry executives agree that Canada Post can’t afford union demands for greater benefits and that it needs to radically change its business model or risk losing e-commerce customers.
DHL eCommerce is expanding its footprint in Poland with an agreement to buy the remaining shares of its parcel locker partnership.
Parcel carriers like FedEx and UPS are implementing peak season surcharges to recover costs when there isn’t a spike in volume to gear up for, leaving frustrated customers looking for alternative providers.
Mail carriers went on strike Thursday after the government ordered Canada Post to streamline operations, angering businesses that rely on the postal operator to ship orders.
The Canadian government is shaking up Canada Post to reduce excess capacity and save money as postal demand shrinks.
DHL is rapidly expanding its team of customs agents in the U.S. to help shippers comply with a proliferation of new Trump tariff rules even as it reports a slump in import volumes.
Deutsche Post and Australia Post are among the first postal operators to restart parcel shipments to the U.S. after the duty-exemption for low-value goods was terminated last month.
Target is offering next-day delivery to 35 major cities by the end of October after tweaking its stores-as-hubs logistics model.
UPS is readjusting its air freight network in response to high demand within Asia as volumes from China to the U.S. decrease.
The U.S. cancellation of duty-free treatment for de minimis packages cut FedEx income by $150 million and forced the airline unit to reduce flights.
UPS has dropped its planned purchase of Mexican express delivery company Estafeta because closing conditions were unable to be met.
Canada Post has asked the mail carriers’ union to end its ban on direct mail delivery because it is returning to the bargaining table.
House lawmakers have introduced legislation that would force the U.S. Postal Service to go through a series of steps before it can close contract postal units in retail stores.
A Russian network has been tied to four parcel bomb attacks in Europe last year, investigators say.
Amazon is expanding its multi-channel fulfillment service to merchants on three major off-Amazon platforms.
The U.S. Postal Service is rolling out two types of super-fast automated package sorting machines to improve processing time.
FedEx has moved its airfreight shipping operation at East Midlands Airport to a dedicated facility, away from the parcel processing area.
DHL Express continues to invest in modernizing airport cargo terminals. The latest upgrade is at Barcelona airport.
Northern Air Cargo is giving up business with DHL Express to launch scheduled flights between Seattle and Anchorage, but will face stiff competition from incumbent Alaska Airlines.
The Canada Post labor dispute continues to worsen, with letter carriers announcing they won’t deliver marketing mail.
DHL Express and Singapore Post are partnering to facilitate parcel shipping through the postal network.
Regional parcel carrier Veho has begun offering retailers last-mile delivery in the Los Angeles area as it continues to grow.
OnTrac is differentiating itself from other regional parcel carriers by offering coast-to-coast service to take more business from FedEx and UPS
An energetic Teamsters rally against Amazon in New York occurs as unionization efforts are likely to get tougher.
FedEx and DHL Express are moving to bigger and more modern package sorting facilities at airports in Turkey and Finland.
The Federal Aviation Administration penalized three companies for improperly shipping hazardous materials on FedEx and UPS aircraft.
Amazon Air has extended its wholesale air cargo service to the Caribbean for the first time.
FedEx is investing heavily to expand its parcel and freight logistics service in Saudi Arabia.
Private-equity backed ADL Final Mile has purchased DMC Logistics, a courier that operates in the Southwest.
InPost partners with Bloq.it to install 20,000 smart lockers, enhancing out-of-home parcel delivery.
Canada Post and the mail carriers’ union refuse to budge on contract talks.
New UPS and DHL surcharges will add delivery costs for customers during the upcoming peak season.
Ajex Logistics acquisition boosts DHL’s presence in the Middle East e-commerce market.
Canada Post’s financial troubles worsened in the second quarter driven by a drop in parcel volumes amid a labor dispute.
The end of the U.S. de minimis exemption is disrupting European postal service for parcel customers.
DHL Express is using Global Crossing Airlines on a trial basis to haul packages.
FedEx is targeting its European operation in the next round of cost cuts. Combining U.S. ground and Express networks requires careful balancing to maintain customer service.
The state of Washington has slapped the U.S. Postal Service with a $33,000 penalty for unsafe handling of hazardous waste.
