UPS STARTS OCEAN SERVICE

UPS STARTS OCEAN SERVICE    UPS, the Atlanta-based express giant, said Tuesday it has launched a new ocean option for shippers who manufacture products in China and Brazil and import them into the United States.
   “Our goal is to simplify the complexity of global commerce,” said Joe Pyne, UPS senior vice president.
   The new service, called UPS Trade Direct Ocean, speeds the movement of ocean-transported goods by minimizing stops on land.
   Small packages destined for U.S. customers are labeled and then put into ocean containers at a shipper’s plant. The containers are then placed on ships booked by UPS Ocean Freight Services, which is a non-vessel operating common carrier.
   Upon the container’s arrival at a U.S. port, the new UPS ocean service deconsolidates the pre-labeled small packages, which move from ports to nearby UPS freight facilities and then travel across the United States through UPS’s ground or air network. Less-than-truckload service is also available.
   The process bypasses multiple distribution centers, minimizing the need for shipper-owned warehouses.
   Initial customers who participated in a beta-phase testing of the new service say that it saved up to 20 days.