UPS Freight Accelerates Service to and from Central Illinois

UPS Freight, the heavy freight arm of UPS, today announced faster transit times between central Illinois and points throughout the United States.

The new, enhanced direct service places all of Illinois under a next-day blanket and draws major markets, including Dallas, Atlanta, Pittsburgh and Minneapolis, to within two days of central Illinois.

In all, some 250 lanes to and from central Illinois will see faster transit times. Over the past 18 months, UPS Freight has accelerated transit times on more than 12,000 lanes, including 4,200 just in 2008.

"We intend to aggressively grow our business," said Jack Holmes, president of UPS Freight. "These enhancements are part of a long-term strategy to combine speed, technology and reliability to create an unmatched offering for our customers."

The new offering includes time-definite guaranteed service for all shipments when moving under UPS Freight's current 560 Tariff, plus improved visibility since all UPS Freight shipments will be handled by company drivers equipped with handheld computers. The handheld devices allow immediate input into UPS's information data network, making it easy to manage inbound and outbound freight shipments.

UPS Freight, one of the largest less-than-truckload carriers in the United States and a leading truckload service provider, serves customers throughout North America, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Island.