Boxes, Bytes, and Barcodes

All Featured Stories    1 | 2 | 3 | 4    NEXT PAGE »  

That label on the package you received from UPS may not look like much to you. But to us, those squiggles, dots, and lines mean a lot. They tell us where to send a package, how fast it needs to get there, and where it came from. What’s even cooler is, no matter which way you scan it – even if it’s partially missing – we can still read the code and get the package to the right person.

The MaxiCode label is just one of the technological marvels that UPS has spawned. Ever since our beginning, technology has enabled us to develop new processes and tools to improve our operations, as well as make things easier for our customers.

Early innovators

The history of UPS leveraging technology goes back to our earliest days. Back in 1907, when we were still called American Messenger Company, our founders had two telephones on site – one for each local carrier. In 1924, we were among the first companies to use conveyor belts in the transportation industry. It was an efficient way to move packages across our facility in Los Angeles. And early UPS engineers optimized the hub and spoke system, the method we use for centralized package sorting and distribution that has been adopted as the industry standard.

The statistical information included here was current at the time it was published in 2007. To see more recent statistics, visit our pressroom.

All Featured Stories    1 | 2 | 3 | 4    NEXT PAGE »