Anyone who has ever shopped online knows that finally getting your package is like a mini-Christmas. The prospect of being able to buy everything you could ever want (but probably don’t need) with a few clicks of a mouse is exhilarating, but what makes this possible?
The United Parcel Service, or UPS, is one of the services that make your frivolous online shopping possible. Delivering 15.6 million parcels daily, UPS has over 100,000 vehicles including cars, trucks, and even tractors as well as 218 jets to make sure deliveries are on time. Not to be confused with USPS, or the united postal service, which has largely been left behind.
In Louisville, Kentucky lies UPS Worldport, one of the world’s premier distribution ports, delivers 1.5 million packages daily, thanks to its 70 plane docks. UPS doesn’t just operate in the United States though; it’s worldwide with 400,000 employees around the world.
To ensure that your delivery goes off without a hitch, UPS even has a weather team to plot out the best route for planes. Who knew you had a meteorologist to thank for your shipments!
As online shopping becomes more popular and prevalent, we tend to take the convenience of swift and reliable shipping for granted. While you wait at home for your delivery, a whole army of vehicles, aircraft, and people are working tirelessly day and night to make sure you get your order on time.