UPS is continuing to expand a program that slows delivery speeds in rural areas.
Starting last October, UPS has reduced the number of days it delivers in communities in southeast Wyoming, Marin County and Sierra County in California and Berkshire County in Massachusetts as part of a recent initiative by the carrier, according to local news reports.
Through the program, UPS consolidates deliveries in certain ZIP codes in an attempt to increase driver efficiency, adding an additional day in transit for impacted packages. Rural areas are typically more expensive for carriers to serve than dense urban areas, with fewer people and businesses to deliver packages to.
"The affected ZIP codes may change over time as we determine the effectiveness of the project," UPS said in an emailed statement to Supply Chain Dive.
For now, the program is impacting less than 1% of daily deliveries, so most customers haven't experienced any service changes, the company said. UPS Premier healthcare deliveries are not affected, and delivery date guarantees still apply.
The program has drawn the ire of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which represents delivery drivers, package handlers and other employees at the company. In a flyer earlier this year, the union called the program "an attack on services to customers and good jobs in rural communities" that is focused on boosting UPS' profits.
"Teamsters are pushing back on Rural Deferred through the grievance process and are partnering with customers in rural communities to call out UPS’s greed," the flyer said.
UPS isn't the only carrier slowing down rural deliveries for increased efficiency. The U.S. Postal Service announced last week that some deliveries may see an additional day in transit for areas far from the agency's regional hubs as part of a proposed plan to save around $3 billion annually.
