Major domestic parcel carriers are achieving high on-time performance levels even as volumes surge during the holiday peak shipping season, according to an analysis of customer shipments released by ShipMatrix on Monday.
Ninety-eight percent of express, next-day and ground shipments delivered by FedEx (NYSE: FDX), UPS (NYSE: UPS) and the U.S. Postal Service were on time within one day of the promised day of delivery between Dec. 1 and Dec. 6 as the industry absorbed a 30% increase in volume compared to the rest of the year.
ShipMatrix’s methodology excludes delays caused by weather, shippers (ex. incorrect address), consignees (ex. business closed for the day), road closures and other factors not in the carriers’ control. It also allows for an extra day to be considered on time for ground delivery because it assumes consumers aren’t interested in day specific delivery this time of year as long as they get the package before Christmas. Express shipments are counted on time if they are delivered by the end of the promised day, without regard to specific time commitments. The extra-day buffer doesn’t apply to non-peak shipping periods.
