About UPDS

 

Why Ship with UPDS?

  • UPDS is a value-adding, "rail specialist 3PL," well suited to managing complex rail programs.
    • All modes capable - rail carload, transload, intermodal, and truck - door-to-door
    • Automotive and Mexico market specialists
    • Knowledgeable, with a proven ability to affect change (design, validate, and implement)
  • Working with UPDS minimizes operating complexity
    • Tactical:
      • Single point of contact for multiple carrier/mode management and administration
        • Carload / Transload - joint line or UPRR only
        • Intermodal - Dray Carrier, Equipment, and Railroad management
        • Truckload - UPCS
      • Improved deviation management processes - UPDS as lane "owner"
    • Strategic:
      • Lane Design - multiple modes to reduce total supply chain costs
      • Mode Conversion - ongoing cost reductions as business volumes and lanes change
        • Reduces customer cost and increases railroad profitability
        • Non railroad affiliated IMC’s do not have this incentive
  • Streamlined communications and management using UPDS’s technological capabilities
    • Transaction level efficiencies (EDI load tenders and billing)
    • Visibility through Web site, EDI updates
  • Streamlined rail carrier operational reporting (electronic versus manual generation)

Bottom Line Savings

Modal Conversions

  • Provided major food manufacturer a return of $400,000 by returning shipments of tomato products to carload in a single lane.
  • Converted 700 annual carloads of containerboard from East Texas to Queretaro, Mexico. Annual customer savings of 1.9 million. ROI in excess of 20 times management fee.

Process Improvement

  • Saved inventory costs and penalty charges for an automotive manufacturer through more effective management of the customs clearance process. ROI = 1000%, also minimizing the need for additional rack investment.
  • Produced savings of over $1.0 million annually for major beer importer while improving billing, demurrage and shipment management processes.
  • Designed compliance process to eliminate unnecessary unit run time for Union Pacific’s refrigerated boxcars - $250,000 annual savings

Improvements in Transit Time and Consistency

Helped rail carriers generate a 10% improvement in transit time while reducing average variability by 30% for a major tile manufacturer in Mexico. Produced annual savings more than $2 million dollars. ROI in excess of 10 times management fee.