UPS (United Parcel Service)

UPS (United Parcel Service) started as The "American Messenger Company" in Seattle, Washington.
The company was birthed by two teenagers, Jim Casey and Claude Ryan on August 28, 1907 with one bicycle and $100 borrowed from a friend.

Most deliveries in these early days were made on foot by Jim´s brother George and a handful of other teenagers. Bicycles were used for longer trips.

The company acquired its first delivery car, a converted Model T Ford in 1913. The same year Casey and Ryan merged with a competitor, Evert McCabe, and formed Merchants Parcel Delivery.

Merchants Parcel Delivery delivery vehicles in 1916

Ryan left the company in 1917. Two years later Casey began expanding the business outside Seattle, opening operations in Oakland, California.

Also in 1919 the company changed its name to United Parcel Service. The word "United" served as a reminder that the company´s operations in each city were part of the same organisation, "Parcel" identified the nature of the business, "Service" indicated what was offered.

Ford Model T UPS delivery vehicle in 1921

Chicago became the first city outside California in which UPS offered common carrier service in 1953.

UPS had systematically fought from the 1950s to obtain authorization to ship freely in all of the United States. Not until 1975 did UPS clear away regulatory barriers to operate in all 48 states. Finally UPS were able to forge the "Golden Link" becoming the first package delivery company to serve every address in the Continental United States.

UPS went international in 1975 establishing operations in the Canadian city of Toronto. The following year operations were established in Germany.

In 1988, UPS received authorization from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate its own aircraft, thereby officially becoming an airline. UPS Airlines became the fastest-growing airline in FAA history and today is the tenth largest airline in the United States.

UPS Boeing 747-400BCF landing at Hong Kong in 2014. By byeangel from Tsingtao, China - 880

In 1991, UPS moved its headquarters to Sandy Springs, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta.

On November 10, 1999, UPS went public in the largest initial public offering (IPO) in United States history at the time. The company raised $5.47 billion by selling 109.4 million shares of stock representing a 10% stake in the company. The IPO was met with strong demand from investors, and the stock price soared on its first day of trading, closing up 35%.

UPS went public in order to raise capital to fund its expansion plans. The company was growing rapidly at the time, thanks to the boom in e-commerce. UPS used the proceeds from the IPO to invest in new technology and infrastructure, 

UPS is today the largest package delivery company in the world. It delivers more than 14 million packages a day to more than 200 countries and territories.

The company uses brown uniforms and delivery trucks. The company trademarked the color so other delivery companies cannot use a brown logo.

UPS delivery van with packages 2013. By MobiusDaXter

UPS drivers wore green uniforms when they started in West Germany because the locals associated the "brown shirts" with the Nazis.

United Parcel Service drivers that go 25 years without an accident get a bomber jacket, a special patch, and are inducted into the UPS "Circle of Honor."

UPS trucks don't come with air conditioning which is why they drive with open doors.

UPS uses route optimization software to save nearly $100,000,000 a year in fuel costs, mostly by eliminating left turns whenever possible.

UPS drivers don't take the shortest routes. Instead it uses route optimization software which optimizes each route by eliminating left-hand turns whenever possible. As result, UPS claims it save nearly $100,000,000 a year in fuel costs, emits 20,000 tonnes less carbon dioxide and delivers 350,000 more packages every year.

Source UPS