UPS Supply Chain FAQs

A freight forwarder, forwarder or forwarding agent, also known as a non-vessel operating common carrier (NVOCC), is a person or company that organizes shipments for individuals or corporations to get goods from the manufacturer or producer to a market, customer or final point of distribution. Forwarders contract with a carrier, or multiple carriers, to move the goods. The forwarder does not actually move the goods but acts as an expert in the logistics network. The carriers use a variety of shipping modes—including ships, airplanes, trucks and railroads—and often use multiple modes for a single shipment. For example, the freight forwarder may arrange to have cargo moved from a plant to an airport by truck, flown to the destination city and then moved from the airport to a customer's building by another truck.

International freight forwarders typically handle international shipments and have additional expertise in preparing and processing customs documentation and performing activities pertaining to international shipments.

Less than Truckload (LTL) shipping is utilized when your freight doesn't fill an entire trailer. The shipper only pays for a portion of the truck being utilized, which saves money vs. paying for an entire trailer without using it.

The National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC) details 18 freight classes, with Class 50 being the lowest and Class 500 the highest. The higher the class, the higher the rate of every hundred pounds you ship. UPS bases freight class on four shipment characteristics:

Density—Are you shipping a pallet of stone or a pallet of ping pong balls?
Stowability—What are the dimensions of the shipment? Does it have irregular angles that take up more space than normal?
Handling—Is the freight palletized?
Liability—Are you shipping valuable electronic equipment or boxes of used clothing?

Load-to-ride is when freight is loaded on a truck and then taken directly to its destination. Partial Truckload is when freight doesn't require the use of an entire trailer but is typically more than an LTL shipment.

A customs broker is someone who helps get freight through the applicable customs systems along it's path. For more information, check out our customs brokerage page.

Shipping dangerous goods worldwide can be complicated. Shippers must stay current in transport regulations affecting hazard classification, packaging, marking labeling and documentation. Whether by air or ground, UPS can help your dangerous goods shipment get where it needs to be. This information by the FAA is also a good resource: https://www.faa.gov/hazmat/safecargo/how_to_ship/

Cross docking is the process of unloading a piece of freight from an incoming truck or train and then loading it directly onto an outbound mode.

Most purchases of goods involve agreement on freight terms, which are often specified in the quote, contract or general terms and conditions. They help determine who (seller or buyer) is liable for costs and risk at various points throughout the shipment journey. For international shipments, freight terms are commonly referred to as INCOTERMS rules (INternational COmmercial Terms). Visit our Incoterms page for more information. 

UPS Capital^® offers an array of insurance services to help you protect your freight. For more information, visit our Insurance & Financing page

If a shipment is larger than 120 in. length, 83 in. in width, or 76 in. in height, additional authorization is needed and you will need to call 1-800-443-6379 from the U.S. and Canada or 1-913-693-6212 from outside the U.S. and Canada.

Domestic Services: If a shipment has an actual or dimensional weight of 3,000 lbs. (1,361 kg) or more, additional authorization is needed and you will need to call 1-800-443-6379 from the U.S. and Canada or 1-913-693-6151 from outside the U.S. and Canada.

International Services: If a shipment has an actual or dimensional weight of 3,000 lbs. (1,361 kg) or more on UPS Air Freight Premium Direct (CX) service, additional authorization is needed and you will need to call 1-800-443-6379 from the U.S. and Canada or 1-913-693-6151 from outside the U.S. and Canada.

Please call 1-800-443-6379 from the U.S. and Canada or 1-913-693-6212 from outside the U.S. and Canada.

Yes, be sure to include special instructions to add a liftgate in your pickup request.

No, a UPS Global Freight Forwarding Cartage Services Driver or agent on behalf of UPS GFF will make the pickup.

We have some helpful documents listed in the document center.

The progress of your shipment is updated when the status changes. Please call 1-800-443-6379 from the U.S. and Canada or 1-913-693-6151 from outside the U.S. and Canada if the progress of your shipment is not what you expect. 

The progress of your shipment is updated when the status changes. Please call 1-800-443-6379 from the U.S. and Canada or 1-913-693-6151 from outside the U.S. and Canada if the progress of your shipment is not what you expect. 

 You'll need your shipment number, pickup confirmation number, origin and destination ZIP Code or reference number.

Flex Global View is a technology tool available to UPS freight forwarding, brokerage, warehousing and supplier management customers worldwide. It is a visibility tool that provides an integrated view into a customer's supply chain. Updated continuously by our global operating centers, Flex Global View provides information via dashboards, reports and proactive alerting tools. This helps keep supply chains nimble, enable critical decisions and effectively meet customer requirements.

Flex Global View

All quoted rates are good for seven (7) calendar days.

The date of the quote, confirmation number, shipper details, consignee details, third-party payer details, total estimated amount, dim weight, actual weight, service requested, charges, charge amounts, charge currencies, billed amounts, commodity, origin service center, destination service center, total pieces, pieces breakdown (length, width, height), dim factor, declared value, customs value and insured value.

Rates and quotes do not include duties and taxes.

Fuel-index is the fuel surcharge that's calculated based on the rate of the freight. Pickup is the charge based on weight, size and distance of the shipment picked up. Document preparation is for any documentation needed to move the freight.

For each dimension, measure at the longest point, rounding each measurement to the nearest whole number. Multiply the shipment length by the width by the height. The result is the cubic size. Divide the cubic size by the applicable dimensional weight factor. To find the factor that applies to your shipment, please go to this link and refer to the table on pages 6 and 7.

UPS Air Freight Terms and Conditions of Contract