The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Amtrak, is a corporation striving to deliver a high quality, safe, on-time rail passenger service that exceeds customer expectations. Learn all about Amtrak here from every angle.

As the result of the nation’s reliance on automobiles and increasing popularity of airplane travel that led to the declining use of passenger trains, Congress passed the Rail Passenger Service Act of 1970. This legislation established the National Railroad Passenger Corporation to take over the intercity passenger rail service that had been operated by private railroads.  Amtrak began service on May 1, 1971 serving 43 states with a total of 21 routes.

In its second decade, Amtrak and its passengers fully realized the benefits of the improvements and initiatives that Amtrak began during the 1970s. The high speed Washington-New York Metroliner Service was improved with new equipment and faster schedules.

Throughout the 1990s, important projects were undertaken on both coasts. Passengers in California gained additional state-supported trains and routes, and new bi-level passenger cars.

As the new millennium dawned, Amtrak completed electrification from New Haven to Boston. On December 11, 2000, the first Acela Express high-speed trainset, traveling at speeds of up to 150mph, operated between Washington and Boston. Following the success of the new Acela service, the Metroliner Service concluded operation in 2006 after 37 years.

Today & Tomorrow

 

Amtrak has more than 40 years of rich American history, and we’re proud of the efforts we’ve put into rail passenger service. Since beginning operations in 1971, we’ve worked ceaselessly to transform a classic form of transportation, preserving those aspects of train travel that are timeless, while modernizing those that are ripe for it. Fiscal Year 2017 marked the seventh consecutive year in which ridership exceeded 30 million passengers — proof, if any is needed, that America’s longstanding love of travel still embraces our classic and storied mode of transportation in its modern form.

Preserving the Train — and Improving It!

 

When Amtrak took over intercity passenger service in 1971, the infant company faced a formidable set of challenges: equipment was aging and hard-run, ridership had declined for years, and nobody knew how a tiny band of dedicated men and women could ever reinvent a nationwide network knitted together from 20 disparate services and railroads.

 

It wasn’t easy — but we did it. Amtrak started by sorting out its fleet, and making the bold decision to renew salvageable equipment with new electric heat and lighting systems, while ordering a whole new fleet of single-level cars capable of high-speed service, and daring bi-level cars that would provide roomy and comfortable accommodation on Western routes.

 

In 1976, Amtrak took over most of the badly deteriorated lines between Washington, New York and Boston from the bankrupt Penn Central Railroad. To many, this was a liability, but we saw the potential inherent in a direct route that linked the population centers of the East Coast, and with a lot of hard work, we built it into a 125 m.p.h. railroad. In the 1990s, Amtrak began its program to bring high-speed rail to America with Acela Express. We rebuilt parts of the Northeast Corridor (NEC) and improved the electric overhead power system so that all of our trains would be faster; and we partnered with Bombardier Transportation and Alstom to bring fast, comfortable high-speed service to the Northeast.

 

Today, we’re operating a national system that comprises long-distance, state-supported and Northeast Corridor services that connect communities, regions and modes of transportation across the country. We’ve partnered with 18 states through 21 agencies to provide train service around America, bringing faster and more frequent train service to destinations as varied as Chicago, Seattle, Los Angeles and St. Louis.

Not Just a Storied Past — A Bright Future!

 

We have made great strides in our more than four decades in the railroad business. And as Amtrak grows, so does our capacity to meet national needs such as stimulating and supporting local and regional economies; contributing to national emergency response, congestion mitigation and emissions reduction; and reducing our nation’s reliance on foreign oil.

 

We’re not just a mode with a past — we have a bright future and an important present. Even in regions where we’re not able to provide the twice-hourly service that’s the hallmark of our NEC, we provide many Americans with an affordable and accessible intercity transportation option. Amtrak serves more than 500 communities nationwide, more than 150 of them rural; more than half of our destinations are served exclusively by our 15 national network routes.

 

We are determined to continue to build the equipment, infrastructure and organization needed to sustain our growing ridership and will do so by investing in critical projects that will enhance the passenger experience for years to come.  We look forward to ensuring Amtrak continues to play an important role in the national transportation network for the next 40 years and beyond by providing travelers with a safe, efficient and reliable experience. To commemorate our past, celebrate our present and portray our future, our employees have put together this website that includes stories, anecdotes and memorabilia. We hope you’ll take a look. And we hope to see you on one of our trains sometime in the near future.

Connecting people with goods, services and ideas creates opportunities and improves lives. At FedEx, we believe that a connected world is a better world, and that belief guides everything we do.

The History of FedEx

 

Today, FedEx is consistently recognized as one of the most admired brands in the world and one of the best places to work. But like many innovative companies, we started out as an idea championed by a determined person.

Absolutely positively

 

In 1965, Yale University undergraduate Frederick W. Smith wrote a term paper that invented an industry and changed what’s possible. In the paper, he laid out the logistical challenges facing pioneering firms in the information technology industry. Most airfreight shippers relied on passenger route systems, but those didn’t make economic sense for urgent shipments, Smith wrote.

 

He proposed a system specifically designed to accommodate time-sensitive shipments such as medicine, computer parts, and electronics. Smith’s professor apparently didn’t see the revolutionary implications of his thesis, and the paper received just an average grade.

 

In August 1971, following a stint in the military, Smith bought controlling interest in Arkansas Aviation Sales, located in Little Rock, Arkansas. While operating his new firm, he saw firsthand how difficult it was to get packages and other airfreight delivered within one to two days. With his term paper in mind, Smith set out to find a better way. Thus the idea for Federal Express was born: A company that has revolutionized global business practices and that now defines speed and reliability.

 

1973

 

Smith named the company Federal Express because he believed the patriotic meaning associated with the word “federal” suggested an interest in nationwide economic activity. He also hoped the name would resonate with the Federal Reserve Bank, a potential customer. Although the bank denied his proposal, Smith kept the name because he thought it was memorable and would help attract public attention.

 

Company headquarters later moved to Memphis, Tennessee. Memphis was chosen because of its central location within the U.S. and because Memphis International Airport was rarely closed due to bad weather. The airport was also willing to make the necessary improvements for the operation and additional hangar space was readily available.

14 planes, 186 packages

 

Federal Express officially began operations on April 17, 1973, with 389 team members. That night, 14 small aircraft took off from Memphis and delivered 186 packages to 25 U.S. cities from Rochester, New York, to Miami, Florida. Though the company did not show a profit until July 1975, it soon became the premier carrier of high-priority goods in the marketplace and set the standard for the express shipping industry it established.

 

1977

 

In the mid-1970s, Federal Express was a leader in lobbying for air cargo deregulation, which was legislated in 1977. These changes were important, because they allowed the company to use larger aircraft (Boeing 727s and McDonnell-Douglas DC-10s) and spurred its rapid growth. Today FedEx Express has the world’s largest all-cargo air fleet, including Boeing 777s, 767s, 757s, and MD-11s and Airbus A-300s and A-310s.

 

By the 1980s, Federal Express was well established. Its growth rate was compounding at about 40 percent annually, and competitors were trying to catch up. In fiscal year 1983, it reported $1 billion in revenues, making American business history as the first company to reach that financial hallmark inside 10 years of startup without mergers or acquisitions.

Go global

 

Following the first of several international acquisitions, intercontinental operations began in 1984 with service to Europe and Asia. The following year, Federal Express marked its first regular scheduled flight to Europe. In 1988, the company initiated direct-scheduled cargo service to Japan.

 

1989

 

In another major move, Federal Express acquired Tiger International Inc. in February 1989. When it integrated the Flying Tigers network on August 7, 1989, Federal Express became the world’s largest full-service, all-cargo airline. The acquisition included routes to 21 countries, a fleet of Boeing 747s and 727s, facilities throughout the world, and Tigers’ expertise in international airfreight.

 

The company made another significant transition in 1994, adopting the name “FedEx” as its official brand. One year later, it was authorized to serve China through an acquisition from Evergreen International Airlines. Under this authority, it became the sole U.S.-based, all-cargo carrier with aviation rights to the world’s most populous nation. Its global reach has continued to expand into what is now an unsurpassed network, delivering to customers in more than 220 countries and territories.

A portfolio of solutions

 

With an eye on the future, Federal Express built on its express delivery service to create a more diversified corporation of different but related businesses. Originally called FDX Corp., FedEx Corp. was formed in January 1998 when it acquired Caliber System Inc.

 

1998

 

Through this and future purchases, the initial Caliber subsidiaries included:

 

    RPS, a small-package ground service

    Roberts Express, an expedited, exclusive-use shipping provider

    Viking Freight, a regional LTL freight carrier serving the Western U.S.

    Caribbean Transportation Services, a provider of airfreight forwarding between the U.S., Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Caribbean islands

    Caliber Logistics and Caliber Technology, providers of integrated logistics and technology solutions.

 

In January 2000, FedEx unleashed the power of its global brand. In a move to further integrate the company’s portfolio of services, FDX Corp. was renamed FedEx Corp. In addition:

 

    Federal Express became FedEx Express

    RPS became FedEx Ground

    Roberts Express became FedEx Custom Critical

    Caliber Logistics and Caliber Technology were combined to create FedEx Global Logistics

    American Freightways and Viking Freight became FedEx Freight in February 2001, when FedEx finalized the acquisition of American Freightways, a leading LTL freight carrier serving 40 states in the eastern two-thirds of the U.S.

 

To centralize sales, marketing, customer service, and information technology support for FedEx Express and FedEx Ground, the corporation formed a new subsidiary named FedEx Corporate Services, Inc. (a/k/a FedEx Services), which began operations in June 2000. The move started the process of transforming its technology and delivery services into a portfolio of shipping and business solutions.

 

In the next three years, FedEx expanded access to U.S. customers and bolstered its e-commerce solutions with additional acquisitions:

 

2004

 

    In February 2004, FedEx acquired privately held Kinko’s Inc., and rebranded it as FedEx Kinko’s (then rebranded it again as FedEx Office in 2008). The acquisition expanded retail access for FedEx® shipping services to all 1,200 Kinko’s stores in operation at that time, enhanced FedEx document management services, and broadened business reach to customers of all sizes. For Kinko’s, the move added the resources and expertise needed to continue expansion of its corporate document outsourcing business and international operations.

    In September 2004, FedEx acquired Parcel Direct, a leading parcel consolidator that it later rebranded as FedEx SmartPost. The acquisition complemented a FedEx alliance with the U.S. Postal Service, providing customers in the e-commerce and catalog segments with a proven, cost-effective solution for low-weight, less time-sensitive residential shipments.

 

FedEx expands global footprint

 

With 95 percent of world consumers living outside U.S. borders, FedEx has worked to make international shipping as easy as possible for customers who want to connect with opportunity in global markets.

 

In February 2000, FedEx acquired TowerGroup International, a leader in international logistics and trade information technology. TowerGroup became the foundation of a new subsidiary, FedEx Trade Networks, which in turn acquired WorldTariff®, a premier customs duty and tax information company, one month later.

 

FedEx Trade Networks (rebranded FedEx Logistics in 2019) is now one of North America’s largest-volume customs entry filers and a leader in international ocean and air freight forwarding and trade facilitation.

 

With the value of global trade now at more than $18 trillion, FedEx has continued transforming its business to better align with projected worldwide population and economic growth. One key to that has been the acquisition of numerous transportation companies that allow us to directly serve specific markets and provide better service to our customers.

 

    2006 United Kingdom: FedEx acquired ANC Holdings Ltd, a U.K. domestic express transportation company, and rebranded it as FedEx UK.

    2007 China: FedEx acquired Tianjin Datian W. Group Co. Ltd.’s 50 percent share of the joint venture between FedEx and DTW International Priority Express, along with DTW Group’s domestic express network in China. FedEx then launched a domestic express service for the Chinese market.

    2007 Hungary: FedEx Express acquired Flying-Cargo Hungary Kft.

 

    2011

    2011 India: FedEx Express acquires Prakash Air Freight Pvt. Ltd. (PAFEX) and AFL Pvt. Ltd./Unifreight India Pvt. Ltd.

    2011 Mexico: FedEx Express acquired Servicios Nacionales Mupa, S.A. de C.V. (MultiPack).

    2012 Poland: FedEx Corporation acquired courier company Courier Opek Sp.z o.o. (Opek).

    2012 France: FedEx Corporation acquired express transportation company TATEX.

    2012 Brazil: FedEx Corporation acquired transportation and logistics provider Rapidão Cometa.

    2014 Africa: FedEx Express acquired Supaswift businesses in South Africa and six other countries; Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland and Zambia.

    2014 North America: FedEx Corporation acquired Bongo International, a leader in cross-border enablement technologies and solutions, and rebranded it as FedEx Cross Border.

    2015 North America: FedEx Corporation acquired GENCO, one of North America’s largest third-party logistics providers, and rebranded it as FedEx Supply Chain.

    2016 Europe: FedEx Corporation acquired TNT Express, one of the world’s largest express delivery companies, which offers road and air delivery services in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific, and the Americas.

 

Evolving for a changing marketplace

 

As e-commerce expands and the world becomes more connected, businesses need new ways to navigate the ever-changing complexities of the marketplace.

 

To make it easier for customers to tap our deep industry expertise in specialty logistics, supply chain and e-commerce, FedEx brought together several of our companies and capabilities to form a new operating company. FedEx Logistics is a provider of comprehensive supply chain solutions, specialty transportation, cross border e-commerce technology services, customs brokerage, and trade management tools and data.

 

As the world we live in continues to change, so does FedEx. With that in mind, you can be sure the spirit of FedEx innovation is hard at work delivering a brighter, better future for the world.

 

Go to the FedEx Corporate Brochure to see how FedEx comes together to connect the world — serving our customers, our communities and our team members.

UPS

www.ups.com

 

Founded in 1907 as a messenger company in the United States, UPS has grown into a multi-billion-dollar corporation by clearly focusing on the goal of enabling commerce around the globe. Today, UPS is a global company with one of the most recognized and admired brands in the world. We have become the world's largest package delivery company and a leading global provider of specialized transportation and logistics services. Every day, we manage the flow of goods, funds, and information in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the United States was about to embark on an era of transformation and innovation. America was focused inwardly on its growth, and the West was largely undeveloped. While Seattle, Washington, was fairly well-established, the city was still rife with opportunity, particularly for service-based businesses.

 

In 1907, two teenage entrepreneurs created what would become the world's largest package delivery service. Starting in a Seattle basement with a $100 loan, Claude Ryan and Jim Casey opened the American Messenger Company. With telephones and automobiles scarce, the company fulfilled a range of tasks, from running errands and carrying notes on foot or on bicycle, to making home deliveries for drugstore customers. Their fledgling business entered a competitive marketplace, facing numerous firms that also specialized in message and parcel delivery.

 

Already experienced in business when he began the company, Jim hired other teens as messengers, and his younger brother George joined the firm's leadership ranks. Operating under the principle of providing the best service at the lowest rates, the company prospered. Jim's steadfast commitment to reliability, courtesy, neatness, and high ethical standards helped establish the values that continue to guide UPS today.

A merger with Evert McCabe's competing package delivery business helped the company redefine its primary charge. With enhancements to telephones reducing dependency on messenger companies, in 1913 the American Messenger Company shifted its focus to delivering packages from grocery and drug stores to customers' homes. The company's name changed to Merchants Parcel Delivery, highlighting its new mission.

 

After adding Evert's motorcycles and a Ford Model T to its transportation reserve, the company began to consolidate its deliveries so that all packages for a specific neighborhood would be loaded onto the same vehicle, maximizing use of resources while keeping expenses low.

 

The business grew quickly, thanks to the company's dedication to its customers. Jim Casey and his colleagues became experts in fulfilling the needs of the drug and grocery stores. In most cases, the company's employees worked onsite at the stores to ease distribution efforts.

 

The final founding member of the company, Charlie Soderstrom, joined the firm in 1916. With his expert knowledge of automobiles, he helped manage the company's rapidly expanding fleet of delivery vehicles.

The young company's visionary leaders saw a new opportunity to promote their business, and ultimately persuaded retailers to outsource delivery services to their company. The executives had to create an element of trust and credibility for the retail stores to agree, and those businesses had to overcome faith in their own systems in order to cede to a third party. In 1918, three of Seattle's leading department stores became customers, abandoning their own internal delivery efforts, and turning over business to Merchants Parcel Delivery.

In 1919, the company made its first expansion beyond Seattle to Oakland, California, where the name United Parcel Service debuted. "United" reflected the company's consolidated shipments, while "Parcel" indicated the kinds of deliveries the company made, and "Service," noted Charlie Soderstrom, "is all we have to offer." During the same year, Charlie was credited with the idea of painting all the company's cars brown, chosen for its stately appearance.

 

In addition to changing its name, United Parcel Service continued to develop new approaches to its operations. In 1922, the company acquired a business in Los Angeles that offered "wholesale delivery" service, shipping products from the manufacturer to the distributor. This section of the company quickly began providing its product transportation services to the public, in the same way that the U.S. Postal Service did. This was known as common carrier service. The acquisition of common carrier rights enabled the company to deliver packages to private and commercial customer addresses. This step placed UPS in direct competition with the USPS. The offerings included daily pickups, cash-on-delivery payment acceptance, automatic return of undeliverable packages, and weekly billing, all at rates competitive with the post office. Common carrier services began slowly at UPS, spreading first throughout southern California.

 

The 1920s marked a period of technological and service innovation. A major new development occurred in 1924, when the company introduced an innovative conveyor belt system used for package handling. Then in 1929, UPS began to offer air service through private airlines. The economic downturn in the U.S., along with a lack of volume, led to the end of the service two years later.

Geographic expansion emerged as a bold new opportunity for the company. Through the end of the 1920's, UPS expanded its retail delivery service to encompass all major cities along the coastline of the Pacific U.S., including San Francisco, San Diego and Portland, Oregon. In spite of the economic conditions after the U.S. stock market crash of 1929, UPS expanded eastward the following year, opening operations and moving its headquarters to New York City.

UPS grew throughout the 1930s and early 1940s by acquiring delivery responsibilities for department stores in Chicago, Cincinnati, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, and Philadelphia. Fuel and rubber shortages during World War II, combined with rationing of most retail goods, led stores to limit delivery services and encouraged customers to carry their packages home themselves.

 

After the war ended, America witnessed the development of the suburbs, and new consumer trends emerged. More Americans were buying cars and shopping at suburban malls with large parking lots. UPS recognized that its role in home delivery services for department stores was limited, and its management pursued new growth opportunities.

 

UPS management sought to expand its breadth of services. In 1953 UPS began common carrier operations by providing package transportation services to the public in cities where the company did not require authorization by the state commerce commissioner or the Interstate Commerce Commission to do so. During the same year, Chicago became the first city outside of California in which UPS offered common carrier service. Amid the determined pursuit of common carrier service deregulation, the company reintroduced air service, offering two-day delivery to major East and West Coast cities in 1953. As with the previous effort, UPS shipments flew on regular commercial flights.

 

The expansion effort was fraught with challenges. Strict state and federal regulations limited access and entry to major markets. In some instances, shippers were required to transfer a package between several carriers before it reached its final destination. UPS faced unprecedented legal battles to obtain the proper certification to operate over areas wide enough to satisfy growing public demand for its unique services. Over the course of 30 years, UPS pursued more than 100 applications for additional operating authority. By winning these challenges, UPS effectively laid the groundwork for other delivery companies to compete in the marketplace. In 1975, UPS became the first package delivery company to serve every address in the 48 continental United States. This momentous convergence of service areas became known within UPS as the "Golden Link".

UPS increased its reach in the mid-1970s by growing internationally and at home. In 1975, the corporate headquarters moved from New York City to Greenwich, Connecticut. That same year, UPS went abroad for the first time when it began offering services in Toronto, Canada. The following year saw the start of operations in Germany. Over the next decade, UPS expanded its service throughout the Americas and Europe. After purchasing IML, a British document and parcel delivery company, in 1989, UPS extended service to the Middle East, Africa, and the Pacific Rim.

 

The need for air shipment increased in the 1980s, and UPS focused on expanding its presence in the skies. Deregulation of the airline industry allowed new opportunities for UPS, as some established commercial carriers reduced flights and even abandoned some routes completely. In order to ensure the company's reputation for dependability, UPS took steps toward creating its own fleet of airplanes.

 

With increasing public demand for quicker service, UPS entered the overnight air delivery business. By 1985, UPS Next Day Air service was available in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. That same year, UPS introduced international air package and document service between the U.S. and six European nations. In 1988, UPS won approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate its own aircraft, thus launching UPS Airlines. Organized in slightly more than one year with all the needed technology and support systems, UPS Airlines was the fastest airline start-up in FAA history. Today, it is one of the world's largest airlines.

Currently, UPS runs an international package and document network in more than 220 countries and territories. With its worldwide services, UPS moves over 15 million packages through its network each business day.

The early 1990s marked the start of another era of change at UPS. With an eye toward improving cost efficiencies, in 1991 UPS announced plans to move its corporate headquarters to Atlanta. The construction effort emphasized aesthetic, environmental, and energy-efficiency initiatives to enhance the preserved natural terrain. An extensive tree protection and replacement program was also implemented during the construction. The company moved into its current home at 55 Glenlake Parkway in 1994.

 

E-commerce emerged as a potent force for changing the ways companies and consumers did business. Technology linked buyers and sellers in new ways that propelled globalization. Since the late 1990s, UPS has invested billions of dollars in technology development and infrastructure.

 

In 1993, UPS delivered 11.5 million packages and documents daily for more than one million regular customers. With such massive volume, UPS needed to develop new technology to maintain efficiency, keep prices competitive, and provide additional customer services. Operational technology at UPS spans a broad range, from small handheld devices, to specially designed package delivery vehicles, to global computer and communications systems. The company's online presence now extends beyond UPS.com. Popular shipping and tracking systems such as WorldShip, Quantum View, and CampusShip are Web-based tools that provide customers with efficient and leading edge technology driven tools to process, track, and manage shipments and supply chains.

 

The handheld Delivery Information Acquisition Device (DIAD), carried by all UPS drivers, was developed to capture and upload delivery information to the UPS network. The DIAD even includes digital images of a recipient's signature, giving shippers quicker confirmation of final delivery. This proprietary device also allows drivers to stay in contact with their operational centers, staying abreast of changing pickup schedules, traffic patterns, and other important messages. Finding technological efficiencies have led to environmental benefits. Use of the DIAD eliminates the use of 59 million sheets of paper, equal to 5,187 trees per year.

 

In 1992, UPS began tracking all ground shipments electronically. In 1994, UPS.com debuted, and provided the perfect interface to make what was primarily internal operational information available for customer access. The following year, UPS added functionality to its Web site that enabled customers to track packages in transit. The resulting popularity of online shipment tracking surpassed all expectations. Today UPS.com receives 39.5 million online tracking requests daily.

 

Toward the end of the 1990s, UPS began another transition. While the core business continued to focus on package delivery, UPS expanded its vision to become an enabler of global commerce. The strategy that emerged was to drive growth through a new set of global services to meet the needs of customers seeking more efficient supply chains. Services added included transportation and distribution for larger shipments via road, rail, air, and ocean. Specialty services were developed for high-tech, automotive, and consumer goods industries, because they increasingly were sourcing globally. UPS began to acquire companies with supply chain management and target industry expertise. In 1998 the company also established UPS Capital, a financial services business unit, expediting the flow of funds and mitigating trade risk throughout the supply chain. In its beginning, UPS Capital offered COD enhancement services, and eventually purchased First International Bank, allowing commercial lending capabilities.

While embracing new technological and strategic business developments, UPS also took a bold financial step for an established company. On November 10, 1999, UPS offered 10 percent of its stock to the public for the first time. This initial public offering gave UPS the ability to use a publicly traded security to make strategic acquisitions. Prior to this, UPS had been owned primarily by management employees, a practice established by Jim Casey in the 1920s when he gave staff the opportunity to purchase company shares.

Over time, UPS has become a leader in global supply chain management. At UPS, global distribution and logistics involves managing not only the movement of goods, but also the information and funds that move with those goods.

 

UPS customers repeatedly asked to tap into this expertise, which ultimately led to the development of a full-service business. UPS Supply Chain Solutions is a streamlined organization that provides logistics, global freight, financial, and mail services to enhance customers' business performance and improve their global supply chains.

 

In 2001, UPS ventured toward retail business by acquiring Mail Boxes Etc., Inc., the world's largest franchisor of retail shipping, postal and business service centers. Within two years, approximately 3,000 Mail Boxes Etc. locations in the United States re-branded as The UPS Store and began offering lower UPS-direct shipping rates. The stores remain locally owned and operated, and continue to offer the same variety of postal and business services, with the same convenience and world-class service. UPS continues to expand service worldwide. In Europe, Asia, and South America, customers enjoy an unmatched portfolio of time-definite and supply chain services.

 

Two major enhancements to international service came with the expansion of Worldport, the air hub in Louisville, Kentucky, as well as the European air hub in Cologne, Germany. With Asia identified as a primary growth target, in 2005 UPS launched the first non-stop delivery service between the U.S. and Guangzhou, China. That same year, UPS acquired the interest held by its joint venture business partner in China, giving it access to 23 cities that cover more than 80% of the country's international trade.

 

From using electric vehicles in New York City during the 1930s to developing water conservation techniques while keeping the familiar brown package cars clean, as well as operating the world's largest fleet of compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles, UPS has long practiced environmentally-conscious innovations. Although sustainable practices are not new to UPS, the company recognized the need to formally document its focus on responsible business models. In 2003, UPS issued its first Corporate Sustainability report, highlighting the importance of balancing economic, social and environmental objectives. Now an annual report, it tracks the company's key performance indicators relevant to the business.

 

UPS continually gains wider access to various markets through acquisitions. The 1999 acquisition of Challenge Air made UPS the largest express and air cargo carrier in Latin America. Purchasing Menlo Worldwide Forwarding in 2004 added heavy air freight shipment capability, while the acquisition of Overnite in 2005 expanded the company's ground freight services in North America. Other recent acquisitions in the U.K. and Poland present new opportunities for growth in Europe.

 

Over the past 100 years, UPS has become an expert in transformation, growing from a small messenger company to a leading provider of air, ocean, ground, and electronic services. The most recent public change came in 2003, when the company introduced a new brand mark, representing a new, evolved UPS, and showing the world that its capabilities extend beyond small package delivery. The company went another step further, adopting the acronym UPS as its formal name, another indicator of its broad expanse of services. Ever true to its humble origins, the company maintains its reputation for integrity, reliability, employee ownership, and customer service. For UPS, the future promises even more accomplishments as the next chapter in the company's history is written.

In September, 2010 UPS launched a new brand platform to promote the company's expanded logistics and supply chain management capabilities.

 

Since becoming a publicly traded company in 1999, UPS has significantly expanded the scope of its capabilities primarily through the acquisition of more than 40 companies, including industry leaders in trucking and air freight, retail shipping and business services, customs brokerage, finance and international trade services. As a result, UPS's relationship with many of its customers has deepened to include much more than basic transportation services.

 

The rise of e-commerce and increase in home deliveries created the need for consumers to gain more control over residential shipments deliveries prompting UPS My Choice. This revolutionary home delivery service enables busy consumers to control and manage their incoming package deliveries online and with their mobile devices. Millions of consumers take advantage of this service made possible in part through ORION technology.

 

ORION, On-Road Integrated Optimization and Navigation, reduces miles driven by optimizing driver routes resulting in significant operational impacts, extensive cost savings, positive environmental effects and raises the bar on efficiency and customer service U.S. deployment was completed in 2016 and has set the stage for even more personalized service offerings.

 

The fifth generation DIAD V, delivery information acquisition device is rolled out to speed package tracking detail between UPS and its customers. With more than 100,000 devices in use worldwide, the iconic handheld is the first device in the industry to switch on-the-fly between cellular carriers independent of cellular technology, making it more reliable than previous versions.

 

UPS acquired Brussels-based Kiala and launched UPS Access Point, a convenient alternative to home delivery, allowing busy UK consumers to purchase goods over the Internet and choose convenient delivery and returns locations such as convenience stores, petrol stations and newsagents.

 

In 2013 UPS advanced worldwide service through becoming the first global express delivery company to be wholly-owned in Vietnam. The change allows UPS to better connect Vietnam's rapidly expanding economy to world markets through the UPS network. UPS expanded into the healthcare market to better reach customers on a global scale with facility openings in China, Hungary, Australia, Italy and North America.

 

UPS completed the closing of the acquisition of Coyote Logistics in 2015. Coyote, a technology-driven, non-asset based truckload freight brokerage company adds large scale full-truck-load (FTL) and other transportation management services to the UPS portfolio.

 

For the first time in the company’s history, UPS offers Saturday ground delivery and Saturday pickup services, delivering shippers industry-leading Saturday choices. The time-in-transit improvement is one of the largest in the company’s history and will be fully implemented by the end of 2018.

Greyhound’s iconic brand is synonymous with affordable long distance travel in North America and a unique national network.

 

Founded in 1914, Greyhound Lines, Inc. is the largest provider of intercity bus transportation, serving 2400 destinations across North America with a modern, environmentally friendly fleet. It has become an American icon, providing safe, enjoyable and affordable travel to nearly 16 million passengers each year in the United States and Canada. The Greyhound running dog is one of the most-recognized brands in the world.

 

While Greyhound is well known for its regularly scheduled passenger service, the company also provides a number of other services for its customers. Greyhound Package Express service offers value-priced same-day and early-next-day package delivery to thousands of destinations in North America. And the company also offers charter packages for businesses, conventions, schools and other groups at competitive rates.

 

Greyhound has additional operating entities: BoltBus, serving the Northeast and Western regions of the United States. In 2010, the company launched its premium city-to-city service, Greyhound Express, and has since quickly expanded the popular service to more than 135 markets across North America. It also operates Greyhound Connect, a service that connects rural communities to larger Greyhound markets in the United States.

 

In addition, Greyhound has interline partnerships with a number of independent bus lines across the United States. These bus companies provide complementary service to Greyhound Lines' existing schedules and link to many of the smaller towns in Greyhound Lines' national route system.

 

Amtrak passengers use Greyhound to make connections to cities not served by rail on Amtrak Thruway service by purchasing a ticket for the bus connection from Amtrak in conjunction with the purchase of their rail ticket. Passengers may also buy a bus ticket directly from Greyhound.

 

Greyhound is owned by FirstGroup plc, the leading transport operator in the United Kingdom and North America. We provide easy and convenient mobility, improving quality of life by connecting people and communities. With revenues of more than £5 billion per annum and about 110,000 employees, the company transports more than 2.2 billion passengers every year.