ATLANTA, March 2, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- UPS
®(NYSE:UPS)
today revealed that its groundbreaking ORION routing system is
expected to reduce by 100 million miles annually the distance
driven by its drivers, when fully implemented in 2016. The
company is accelerating its implementation to complete all planned
U.S. routes in 2016. The deployment will result in a 100,000
metric ton reduction in CO2 emissions, equivalent to taking 21,000
passenger cars off the road for a year, according to the Greenhouse
Gas Equivalencies Calculator.
The company expects additional benefits including annual savings
of 10 million gallons of fuel and more than $300 million when its
On-Road Integrated Optimization Navigation (ORION) system completes
U.S. implementation. Additional environmental benefits and cost
reduction savings will be realized when vehicles outside the U.S.
are equipped with the technology in future years. During 2015, UPS
plans to complete installation of ORION routing on about 70% of the
planned routes.
UPS's ORION routing system uses data from customers,
drivers and vehicles to reduce miles driven on delivery
routes. ORION calculates the most efficient driving path
taking into consideration all scheduled package delivery and
pick-up stops required on the route for the specific day. UPS began
implementing ORION routing in 2012 after 10 years of development
work.
"We have realized a reduction of 6 to 8 miles driven per route
resulting in significantly lower fuel use and related lower vehicle
emissions," said Mitch Nichols, UPS senior vice president of
transportation and engineering. "As a result, we're expediting the
rollout and expect ORION to be fully deployed by the end of 2016,
ahead of the original schedule."
ORION routing will continue to be refined and improved as it is
deployed. By operating one unified fleet with ORION technology, UPS
can optimize pickup and deliveries across its operation. For
each 120 stop route, ORION analyzes more than 200,000 options,
selecting the most efficient route while meeting customer
requirements for time-sensitive pickup or deliveries.
Dynamic routing is planned for a future version to enable more
efficient routing changes during the drivers' day. Global
routes outside of the U.S. will be deployed after 2017 to further
reduce miles driven, vehicle maintenance, fuel use and CO2
emissions.
The first package delivery company to introduce alternative fuel
tractors into its fleet, UPS operates one of the largest private
alternative fuel fleets in the U.S. with more than 5,088
alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles. This includes
all-electric, hybrid electric, hydraulic hybrid, CNG, LNG, propane,
biomethane and light-weight fuel-saving composite body
vehicles. By the end of 2017, UPS anticipates logging one
billion miles from its alternative fuel fleet.
About UPS
UPS (NYSE: UPS) is a global leader in logistics, offering a
broad range of solutions including the transportation of packages
and freight; the facilitation of international trade, and the
deployment of advanced technology to more efficiently manage the
world of business. Headquartered in Atlanta, UPS serves more than
220 countries and territories worldwide. The company can be found
on the Web at ups.com® and its corporate blog can be
found at Longitudes.ups.com. To get UPS
news direct, visit pressroom.ups.com/RSS.
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CONTACT: Laurie Mallis
(404) 828-7183
lmallis@ups.com
