UPS Express

What UPS Express does

UPS Express, Inc. is a privately-held freight forwarding company founded in 1993 and headquartered in Miami, Florida. It provides international multi-modal logistics services spanning air freight, ocean freight, ground transportation, warehousing, customs clearance, and cargo insurance, with a particular focus on shipments originating from Miami to Latin America, Europe, and Asia. The company also operates dedicated cross-border capability into Mexico through a wholly-owned subsidiary, UPS Express Mexico S.A. de C.V., and a Laredo, Texas office positioned on the U.S.-Mexico border. Over 30 years of operation, UPS Express has built an eight-office footprint across the United States, Mexico, Canada, Nicaragua, Colombia, Panama, and Australia, with service marketed around 24/7 availability and door-to-door coordination.

The company's core technology is a freight forwarding and logistics management platform supported by web-based online inventory tracking (with receipt alerts and status updates) and integrated information systems for cargo tracking, customs management, and multi-modal coordination. Differentiators cited by the company include APICS-certified management staff, an expansive trucking partner network, and client-specific operational processes. UPS Express does not disclose AI/ML capabilities, mobile applications, public APIs, or third-party platform integrations. Operations remain relationship-driven, with customer contact handled through direct phone, email, and WhatsApp channels rather than self-service digital portals.

The business model is asset-light freight forwarding: revenue is generated through quote-based, multi-year contracts priced on cargo type, volume, destination, and service requirements, with warehousing offered on terms including 7-30 days of free storage. The go-to-market is enterprise and mid-market field sales targeting verticals such as electronics, automotive, gaming equipment, aircraft parts distribution, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, and financial institutions. The company is founder-led and has no disclosed external private equity, venture capital, or strategic investor backing.

Name

UPS Express

Legal name

UPS EXPRESS, INC.

Website

https://upsexpress.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

UPS Express is a privately-held Miami-based freight forwarder founded in 1993 that provides air, ocean, and ground freight forwarding plus customs brokerage, warehousing, and cargo insurance across eight offices in the Americas and Australia, primarily serving mid-market and enterprise shippers on the Miami-LatAm corridor.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Freight Forwarding and Logistics Services

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro primary industry

International Express (Time-Definite Cross-Border) (TLAAABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Express / Time-Critical Air Freight (Next-Flight-Out, AOG, Just-in-Time) (TLACAAAD), Express / Time-Definite Air Cargo Carriers (TLADAAAB)

Keywords

• International freight forwarding
• Air freight services
• Ocean freight shipping
• Customs clearance brokerage
• Warehouse and distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Miami

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Air Freight Services: International air shipping for time-sensitive and high-value cargo with priority freight solutions
2. Ocean Freight Services: Sea freight services using various container types for international transport needs
3. Ground Transportation: Roadway cargo movement through an expansive network of trucking partners for timely, secure, and cost-effective delivery
4. Customs Clearance Services: Management and expediting of customs clearance processes ensuring compliance and minimizing waiting times
5. Warehouse Services: Customizable warehousing with free storage from 7 to 30 days, loading/unloading, handling, packaging, labeling, picking, packing, and distribution
6. Cargo Insurance: Insurance coverage bridging carrier liability for losses and actual value of goods from pick-up to final delivery

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

UPS Express is an international freight forwarder providing multi-modal shipping services across air, ocean, and ground transportation, with customs clearance, customizable warehousing, and cargo insurance. The company delivers door-to-door logistics for time-sensitive and high-value cargo across U.S.-Mexico-Canada-USMCA corridors and Miami-to-Latin America, Europe, and Asia trade lanes, operating 24/7 through eight international offices.

Product overview

UPS Express is a freight forwarding company offering a unified logistics platform with multiple interconnected shipping services. The core portfolio includes Air Freight, Ocean Freight, Ground Transportation, Warehouse Services, Customs Clearance, and Cargo Insurance. These services are designed to work together, enabling door-to-door shipments, multi-modal transport (air, ocean, and land), and comprehensive supply chain management. The company provides additional services including local drayage, border crossing assistance, trading company services, and online inventory management. All services operate on a 24/7 basis with centralized management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Air Freight

Named customers7 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• DSV: Global transport and logistics company formed via roll-up acquisitions, offering air/sea/road forwarding and customs. Comparable service mix and target customers to UPS Express, including growing Americas presence.
• CEVA Logistics: Global 3PL offering freight forwarding, contract logistics, and customs services. Competes with UPS Express across multi-modal freight forwarding for enterprise and mid-market shippers.
• Kuehne+Nagel: One of the world's largest international freight forwarders with integrated air, ocean, road, and customs services. Directly comparable to UPS Express in multi-modal international forwarding, though at vastly greater scale and global footprint.
• Expeditors International: Seattle-headquartered global logistics provider specializing in international air and ocean freight forwarding plus customs brokerage. Closely aligned with UPS Express on service mix, customer profile (enterprise shippers), and customs-clearance focus.
• DHL Global Forwarding: Deutsche Post's freight forwarding arm offering air, ocean, road freight and customs. Overlaps directly with UPS Express's service portfolio, particularly in air and ocean freight forwarding across the Americas and globally.
• DB Schenker: German-headquartered global logistics provider with air, ocean, land, and customs services. Overlaps with UPS Express in cross-border freight forwarding and customs clearance, particularly in trans-Atlantic and Americas lanes.
• C.H. Robinson: Major North American freight forwarder and 3PL with strong U.S.–Mexico cross-border capability. Direct competitor for UPS Express in the USMCA lane, customs clearance, and multi-modal enterprise services.

Emerging players

• Flexport: Tech-forward digital freight forwarder offering air, ocean, and trucking with proprietary software. Emerges as a different competitor to UPS Express by offering modern booking/visibility tools to enterprise shippers that traditional forwarders lack.

Broad incumbents

• Maersk Logistics & Services: Container shipping giant with integrated end-to-end logistics including ocean freight forwarding, customs, and warehousing. Adjacent competitor to UPS Express on ocean freight and door-to-door logistics for global shippers.
• XPO (GXO Logistics spin-off context: XPO now focused on LTL): North American freight transportation provider (LTL-focused post-GXO spin-off) with adjacent freight forwarding capabilities. Competes with UPS Express for North American road and cross-border freight, especially in U.S.–Mexico lanes.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about UPS Express