UPS turning to rental trucks this holiday season

UPS IS ADDING rental vehicles to its fleet this holiday season, to deal with increased demand for deliveries this holiday season, so don't be surprised if a U-Haul pulls up and a brown-clad delivery person emerges. / COURTESY UPS
UPS IS ADDING rental vehicles to its fleet this holiday season, to deal with increased demand for deliveries this holiday season, so don't be surprised if a U-Haul pulls up and a brown-clad delivery person emerges. / COURTESY UPS

PROVIDENCE – That familiar brown UPS truck may look a little different this season.

The Atlanta-based company has been adding rental trucks, such as U-Hauls, to its fleet of UPS trucks to handle increased delivery demand during the peak Christmas season.

A spokesman for the company, Dan McMackin, said rental trucks have been used for at least 40 years, and said this is a common practice in the delivery service industry.

UPS is predicting a record year for holiday deliveries, with the peak day on Dec. 22, when it expects to deliver 34 million packages worldwide. It also expects that December will hit a record for worldwide delivery volume with more than 585 million packages delivered, an increase of 11 percent compared with last year.

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Six days are likely to surpass last year’s single-day delivery record of 31 million packages. In comparison, UPS delivers approximately 17 million packages on an average day, according to information from the company.

Seasonal hiring is well underway and is expected to reach 90,000 to 95,000 workers. Job seekers can apply online for holiday opportunities by visiting UPSjobs.com.

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