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Online Shipping and Tracking Features

With the advent of the internet it has optimized the shipping and tracking of today's global delivery of goods. FedEx and UPS constantly seek a competitive edge over one another. Both strive to achieve worldwide leadership in the distribution of packages by developing solutions that best meet their customer's needs and stay on top with cutting edge technology by use of the internet.

FedEx and UPS offer a streamline interface which focus on the functionality of their website. Each of their websites has tools and features that enable the customers to utilize necessary to manage shipping and tracking information to its customers.

Online Shipping Features

Both FedEx and UPS offer similar main features on the Shipping section of the websites. UPS has extensive features compared to the simple interface of FedEX. The following paragraphs will compare FedEx and UPS shipping interface.

FedEX shipping section is simple compared to UPS. Shipping section provides the following features: Prepare Shipments Online, Get Rates and Transit Times, Find Locations, Schedule a Pickup, and Order Supplies.

Prepare Shipments Online has similar functions to UPS. The user can create an online address book, print their own airbills, track online, print reports, and more.

Get Rates and Transit Times is a simplified version of UPS's Calculate Time and Cost/Get feature. It compares rates and transit times for all available FedEx services before shipping.

Find Locations can find provide distances, hours of operation and maps to various facilities and specialty.

Schedule a Pickup can allow the user to request or cancel courier service for pickups of FedEx Express, FedEx Ground, or FedEx Freight shipments.

Order Supplies feature allows the customer to get packaging, airbills, and supplies for automated shipping solutions in 2 to 3 business days. Or find a nearby staffed location, so you can purchase supplies today. (FedEx 2007)

UPS has a comprehensive shipping interface that offer a variety of tools and features the customer can utilize: Creating a Shipment, Calculating Time and Cost of a Package, Open a Account, Shipping Support , Schedule a Pick up, International tools, Find the Nearest Location and Order Supplies.

Create a Shipment/Prepare and Manage feature allows the user to Log In or register for a new account to access UPS internet shipping. One of the benefits to being a registered user a customer can access the Shipment History such as shipment details and tracking data up to 90 days. The customer can track, review, and void past shipments and use previous shipping information from a previous shipment to reship goods. Shipping preferences can be customize and the selections will be the defaults on the shipping pages. (UPS 2007)

Calculate Time and Cost/Get feature allows the user to get an idea of how much the shipment will cost and the time it will take to be delivered by inputting shipping information. In this section UPS customers can review information of the various shipping service, zone rates, ground maps, etc.

Open a UPS Account establishes an account billing