UPS Freight has reduced transit times by one or two days on nearly 1,000 traffic lanes from points in 11 states.

The improvements are being made in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas without adjusting rates. Similar network improvements, in a phased plan, will be made throughout other regions of the country later this year.

Examples of the network enhancements include placing all of New England under a two-day delivery umbrella from Memphis, Tenn., and shipments from Charlotte, N.C., reaching destinations as far as Dallas and Columbia, Mo., in two days.

"There are clear customer benefits here," said Jack Holmes, president of UPS Freight. "The expedited times allow customers to reduce the inventories they're carrying. And the introduction of more direct routes also means that less handling of the freight is required."