UNITED PARCEL SERVICE INC 10-K

Item 1. Business Overview United Parcel Service, Inc. (“UPS”), founded in 1907, is the world’s premier package delivery company and a leading provider of global supply chain management solutions. We offer a broad range of industry-leading products and services through our extensive presence in North America; Europe; the Indian sub-continent, Middle East and Africa (“ISMEA”); Asia Pacific and Latin America. Our services include transportation and delivery, distribution, contract logistics, ocean freight, air freight, customs brokerage and insurance. We operate one of the largest airlines and one of the largest fleets of alternative fuel vehicles under a global UPS brand. We deliver packages each business day for approximately 1.7 million shipping customers to 11.8 million delivery customers in over 220 countries and territories. In 2021, we delivered an average of 25.2 million packages per day, totaling 6.4 billion packages during the year. Total revenue in 2021 was $97.3 billion. Strategy Our well-defined strategy focuses on growing in the parts of the market that value our end-to-end network, including business-to-business ("B2B"), healthcare, small- and medium-sized businesses ("SMBs") and large enterprise accounts. We are on a journey to execute our Customer First, People Led, Innovation Driven strategy as we transform our business. Customer First is about reducing the friction of doing business. We help our customers seize new opportunities, compete, and succeed by delivering the capabilities that they tell us matter the most: speed and ease. People Led specifically focuses on how likely an employee is to recommend UPS employment to a friend or family member. We know successful outcomes are built from a strong culture, so we are striving to make UPS a great place to work. Through our transformation initiatives, we are creating fewer but more impactful jobs. We are also enhancing the employee value proposition to align with evolving market practices. Innovation Driven is designed to optimize the volume that flows through our network, to focus on increasing value share and driving business growth from higher-yielding opportunities in our target markets. We are using technology and automation to deliver sustainable improvements to our network. In our United States (" U.S.") Domestic Package segment, our aim is to improve revenue mix and lower our cost to serve. Within the International Package segment and Supply Chain Solutions businesses, we are focused on value share gains and growing operating profit. 1 Competitive Strengths Our competitive strengths include: Global Smart Logistics Network. We believe that our integrated global air and ground network is the most extensive in the industry. We provide all types of package services (air, ground, domestic, international, commercial and residential) through a single pickup and delivery network. Our sophisticated engineering systems allow us to optimize network efficiency and asset utilization. Global Presence. We serve more than 220 countries and territories. We have a significant presence in all of the world’s major economies, allowing us to effectively and efficiently operate around the world. Cutting-Edge Technologies. We are a global leader in developing technologies that help our customers enhance their shipping and logistics business processes to lower costs, improve service and increase efficiency. We offer a variety of online tools that enable our customers to integrate UPS functionality into their own websites, deepening our customer relationships. These tools allow customers to send, manage and track their shipments, and also to provide their customers with better information services. A Broad Portfolio of Services. Our portfolio of services helps customers choose their most appropriate delivery option. Increasingly, our customers benefit from UPS business solutions that integrate our services beyond package delivery. For example, supply chain services – such as freight forwarding, truckload brokerage, customs brokerage, order fulfillment and returns management – help improve the efficiency of our customers’ entire supply chain management process. Customer Relationships. We focus on building and maintaining long-term customer relationships. Providing value-added services beyond package delivery, and cross-selling small package and supply chain services across our customer base, are important retention tools and growth mechanisms for us. Brand Equity. We have built a leading and trusted brand that stands for quality, reliability and service innovation. Our vehicles and the professional courtesy of our drivers are major contributors to our brand equity. Distinctive Culture. We believe that the dedication of our employees comes in large part from our distinctive “employee-owner” culture. Our founders believed that employee stock ownership was a vital foundation for successful business, and the employee stock ownership tradition dates back to our first stock ownership program in 1927. Our legacy of fairness and equity is the bedrock of our culture and of our relationships with those we serve. Financial Strength. Our financial strength allows us to generate value for our shareowners by investing in technology, transportation equipment, facilities and employee development; pursuing strategic opportunities that facilitate our growth and maintaining a strong credit rating that gives us flexibility in running the business. Products and Services; Reporting Segments We have two reporting segments: U.S. Domestic Package and International Package. Our remaining businesses are reported as Supply Chain Solutions. U.S. Domestic Package and International Package are together referred to as our global small package operations. Global Small Package Our global small package operations provide time-definite delivery services for express letters, documents, packages and palletized freight via air and ground services. These services are supported by numerous shipping, visibility and billing technologies. For example, our Digital Access Program makes it easier for SMBs to use our services by embedding our shipping solutions directly into leading e-commerce platforms. All services (air, ground, domestic, international, commercial and residential) are managed through a single, global smart logistics network. We combine all packages within our network, unless dictated by specific service commitments. This enables us to efficiently pick up customers’ shipments for any services at a scheduled time each day. Our integrated network provides unique operational and capital efficiencies that have a lower environmental impact than single service network designs. 2 We offer same-day pickup of air and ground packages seven days a week. Our global network offers approximately 188,000 entry points where customers can tender packages to us at locations and times convenient to them. This includes UPS drivers who can accept packages, UPS drop boxes, UPS Access Point locations, The UPS Store locations, authorized shipping outlets and commercial counters, alliance locations and customer centers attached to UPS facilities. Our UPS Access Point network includes local small businesses and national retailers. This network allows consumers to ship or redirect packages to an alternate delivery location or to drop off pre-labeled packages, including returns. The UPS Access Point network includes more than 20,000 locations within the U.S. and 52,000 globally. We offer a portfolio of returns services in more than 140 countries. These services are driven by the continued growth of e-commerce that has increased our customers’ need for efficient and reliable returns, and are designed to promote efficiency and a friction-free consumer experience. This portfolio provides a range of cost-effective label and digital returns options and a broad network of consumer drop points. We also offer a selection of returns technologies, such as UPS Returns Manager, that promote systems integration, increase customer ease of use and visibility of inbound merchandise. These technologies help reduce costs and improve efficiency in our customers' reverse logistics processes. Our global air operations are based in Louisville, Kentucky, and are supported by air hubs across the United States and internationally. We operate international air hubs in Germany, China, Hong Kong, Canada and Florida (for Latin America and the Caribbean). This network design enables cost-effective package processing in our most technology-enabled facilities, which allows us to use fewer, larger and more fuel-efficient aircraft. U.S. Domestic Package We are a leader in time-definite, guaranteed small package delivery services in the United States. We offer a full spectrum of U.S. domestic guaranteed air and ground package transportation services. Our U.S. ground fleet serves all business and residential zip codes in the contiguous United States. • Our air portfolio offers time-definite, same day, next day, two day and three day delivery alternatives. • Our ground network enables customers to ship using our day-definite guaranteed ground service. We deliver more ground packages in the U.S. than any other carrier, with average daily package volume of more than 17 million, most within one to three business days. • UPS SurePost provides residential ground service for customers with non-urgent, lightweight residential shipments. It offers the consistency and reliability of the UPS ground network, with final delivery often provided by the U.S. Postal Service. International Package International Package consists of our small package operations in Europe, Asia Pacific, Canada, Latin America and ISMEA. International high-growth markets are one of our identified growth opportunities. We offer a wide selection of guaranteed day- and time-definite international shipping services, including more guaranteed time-definite express options than any other carrier. For international package shipments that do not require express services, UPS Worldwide Expedited offers a reliable, deferred, guaranteed day-definite service option. For cross-border ground package delivery, we offer UPS Standard delivery services within Europe, between the U.S. and Canada, and between the U.S. and Mexico. UPS Worldwide Express Freight is a premium international service for urgent, palletized shipments over 150 pounds. Europe is our largest region outside of the U.S. and, in 2021, accounted for nearly half of our international package segment revenue. We continue to make major European infrastructure investments to meet growing demand for our services and to improve transit times across the region. Customers can reach more than 80% of Europe's population within two business days using UPS Standard. We serve more than 40 Asia Pacific countries and territories through more than two dozen alliances with local delivery companies that supplement our owned operations. The introduction of a direct flight from the U.S. to Dubai has improved time-in-transit to key destinations in ISMEA for shippers throughout the U.S., Canada and Latin America. In India, we are investing in our network to improve transit times and extend pickup times, allowing businesses to gain faster access to markets in Europe and the United States. 3 Supply Chain Solutions Supply Chain Solutions consists of our forwarding, truckload brokerage, logistics and distribution, Roadie, UPS Capital and other businesses. Supply chain complexity creates demand for a global service offering that incorporates transportation, distribution and international trade and brokerage services, with complementary financial and information services. Many companies see value in outsourcing non-core logistics activity. With increased competition and growth opportunities in new markets, businesses require flexible and responsive supply chains to support their strategies. We meet this demand by offering a broad array of supply chain services in more than 200 countries and territories. The divestiture of UPS Freight was completed on April 30, 2021. As a result of the divestiture, we renamed Supply Chain & Freight as Supply Chain Solutions. For additional information on the divestiture, see note 4 to the audited, consolidated financial statements. Forwarding We are one of the largest U.S. domestic air freight carriers and among the top air freight forwarders globally. We offer a portfolio of guaranteed and non-guaranteed global air freight services. Additionally, as one of the world’s leading non-vessel operating common carriers, we provide ocean freight full-container load, less-than-container load and multimodal transportation services between most major ports around the world. Truckload Brokerage We provide truckload brokerage services in the U.S. and Europe through our Coyote-branded subsidiaries. Access to the UPS fleet, combined with a broad third-party carrier network, creates customized capacity solutions for all markets and customers. Coyote customers can also access UPS services such as air freight, customs brokerage and global freight forwarding. Logistics & Distribution Our Logistics & Distribution business provides value-added fulfillment and transportation management services. We leverage a network of more than 1,000 facilities in over 120 countries to ensure products and parts are in the right place at the right time. We operate both multi-client and dedicated facilities across our network, many of which are strategically located near UPS air and ground transportation hubs to support rapid delivery to consumer and business markets. Healthcare logistics is one of our targeted areas for growth. We offer world-class technology, deep expertise and the most sophisticated suite of services in the industry. With a strategic focus on serving the unique, priority-handling needs of healthcare and life sciences customers, we have increased our cold-chain logistics capabilities to support the rapid deployment of COVID-19 vaccines both in the U.S. and internationally and we have delivered over one billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Customs Brokerage We are among the world’s largest customs brokers, as measured by both the number of shipments processed annually and by the number of dedicated brokerage employees worldwide. In addition to customs clearance services, we provide product classification, trade management, duty drawback and consulting services. Roadie On October 1, 2021, we acquired Roadie, a technology platform that enables local same-day delivery with operations throughout the United States. The Roadie technology platform is purpose-built to connect merchants and consumers with contract drivers to enable efficient and scalable same-day local delivery services, including items that are not compatible with the UPS network. UPS Capital UPS Capital offers integrated supply chain insurance solutions for in-transit goods to both small and large businesses. UPS Capital also offers insured transportation of high value goods. 4 Human Capital Our success is dependent upon our people, working together with a common purpose. We have approximately 534,000 employees (excluding temporary seasonal employees), of which 444,000 are in the U.S. and 90,000 are located internationally. Our global workforce includes approximately 89,000 management employees (44% of whom are part-time) and 445,000 hourly employees (51% of whom are part-time). More than 70% of our U.S. employees are represented by unions, primarily those employees handling or transporting packages. In addition, approximately 3,100 of our pilots are represented by the Independent Pilots Association. We believe that UPS employees are among the most motivated, highest-performing people in the industry and provide us with a meaningful competitive advantage. To assist with employee recruitment and retention, we continue to review the competitiveness of our employee value proposition, including benefits and pay, the range of continuous training, talent development and promotional opportunities. For additional information on the importance of our human capital efforts, see "Risk Factors - Business and Operating Risks - Failure to attract or retain qualified employees could materially adversely affect us". Oversight and management We believe in creating an inclusive and equitable environment that represents a broad spectrum of backgrounds, cultures and stakeholders. By leveraging diversity with respect to gender, age, ethnicity, skills and other factors, and creating inclusive environments, we believe we can improve organizational effectiveness, cultivate innovation and drive growth. Our Board of Directors and Board committees provide oversight on human capital matters through a variety of methods and processes. These include regular updates and discussion around human capital transformation efforts, technology initiatives impacting the workforce, health and safety matters, employee survey results related to culture and other matters, hiring and retention, employee demographics, labor relations and contract negotiations, compensation and benefits, succession planning and employee training initiatives. We believe the Board’s oversight of these matters helps identify and mitigate exposure to labor and human capital management risks, and is part of the broader framework that guides how we attract, retain and develop a workforce that aligns with our values and strategies. Transformation As we expand and enter new markets, and seek to capture new opportunities and pursue growth, we need employees to grow and innovate along with us. We believe that transforming the UPS employee experience is foundational to our success. This requires a thoughtful balance between the culture we have cultivated over the years and new approaches to lead our business into the future. We are investing in capabilities that will transform our business, including investments in employee opportunities to support growth. We provide training for management employees on professionalism and performance as well as unconscious bias and diversity and inclusion to ensure our actions match our values. Additional information on our human capital efforts is contained in our annual sustainability report, which describes our activities that support our commitment to acting responsibly and contributing to society. This report is available under the heading "Social Impact" at www.about.ups.com . Collective bargaining We bargain in good faith with the unions that represent our employees. We frequently engage union leaders at the national level and at local chapters throughout the United States. We participate in works councils and associations outside the U.S., which allows us to respond to emerging regional issues. This work helps our operations to build and maintain productive relationships with our employees. For additional information regarding employees employed under collective bargaining agreements, see note 7 to the audited, consolidated financial statements. 5 Employee health and safety We are committed to industry-leading employee health, safety and wellness programs across our growing workforce. We develop a culture of health and safety by: • investing in safety training and audits; • promoting wellness practices which mitigate risk; and • offering benefits designed to keep employees safe in the workplace and beyond. Our local health and safety committees coach employees on UPS’s safety processes and are able to share best practices across work groups. Our safety methods and procedures are increasingly focused on the variables associated with residential delivery environments, which have become more common with the growth in e-commerce. We monitor our performance in this area through various measurable targets including lost time injury frequency and the number of recorded auto accidents. Customers Building and maintaining long-term customer relationships is a competitive strength of UPS. In 2021, we served 1.7 million shipping customers and more than 11.8 million delivery customers daily. For the year ended December 31, 2021, one customer, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates, represented approximately 11.7% of our consolidated revenues, substantially all of which was within our U.S. Domestic Package segment. For additional information on our customers, see “Risk Factors - Business and Operating Risks - Changes in our relationships with any of our significant customers, including the loss or reduction in business from one or more of them, could have a material adverse effect on us” and note 15 to the audited, consolidated financial statements. Competition We offer a broad array of transportation and logistics services and compete with many local, regional, national and international logistics providers as well as national postal services. We believe our strategy, network and competitive strengths position us well to compete in the marketplace. For additional information on our competitive environment, see "Risk Factors - Business and Operating Risks - Our industry is rapidly evolving. We expect to continue to face significant competition, which could materially adversely affect us". Government Regulation We are subject to numerous laws and regulations in the countries in which we operate. Continued compliance with increasingly stringent laws, regulations and policies in the U.S. and in the other countries in which we operate may result in materially increased costs, or we could be subject to substantial fines or possible revocation of our authority to conduct our operations. Air Operations The U.S. Department of Transportation (“DOT”), the Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, through the Transportation Security Administration (“TSA”), have primary regulatory authority over our air transportation services. The DOT’s authority primarily relates to economic aspects of air transportation, such as operating authority, insurance requirements, pricing, non-competitive practices, interlocking relations and cooperative agreements. The DOT also regulates international routes, fares, rates and practices and is authorized to investigate and take action against discriminatory treatment of U.S. air carriers abroad. International operating rights for U.S. airlines are usually subject to bilateral agreements between the U.S. and foreign governments or, in the absence of such agreements, by principles of reciprocity. We are also subject to current and potential aviation, health, customs and immigration regulations imposed by governments in other countries in which we operate, including registration and license requirements and security regulations. We have international route operating rights granted by the DOT and we may apply for additional authorities when those operating rights are available and are required for the efficient operation of our international network. The efficiency and flexibility of our international air transportation network is subject to DOT and foreign government regulations and operating restrictions. The FAA’s authority primarily relates to operational, technical and safety aspects of air transportation, including certification, aircraft operating procedures, transportation of hazardous materials, record keeping standards and maintenance activities and personnel. In addition, we are subject to non-U.S. government regulation of aviation rights involving non-U.S. jurisdictions and non-U.S. customs regulation. 6 UPS's aircraft maintenance programs and procedures, including aircraft inspection and repair at periodic intervals, are approved for all aircraft under FAA regulations. The future cost of repairs pursuant to these programs may fluctuate according to aircraft condition, age and the enactment of additional FAA regulatory requirements. The TSA regulates various security aspects of air cargo transportation. Our airport and off-airport locations, as well as our personnel, facilities and procedures involved in air cargo transportation must comply with TSA regulations. We participate in the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (“CRAF”) program. Our participation in this program allows the U.S. Department of Defense (“DOD”) to requisition specified UPS aircraft for military use during a national defense emergency. The DOD is required to compensate us for any use of aircraft under the CRAF program. In addition, participation in the CRAF program entitles us to bid for other U.S. Government opportunities including small package and air freight. Ground Operations Our ground transportation of packages in the U.S. is subject to regulation by the DOT and its agency, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (the “FMCSA”). Ground transportation also falls under state jurisdiction with respect to the regulation of operations, safety and insurance. Our ground transportation of hazardous materials in the U.S. is subject to regulation by the DOT's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. We also must comply with safety and fitness regulations promulgated by the FMCSA, including those relating to drug and alcohol testing and hours of service for drivers. Ground transportation of packages outside of the U.S. is subject to similar regulatory schemes in the countries in which we transport those packages. The Postal Reorganization Act of 1970 created the U.S. Postal Service as an independent establishment of the executive branch of the federal government, and created the Postal Rate Commission, an independent agency, to recommend postal rates. The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006 amended the 1970 Act to give the re-named Postal Regulatory Commission revised oversight authority over many aspects of the U.S. Postal Service, including postal rates, product offerings and service standards. We sometimes participate in proceedings before the Postal Regulatory Commission in an attempt to secure fair postal rates for competitive services. Our ground operations are also subject to compliance with various cargo-security and transportation regulations issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, including regulation by the TSA in the U.S., and similar regulations issued by foreign governments in other countries. Customs We are subject to the customs laws regarding the import and export of shipments in the countries in which we operate, including those related to the filing of documents on behalf of client importers and exporters. Our activities in the U.S., including customs brokerage and freight forwarding, are subject to regulation by the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, the TSA, the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission and the DOT. Our international operations are subject to similar regulatory structures in their respective jurisdictions. For additional information, see “Risk Factors – Business and Operating Risks – Increased security requirements impose substantial costs on us and we could be the target of an attack or have a security breach, which could materially adversely affect us”. Environmental We are subject to federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations across all of our operations. These laws and regulations cover a variety of processes, including, but not limited to: properly storing, handling and disposing of waste materials; appropriately managing waste water and storm water; monitoring and maintaining the integrity of underground storage tanks; complying with laws regarding clean air, including those governing emissions; protecting against and appropriately responding to spills and releases and communicating the presence of reportable quantities of hazardous materials to local responders. We maintain site- and activity-specific environmental compliance and pollution prevention programs to address our environmental responsibilities and remain compliant. In addition, we maintain numerous programs which seek to minimize waste and prevent pollution within our operations. Pursuant to the Federal Aviation Act, the FAA, with the assistance of the Environmental Protection Agency is authorized to establish standards governing aircraft noise. Our aircraft fleet complies with current noise standards of the federal aviation regulations. Our international operations are also subject to noise regulations in certain other countries in which we operate. For additional information, see “Risk Factors – Regulatory and Legal Risks – Increasingly stringent regulations related to climate change could materially increase our operating costs”. 7 Communications and Data Protection Because of our use of radio and other communication facilities in our operations, we are subject to the Federal Communications Act of 1934, as amended. In addition, the Federal Communications Commission regulates and licenses our activities pertaining to satellite communications. There has recently been increased regulatory and enforcement focus on data protection in the U.S. (at both the state and federal level) and in other countries. For additional information, see “Risk Factors – Business and Operating Risks – A significant data breach or information technology system disruption could materially adversely affect us”. Health and Safety We are subject to numerous federal, state and local laws and regulations governing employee health and safety, both in the U.S and in other countries. Compliance with changing laws and regulations from time to time, including those promulgated by the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration, could result in materially increased operating costs and capital expenditures, and negatively impact our ability to attract and retain employees. For additional information on governmental regulations and their potential impact on us generally, see “Risk Factors – Regulatory and Legal Risks”. Where You Can Find More Information We maintain websites for business and customer matters at www.ups.com , and for investor relations matters at www.investors.ups.com . Our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and any amendments to those reports filed with or furnished to the SEC pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 are made available free of charge through our investor relations website under the heading "SEC Filings" as soon as reasonably practical after we electronically file or furnish the reports to the SEC. We have a written Code of Business Conduct that applies to all of our directors, officers and employees, including our principal executive and financial officers. It is available under the heading "ESG" on the Governance Documents page of our investor relations website. In the event that we make changes in, or provide waivers from, the provisions of the Code of Business Conduct that the SEC requires us to disclose, we intend to disclose these events within four business days following the date of the amendment or waiver under that heading on our investor relations website. Our Corporate Governance Guidelines and the Charters for our Audit, Compensation and Human Capital, Risk and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees are also available under the heading "ESG" on the Governance Documents page of our investor relations website. Our sustainability report, which describes our activities that support our commitment to acting responsibly and contributing to society, is available under the heading "Social Impact" at www.about.ups.com . We provide the addresses to our websites solely for information. We do not intend for any addresses to be active links or to otherwise incorporate the contents of any website into this or any other report we file with the SEC. 8