This story celebrates People Powering Peak – UPSers driving extraordinary achievements that make a successful Peak possible.
During our peak season, everyone at UPS pitches in. Partnership is at the heart of who we are – and one of the reasons why we’ve been an industry leader in on-time delivery during the holiday season for seven years straight.
Service is our business: One of our favorite traditions is when UPS people from across our business volunteer to help deliver the holidays.
Finance, engineering, human resources and more – UPSers from every function can step out of their day-to-day and join a Ready Team. That means they’re on standby to travel at a moment’s notice to any facility that needs extra hands. Why? Because as our founder Jim Casey said, "Our real, primary objective is to serve." In other words, we do it for our customers.
Bags packed and ready to go: Sometimes our well-managed package network faces unexpected issues like major weather events. Ready Team volunteers may head out across the country to lend a hand. These UPSers pitch in wherever they're needed – loading, sorting, delivering and more. They help power the reliability our customers expect from UPS.
Meet some Ready Team UPSers, past and present:
Special Projects Industrial Engineer Supervisor John Atkins knows package delivery very well. A big part of his 40-year career was serving customers in our small package operations. John is volunteering for the fifth year in a row.
“The reason we’ve been around for almost 120 years is because we protect the shield. Service is our business,” he said. “I see that in every UPS building I’ve been to across the country.”
Procurement and Accounts Payable Process Manager Levi Brockway has served twice because it helped him see how he can better support our core business.
"I joined UPS right after college, and volunteering on a Ready Team taught me about our business and showed me the strong sense of pride among our team,” he said. “UPS is a special place – there’s nothing we can’t do together."
Global Brand Manager Alejandra Elejalde first volunteered for a Ready Team in 2021, when she helped deliver to Boston-area neighborhoods. She’s volunteering again this year.
“The experience helped me understand the day-to-day work of our drivers and package operations,” Alejandra said. “I saw firsthand how much joy customers have when they see our UPS trucks pulling up.”
Human Resources Project Manager Khoi Nguyen volunteered for a Ready Team for seven years.
“It’s part of our culture at UPS to be all hands in when needed. We have a shared responsibility to each other, our customers and communities,” he said. “I believe leaders lead from the front and don't shy away from challenges.”
“118 years of UPS experience and service excellence, plus innovation sets us apart from the competition when network demand is at its highest,” said Executive Vice President and President U.S. Nando Cesarone. “Whether we’re sorting packages, boxing holiday gifts, loading our iconic package cars or delivering to your front door … our world-class team knows exactly how to execute.”