MEMPHIS, Tenn., July 19, 2010—FedEx Express, the world’s largest express transportation company and a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX), has won the Institute of Transport Management’s “Best Global Cargo Hub” award for its Memphis World Hub.
The Memphis hub, the centerpiece of the FedEx global distribution system, was given the award for standing as a shining example of delivery and distribution professionalism. The judging panel cited in particular its achievement of successfully uniting the disparate capabilities of the city of Memphis (road, rail, river and air) to create the linchpin of trade within the U.S.
“The FedEx World Hub in Memphis is the centerpiece of our global distribution and delivery operations,” said John Dunavant, vice president, Memphis World Hub. “It’s also one of the only places in the world where FedEx packages dropped off as late as midnight can still be delivered around the world as soon as the next business day. The Memphis World Hub offers direct connectivity between North America and Asia via the Boeing 777F, as well as access to the other economic centers through our FedEx “Aerotropolis” hubs in Paris and Guanghzou, and to points beyond. We are proud to win this award and it is a testament to the hard work of our employees at the hub and around the world, as well as to our commitment to our customers in offering an outstanding and reliable service.”
The Memphis World Hub connects customers to more than 220 countries and territories on six continents. Situated on approximately 727 acres, the facility operates with a workforce of more than 15,000 people. More than 5,000 flights pass through the hub each month.
The hub’s sorting system contains more than 300 miles of conveyor belts capable of processing approximately a half million packages per hour. The small-package sort system processes up to 325,000 per hour, while the box sorting “matrix” system processes 160,000 per hour. Overall, more than two million packages move through the Memphis hub each business day.
The Memphis World Hub is the oldest and largest facility in the FedEx Express network. It is strategically located near the heart of the continental U.S., providing overnight service to the entire nation and serving 95 percent of the global economy on a 24- to 48-hour basis.
Due largely to the presence of the FedEx hub, Memphis International Airport was again named the world’s largest cargo airport in 2009. It reported landing 3,697,806 metric tons of cargo, up 4% from the previous year.
A critical crossroads in the U.S. highway system, Memphis serves more markets overnight by truck than any other central U.S. city. More than 220 freight trains go through Memphis daily, and its six rail yards have a total container capacity of 780,000+ annual lifts. Memphis is the fourth-largest inland port in the country and the Mississippi River allows access to major deepwater seaports. Critically, Memphis has the fastest, most agile and arguably the most connected airport on the globe.
“Fast, secure, reliable and cost-effective cargo delivery is vital for our 17,500 members across the different sectors of the transport industry,” said Patrick Sheedy, media and public relations director, Institute of Transport Management. “They need to be able to rely on a global provider of such services who can deliver on time, anywhere and with an assurance of safe delivery – all at a price which adheres to budgetary constraints.
“I am pleased to be able to say that we have over a period of time received highly positive feedback from our members about FedEx Express,” Sheedy continued. “We take the opinions of our members very seriously indeed and factor them into the objective research conducted by the accreditation team. Following the discussion of the available evidence by the ITM Awards Committee, I can confirm that FedEx Express has been judged to outcompete its rivals on all the critical points listed above, plus, last but not least, the customer service aspect which we are particularly keen to promote.”