Back to GetFilings.com

Table of Contents

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

FOR ANNUAL AND TRANSITION REPORTS

Commission file number 001-15451

United Parcel Service, Inc.

(404) 828-6000

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

(Title of Class)

     Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes þ         No o

     Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.    o

     Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Exchange Act Rule 12b-2).    Yes þ        No o

     The aggregate market value of the class B common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of February 2, 2004 was approximately $36,117,791,009 (based on the closing price of such stock as of the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter). As of February 2, 2004, non-affiliates held 534,496,664 shares of class A common stock and 566,998,289 shares of class B common stock. The registrant’s class A common stock is not listed on a national securities exchange or traded in an organized over-the-counter market, but each share of the registrant’s class A common stock is convertible into one share of the registrant’s class B common stock.

     As of February 2, 2004, there were 561,427,654 outstanding shares of class A common stock and 567,633,930 outstanding shares of class B common stock.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

     Portions of the registrant’s definitive proxy statement for its annual meeting of shareowners scheduled for May 6, 2004 are incorporated by reference into Part III of this report.

Table of Contents

PART I

Item 1.     Business

     Overview

      We are the world’s largest package delivery company and a leading global provider of specialized transportation and logistics services. We were founded in 1907 as a private messenger and delivery service in the Seattle, Washington area. Over the past 97 years, we have expanded from a small regional parcel delivery service into a global company. We deliver packages each business day for 1.8 million shipping customers to 6.1 million consignees. In 2003, we delivered an average of more than 13 million pieces per day worldwide. Total revenue in 2003 was over $33 billion. We focus on the movement of goods, information and funds, and we seek to synchronize the world of commerce.

      Our primary business is the time-definite delivery of packages and documents throughout the United States and in over 200 other countries and territories. We have established a global transportation infrastructure and developed a comprehensive portfolio of guaranteed delivery services, and we support these services with advanced technology. We provide integrated supply chain solutions for major companies worldwide. We are the industry leader in the delivery of goods purchased over the Internet.

     Competitive Strengths

      Our competitive strengths include:

      Global Reach and Scale. We believe that our integrated global ground and air network is the most extensive in the industry. We operate a ground fleet of more than 88,000 vehicles, ranging from custom-built delivery vehicles to large tractors and trailers, and almost 600 airplanes. In the U.S., we estimate that our integrated door-to-door delivery system carries goods having a value in excess of 6% of the U.S. gross domestic product, or 2% of the world’s GDP, and we reach all U.S. businesses and residential addresses. We are the ninth largest airline in North America and eleventh largest in the world. Our primary air hub is located in Louisville, Kentucky.

      We established our first European operation in Germany in 1975 and expanded it as the single market created by the European Union drove the need for pan-European delivery services. We believe we have the most comprehensive integrated delivery and information services portfolio of any carrier in Europe.

      Through more than two dozen alliances with Asian delivery companies that supplement company-owned operations, we currently serve more than 40 Asia Pacific countries and territories. With among the fastest growing economies in the world, China and India represent two of our most promising opportunities.

      We also are the largest air cargo carrier and a leading logistics provider in Latin America and the Caribbean. We have formed alliances with a number of service providers in countries throughout that region.

      Our Canadian operations include both intra-Canada and import/export capabilities, effectively linking two of the world’s most significant trading partners — U.S. and Canada. We offer delivery to all addresses throughout Canada, and we are the only carrier to offer guaranteed 8:00 a.m. delivery next day to all major Canadian cities.

      Technology Systems. We continue to be a global leader in merging technology with business processes to improve operations and provide new or enhanced services to customers worldwide. We have developed a strong global capability as a mover of electronic information. We daily transmit approximately 3 million packets of tracking data via wireless networks, and we currently collect electronic data on 93% of the packages that move through our U.S. system each day — more than any of our competitors.

      In 2003 we announced plans for significant improvements to our package sorting and delivery systems. We expect to invest $600 million over the next several years to simplify and optimize our package sorting and delivery systems, which we believe will result in significant gains in efficiency, reliability and flexibility. Once the systems are fully deployed in over 1,000 of our package sorting facilities, which we estimate to be

1

Table of Contents

      Technology powers virtually every service we offer and every operation we perform. Our technology initiatives continue to be driven by the needs of customers. We provide the infrastructure for an Internet presence that extends to more than 60,000 customer web sites that integrate UPS® tools. We offer a variety of on-line service options that enable our customers to integrate UPS functionality into their own businesses not only to conveniently send, manage and track their shipments, but to provide their own customers with better information services.

      E-Commerce Capabilities. We are a leading participant in and facilitator of global e-commerce, which we define as the use of networked computer technology to facilitate the three flows of commerce: funds, goods and information. According to Forrester Research, by 2008, online retail sales should reach $230 billion. Forrester Research also reports that online retail sales will grow to $123 billion in 2004. We enable our customers around the world to thrive in this environment by providing a portfolio of technology solutions that streamline their shipment processing and integrate critical transportation information into their business processes.

      Broad, Flexible Range of Distribution Services. Our portfolio of services enables customers to choose the delivery option that is most appropriate for their requirements. All of our delivery service offerings are guaranteed.

      Our express air services are integrated with our vast ground delivery system. This integrated air and ground network enhances efficiency, improves productivity and provides us with the flexibility to transport packages using the most reliable and cost-effective transportation mode or combination of modes. Our sophisticated engineering systems allow us to optimize our network efficiency and asset utilization on a daily basis.

      Customer Relationships. We focus on building and maintaining long-term customer relationships. We deliver an average of more than 13 million packages each business day for 1.8 million shipping customers to 6.1 million consignees. In addition to daily pick-up, thousands of customers access us daily through UPS On-Call Pickup^SM for air delivery services, about 45,000 drop-boxes, over 8,000 independently owned authorized shipping outlets, and more than 3,000 independently owned and operated The UPS Store^TM locations

      We place significant value on the quality of our customer relationships, and we conduct comprehensive research to monitor customer perceptions. Since 1993, we have conducted telephone interviews with shipping decision-makers virtually every business day to determine their satisfaction with small package carriers and perception of performance on 17 key categories of service factors. Results from this survey for the second half of 2003 were the highest we have ever achieved.

      Brand Equity. We have built the leading and most trusted brand in our industry. Our reputation for quality service, reliability and product innovation is unmatched. The distinctive appearance of our vehicles and the friendliness and helpfulness of our drivers are major contributors to our brand equity.

      In 2003 we introduced our first new logo in 42 years. The change was more than cosmetic; it signals our commitment to provide more comprehensive solutions to meet our customers’ needs and to be the leader of the broader business arena of synchronized commerce.

      Distinctive People and Culture. We believe that the dedication of our employees results in large part from our distinctive “employee-owner” concept. Our employee stock ownership tradition dates from 1927, when our founders, who believed that employee stock ownership was a vital foundation for successful business, first offered stock to employees. To facilitate employee stock ownership, we maintain several stock-based compensation programs.

      Our long-standing policy of “promotion from within” complements our tradition of employee ownership, and this policy makes it generally unnecessary for us to hire managers and executive officers from outside UPS. The vast majority of our management team began their careers as full-time or part-time hourly UPS

2

Table of Contents

      Financial Strength. Our balance sheet reflects financial strength that few companies can match. As of December 31, 2003, we had a balance of cash, cash equivalents, marketable securities and short-term investments of approximately $4.0 billion and shareowners’ equity of $14.9 billion. Long-term debt was $3.1 billion. We carry long-term debt ratings of AAA/Aaa from Standard and Poor’s and Moody’s, respectively. Our financial strength gives us the resources to achieve global scale and to make investments in technology, transportation equipment and buildings in our existing businesses as well as to pursue strategic opportunities which will facilitate our growth.

     Growth Strategy

      Our growth strategy takes advantage of our competitive strengths while maintaining our focus on meeting or exceeding our customers’ requirements. The principal components of our growth strategy are:

      Build on Our Leadership Position in Our U.S. Business.     Our U.S. package operation is the foundation of our business. We believe that our tradition of reliable package delivery service, our experienced and dedicated employees and our unmatched integrated air and ground network provide us with the advantages of reputation, service quality and economies of scale that differentiate us from our competitors. Our strategy is to increase core domestic revenues through cross-selling our existing and new services to our large and diverse customer base, to limit the rate of expense growth and to employ technology-driven efficiencies to increase operating profit.

      Our vision is to continue growing UPS’s package business by leading the transformation of supply chain management into the broader business arena of synchronized commerce, where the flow of goods, information and funds are seamlessly connected to help our customers grow their businesses.

      Continue International Expansion. We have built a strong international presence through significant investments over a number of decades. The international package delivery market has grown, and continues to grow, at a faster rate than the U.S. market. We plan to utilize our worldwide infrastructure and broad product portfolio to continue to grow high-margin premium services and to implement cost, process and technology improvements in our international operations.

      Europe is our largest region outside the United States, followed by Asia. Both of these regions offer significant opportunities for growth. The expansion of the European Union to include several Eastern European and Baltic countries will create even greater economic cohesion. Growth in Asia will be driven by improving demographic and economic trends throughout the region, with specific emphasis on China and India.

      Provide Comprehensive Supply Chain Solutions. Many businesses outsource the management of all or part of their supply chains to streamline and gain efficiencies, to strengthen their balance sheets, to support new business models and to improve service. Companies’ global supply chains are growing increasingly complicated. They are vulnerable to significant disruptions and increased regulations. This is creating further demand for a global service offering that incorporates transportation, distribution and international trade services with financial and information services. We believe that we are well positioned to capitalize on this growth for the following reasons:

	•	We manage supply chains for major companies in 120 countries, with about 25 million square feet of distribution space and over 750 facilities worldwide.
	•	We focus on technology, supply chain redesign, and management-based solutions for our customers rather than solely on more traditional asset-based logistics such as warehouses and vehicle fleets. We have built valuable intellectual capital in specific high growth industries such as healthcare and high-tech.

3

Table of Contents

	•	We provide a broad range of transportation solutions to customers worldwide, including air, ocean and ground freight, as well as customs brokerage and trade and materials management. We provide standardized service and specialized distribution facilities and services adapted to the unique supply chains of specific industries such as healthcare, high-tech, consumer retail and automotive.
	•	We offer a portfolio of financial services that provide customers with short- and long-term financing, secured lending, working capital, government guaranteed lending, lines of credit, global trade financing, credit cards and equipment leasing.

      Leverage Our Leading-Edge Technology and E-Commerce Advantage.     We believe that e-commerce will drive smaller and more frequent shipments and provide a strong complement to our core delivery service offerings.

      Our goals are to provide our customers with easy-to-use, flexible technology offerings that streamline their shipment processing and integrate critical transportation information into their business processes, helping them create supply chain efficiencies, improve their cash flows and serve their customers. Our leading-edge technology has enabled our e-commerce partners to integrate our shipping functionality and information solutions into their e-commerce product suites. Our partners’ products are being installed throughout the Internet, and we expect these integrated systems to provide us with a competitive advantage as they allow our customers to provide better decision-making information and improve customer service.

      Pursue Strategic Acquisitions and Global Alliances. Strategic acquisitions and global alliances play a significant role in spurring growth. We look for opportunities that:

	•	complement our domestic package business;
	•	build our global brand;
	•	enhance our technological capabilities or service offerings;
	•	lower our costs; or
	•	expand our geographic presence and managerial expertise.

     Domestic Package Products and Services

      For most of our history, we have been engaged primarily in the delivery of packages traveling by ground transportation. We expanded this service gradually, and today our standard ground service is available to every address in the 48 contiguous United States. We handle packages that weigh up to 150 pounds and are up to 165 inches in combined length and girth.

      In addition to our standard ground delivery product, UPS Hundredweight Service® offers discounted rates to customers sending multiple package shipments having a combined weight of 200 pounds or more, or air shipments totaling 100 pounds or more, addressed to one recipient at one address and shipped on the same day. Customers may realize significant savings on these shipments compared to less-than-truckload or air freight forwarder published rates.

      We provide domestic air delivery throughout the United States. UPS Next Day Air® offers guaranteed next business day delivery by 10:30 a.m. to more than 74% of the United States population and delivery by noon to areas covering an additional 15% of the population. We offer Saturday delivery for UPS Next Day Air shipments for an additional fee.

      We offer additional services, such as Consignee Billing, Quantum View Manage, Delivery Confirmation and UPS Returns^SM, to customers that require customized package distribution solutions.

     International Package Products and Services

      We deliver international shipments to more than 200 countries and territories worldwide, and we provide guaranteed overnight delivery to the world’s major business centers. We offer a complete portfolio of import, export and domestic services. This portfolio includes guaranteed 8:00 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and

4

Table of Contents

      We also have a portfolio of UPS domestic services in 20 major countries throughout the world, which provide our customers time-definite delivery options for packages moving between points within those countries.

      Europe is our largest region outside the United States. Transborder services, or the movement of packages within the European Union, are proving to be the growth engine in this region. To accommodate growth opportunities across the whole of Europe, we have expanded and further automated our major air hub in Cologne, Germany.

      We continue to invest in infrastructure and technology in Asia. In April 2002, we opened a new intra-Asia hub at Clark Air Force Base in Pampanga, Philippines to enable future growth in the region. This hub allows us to compete more effectively in the Asian express market and improve our Europe/Asia service. We previously acquired landing slots on the new runway at Tokyo’s Narita Airport, which have resulted in enhanced access and connections to the intra-Asia hub. We received from the U.S. Department of Transportation the authority to expand service to and through Hong Kong, including permanent authority to fly from Hong Kong to other cities, specifically to our Cologne hub in Europe. This routing was implemented in October 2003. In addition, Thailand was directly linked to the intra-Asia network with new flights beginning in October 2003. We continue our development efforts in the fast-growing China market.

      We believe that there is long-term potential for us to expand our service offerings in Latin America. To this end, we have realigned our delivery capabilities between key cities in the Mercosur and other trade blocs and continue to benefit from our Americas International Gateway in Miami, Florida. This gateway complements our operations in Florida and Latin America and represents our commitment to the Americas market.

      Mexico and Canada are also important to our international activity. We created UPS Trade Direct^SM Cross Border service to manage movements to the U.S. from these countries. This service combines UPS’s small package, freight and brokerage capabilities to create an integrated, streamlined and economical door-to-door solution for customers with complex cross-border distribution needs.

      We also have introduced UPS Trade Direct Ocean™, a service that transforms ocean container movements into pre-labeled small packages or less-than-truckload shipments. When the goods arrive in the U.S., packages are deconsolidated and entered into the UPS system, eliminating the receiving, sorting and handling necessary in distribution centers. This service significantly cuts the supply chain cycle from point of origin to consignee. It also provides our customers with faster time to market, reduced costs, increased visibility and better management of their global supply chain.

      The Trade Direct portfolio of services reflects both our small package and supply chain solutions capabilities, uniquely combined to provide new value to our customers.

     Non-Package Products and Services

     Supply Chain Services

      UPS Supply Chain Solutions™ meets customers’ supply chain needs by selecting the most appropriate solution from a portfolio of over 60 services. Among these are:

	•	Logistics and Distribution: supply chain management, distribution center design, planning and management, order fulfillment, inventory management, receiving and shipping, service parts logistics, reverse logistics and cross docking.
	•	International Trade Management: freight forwarding, full-service customs brokerage and international trade consulting.

5

Table of Contents

	•	Transportation and Freight: air, ocean, rail and ground freight utilizing UPS and other carriers, and multimodal transportation network management.

      Other supply chain services are available through UPS Capital^SM and UPS Consulting^SM:

	•	Financial: asset-based lending, global trade finance and export-import lending.
	•	Consulting: strategic supply chain design and re-engineering advice.

     Electronic Services

      We provide a variety of UPS on-line solutions that support automated shipping and tracking.

	•	UPS OnLine® WorldShip® helps shippers streamline their shipping activities by processing shipments, printing address labels, tracking packages and providing management reports, all from a desktop computer.
	•	UPS CampusShip® is a web-based, UPS-hosted distributed shipping solution that allows employees of companies with multiple facilities and decentralized workforces to easily process and ship packages with UPS from their computer desktops. At the same time, the system gives transportation and mailroom decision-makers centralized control over shipping procedures and costs.
	•	UPS Internet Shipping is a quick and convenient way to ship packages using the web without installing additional software.
	•	UPS OnLine® Host Access provides electronic connectivity between UPS and the shipper’s host computer system, linking UPS shipping information directly to all parts of the customer’s organization.
	•	UPS Ready® encompasses electronic solutions provided by third-party vendors that benefit customers who want to automate their shipping and tracking processes.

      Our website strategy is to provide our customers with the convenience of all the functions that they otherwise would perform over the phone or at one of our shipping outlets. Package tracking, pick-up requests, rate quotes, account opening, wireless registration, drop-off locator, transit times and supply ordering services all are available at the customer’s desktop. The site also displays full domestic and international service information.

      UPS.com® receives more than 115 million hits and processes over 9.1 million package tracking transactions daily. A growing number of those tracking requests now come from customers in the 35 countries that have wireless access to UPS tracking information. Businesses in 46 countries also can download UPS OnLine Tools™ to their own websites for direct use by their customers. This allows users to access the information they need without leaving our customers’ websites.

     Sales and Marketing

      The UPS worldwide sales organization includes both our traditional U.S. domestic and international small package delivery business and our Supply Chain Solutions group. Globally, we have 5,700 direct sales resources.

      This field sales organization consists primarily of locally based account executives assigned to our individual operating units. For our largest multi-shipping site customers, we manage sales through an organization of regionally based account managers, reporting directly to our corporate office.

      Our sales force also includes specialized groups that work together with our general sales organization to support the sale of e-commerce and customer technology solutions, international package delivery, LTL and freight transportation, and warehousing and distribution services.

      Our worldwide marketing organization also supports both our traditional U.S. domestic and international small package delivery business and our Supply Chain Solutions group. Our corporate marketing function is engaged in market and customer research, brand management, rate-making and revenue management policy,

6

Table of Contents

      In addition to our corporate marketing group, field-based marketing personnel are assigned to our individual operating units, and are primarily engaged in business planning, bid preparation and revenue management activities. These local marketing teams support the execution corporate initiatives while also managing limited promotional and public relations activities pertinent to their local markets.

     Employees

      As of December 31, 2003, we had approximately 355,000 employees.

      We have received numerous awards and wide recognition as an employer-of-choice, including the following:

	•	In 2003, we were named one of FORTUNE magazine’s “Diversity Elite — 50 Best Companies for Minorities” for the fifth consecutive year.
	•	We were named the NAACP Corporate Citizen of the Year for 2002.
	•	We received the National Urban League’s Corporate Leadership Award in 2003 for our longstanding support of the National Urban League.
	•	We received the Ron Brown Award for Corporate Leadership in 2001.
	•	Hispanic Magazine recognized us in 2003 as a leader in its annual “Corporate 100,” a list of companies providing the most opportunities for Hispanics.
	•	In 2003, Div2000.com ranked UPS 13th in its annual “America’s Top Organizations for Multicultural Business Opportunities.”
	•	In 2002, for the third consecutive year, we were named a top corporation for women’s business enterprises by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).

      As of December 31, 2003, we had approximately 228,000 employees (64% of our total employees) employed under a national master agreement and various supplemental agreements with local unions affiliated with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (“Teamsters”). These agreements run through July 31, 2008. The majority of our pilots are employed under a collective bargaining agreement with the Independent Pilots Association, which became amendable January 1, 2004. Negotiations are ongoing with the assistance of the National Mediation Board. Our airline mechanics are covered by a collective bargaining agreement with Teamsters Local 2727, which becomes amendable on November 1, 2006. In addition, the majority of our ground mechanics who are not employed under agreements with the Teamsters are employed under collective bargaining agreements with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. These agreements run through July 31, 2009.

      We believe that our relations with our employees are good.

     Competition

      We are the largest package delivery company in the world, in terms of both revenue and volume. We offer a broad array of services in the package delivery industry and, therefore, compete with many different companies and services on a local, regional, national and international basis. Our competitors include the postal services of the United States and other nations, various motor carriers, express companies, freight forwarders, air couriers and others. Our major competitors include the United States Postal Service, FedEx, DHL Worldwide Express, Deutsche Post and TNT Post Group.

      We believe competition increasingly is based on a carrier’s ability to integrate its distribution and information systems with its customers’ systems to provide unique transportation solutions at competitive prices. We rely on our vast infrastructure and service portfolio to attract and maintain customers. As we

7

Table of Contents

     Government Regulation

      Both the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration regulate air transportation services.

      The DOT’s authority primarily relates to economic aspects of air transportation, such as discriminatory pricing, non-competitive practices, interlocking relations and cooperative agreements. The DOT also regulates, subject to the authority of the President of the United States, international routes, fares, rates and practices, and is authorized to investigate and take action against discriminatory treatment of U.S. air carriers abroad. We are subject to U.S. customs laws and related DOT regulations regarding the import and export of shipments to and from the U.S. In addition, our customs brokerage entities are subject to those same laws and regulations as they relate to the filing of documents on behalf of client importers and exporters.

      The FAA’s authority primarily relates to safety aspects of air transportation, including aircraft standards and maintenance, personnel and ground facilities. In 1988, the FAA granted us an operating certificate, which remains in effect so long as we meet the operational requirements of federal aviation regulations.

      The FAA has issued rules mandating repairs on all Boeing Company and McDonnell-Douglas Corporation aircraft that have completed a specified number of flights, and also has issued rules requiring a corrosion control program for Boeing Company aircraft. Our total expenditures under these programs for 2003 were about $8 million. The future cost of repairs pursuant to these programs may fluctuate. All mandated repairs have been completed, or are scheduled to be completed, within the timeframes specified by the FAA.

      Our ground transportation of packages in the U.S. is subject to the DOT’s jurisdiction with respect to the regulation of routes and to both the DOT’s and the states’ jurisdiction with respect to the regulation of safety, insurance and hazardous materials.

      We are subject to similar regulation in many non-U.S. jurisdictions. In addition, we are subject to non-U.S. government regulation of aviation rights to and beyond non-U.S. jurisdictions, and non-U.S. customs regulation.

      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 vested the power to recommend domestic postal rates in a regulatory body, the Postal Rate Commission. We participate in the proceedings before the Postal Rate Commission in an attempt to secure fair postal rates for competitive services.

      We are subject to numerous other laws and regulations in connection with our non-package businesses, including customs regulations, Food and Drug Administration regulation of our transportation of pharmaceuticals and state and federal lending regulations.

     Where You Can Find More Information

      We make our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and all amendments to these reports available free of charge through the investor relations page of our website, located at www.ups.com, as soon as reasonably practicable after they are filed with or furnished to the SEC.

      We have adopted a written Code of Business Conduct that applies to all of our directors, officers and employees, including our principal executive officer and senior financial officers. It is available in the governance section of the investor relations page of our website, located at www.ups.com. 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 in the governance section of our investor relations website.

8

Table of Contents

      Our Corporate Governance Guidelines and the charters for our Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee are also available free of charge in the governance section of the investor relations page of our website.

      See Footnote 12 to our consolidated financial statements for financial information regarding our industry segments and geographic areas in which we operate.

9

Table of Contents

     Operating Facilities

      We own our headquarters, which are located in Atlanta, Georgia and consist of about 735,000 square feet of office space on an office campus, and our UPS Supply Chain Solutions group’s headquarters, which are located in Alpharetta, Georgia and consist of about 310,000 square feet of office space.

      We also own our 27 principal U.S. package operating facilities, which have floor spaces that range from about 310,000 to 693,000 square feet. In addition, we have a 1.9 million square foot operating facility near Chicago, Illinois, which is designed to streamline shipments between East Coast and West Coast destinations, and we own or lease over 1,000 additional smaller package operating facilities in the U.S. The smaller of these facilities have vehicles and drivers stationed for the pickup of packages and facilities for the sorting, transfer and delivery of packages. The larger of these facilities also service our vehicles and equipment and employ specialized mechanical installations for the sorting and handling of packages.

10

Table of Contents

      We own or lease almost 600 facilities that support our international package operations and over 750 facilities that support our non-package operations. Our non-package operations maintain facilities with about 25 million square feet of floor space.

      We believe that our facilities are adequate to support our current operations.

      Our aircraft are operated in a hub and spokes pattern in the U.S. Our principal air hub in the U.S. is located in Louisville, Kentucky, with regional air hubs in Columbia, South Carolina; Dallas, Texas; Hartford, Connecticut; Ontario, California; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Rockford, Illinois. These hubs house facilities for the sorting, transfer and delivery of packages. Our European air hub is located in Cologne, Germany, and our Asia-Pacific air hub is located in Taipei, Taiwan. Our intra-Asia air hub is located at Clark Air Force Base in Pampanga, Philippines, and our regional air hub in Canada is located in Hamilton, Ontario.

      Our computer operations are consolidated in a 435,000 square foot owned facility, the Ramapo Ridge facility, which is located on a 39-acre site in Mahwah, New Jersey. We also own a 175,000 square foot facility located on a 25-acre site in Alpharetta, Georgia, which serves as a backup to the main computer operations facility in New Jersey. This facility provides production functions and backup capacity in the event that a power outage or other disaster incapacitates the main data center. It also helps us to meet communication needs.

     Aircraft

      The following table shows information about our aircraft fleet as of December 31, 2003:

      We maintain an inventory of spare engines and parts for each aircraft.

      All of the aircraft we own meet Stage III federal noise regulations and can operate at airports that have aircraft noise restrictions. We became the first major airline to successfully operate a 100% Stage III fleet more than three years in advance of the date required by federal regulations.

      During 2003, we took delivery of eight Airbus A300-600 aircraft and six Boeing MD-11 aircraft. We have firm commitments to purchase three Boeing MD-11 aircraft in 2004 and 58 Airbus A300-600 aircraft between 2004 and 2009. We expect to take delivery of four Boeing MD-11 aircraft and eight Airbus A300-600 aircraft during 2004. We also have options to purchase 18 Boeing MD-11 aircraft between 2005 and 2010 and 42 Airbus A300-600 aircraft between 2004 and 2012.

      We operate a ground fleet of more than 88,000 package cars, vans, tractors and motorcycles.

11

Table of Contents

      Our ground support fleet consists of over 25,000 pieces of equipment designed specifically to support our aircraft fleet, ranging from non-powered container dollies and racks to powered aircraft main deck loaders and cargo tractors. We also have about 31,000 containers used to transport cargo in our aircraft.

     Safety

      We promote safety throughout our operations.

      Our Automotive Fleet Safety Program is built with the following components:

	•	Selection. Five out of every six drivers come from our part-time ranks. Therefore, many of our new drivers are familiar with our philosophies, policies, practices and training programs.
	•	Training. Training is the cornerstone of our Fleet Safety Program. Our approach starts with training the trainer. All trainers undergo a rigorous training workshop to ensure that they have the skills and motivation to effectively train novice drivers. A new driver’s employment includes five hours of classroom training and 15 hours of on-road training, followed by three safety training rides integrated into his or her training cycle.
	•	Responsibility. Our operations managers are responsible for their drivers’ safety records. We investigate every accident. If we determine that an accident could have been prevented, we re-train the driver.
	•	Preventive Maintenance. An integral part of our Fleet Safety Program is a comprehensive Preventive Maintenance Program. Our fleet is tracked by computer to ensure that each vehicle is serviced before a breakdown or accident is likely to occur.
	•	Honor Plan. A well-defined safe driver honor plan recognizes and rewards our drivers when they achieve success. We have over 3,000 drivers who have driven for 25 years or more without an avoidable accident.

      Our workplace safety program is built upon a comprehensive health and safety process. The foundation of this process is our employee-management health and safety committees. The workplace safety process focuses on employee conditioning and safety-related habits. Our employee co-chaired health and safety committees complete comprehensive facility audits and injury analyses, and recommend facility and work process changes.

      We are named as a defendant in twenty-three pending lawsuits that seek to hold us liable for the collection of premiums for excess value (“EV”) insurance in connection with package shipments since 1984. Based on state and federal tort, contract and statutory claims, these cases generally claim that we failed to remit collected EV premiums to an independent insurer; we failed to provide promised EV insurance; we acted as an insurer without complying with state insurance laws and regulations; and the price for EV insurance was excessive.

      These actions all were filed after the August 9, 1999 United States Tax Court decision, in which the Tax Court held that we were liable for tax on income of Overseas Partners Ltd., a Bermuda company that had reinsured EV insurance purchased by our customers beginning in 1984, and that we were liable for additional tax for the 1983 and 1984 tax years. On June 20, 2001, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit ruled in our favor and reversed the Tax Court decision. In January 2003, we and the IRS finalized settlement of all outstanding tax issues relating to EV package insurance.

      These twenty-three cases have been consolidated for pre-trial purposes in a multi-district litigation proceeding (“MDL Proceeding”) in federal court in New York. In addition to the cases in which UPS is named as a defendant, there also is an action, Smith v. Mail Boxes Etc., against Mail Boxes Etc. and its franchisees relating to UPS EV insurance and related services purchased through Mail Boxes Etc. centers. This case also has been consolidated into the MDL Proceeding.

12

Table of Contents

      While expressly denying any and all liability, the parties have obtained preliminary court approval of a global settlement resolving all claims and all cases in the MDL Proceeding. The proposed settlement requires several steps before it becomes final, including notice to the settlement class, and obtaining final court approval. If the proposed settlement becomes final, we would provide to qualifying settlement class members vouchers toward the purchase of specified UPS services and pay a portion of the plaintiffs’ attorneys’ fees, the total amount of which will be determined by the Court. The ultimate cost to us of the proposed settlement will depend on a number of factors. We do not believe that this proposed settlement will have a material effect on our financial condition, results of operations or liquidity.

      In addition, we are a defendant in various other lawsuits that arose in the normal course of business. We believe that the eventual resolution of these cases will not have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or liquidity.

      We participate in a number of trustee-managed multi-employer pension and health and welfare plans for employees covered under collective bargaining agreements. Several factors could result in higher future contributions to these plans, including unfavorable investment performance, changes in demographics, and increased benefits to participants. At this time, we are unable to determine the amount of additional future contributions, if any, or whether any material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows could result from our participation in these plans.

Item 4.     Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders

      None

PART II

Item 5.     Market for Registrant’s Common Equity and Related Stockholder Matters

      Our class A common stock is not listed on a national securities exchange or traded in an organized over-the-counter market.

      The following is a summary of our Class B common stock price activity and dividend information for 2003 and 2002. Our Class B common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “UPS.”

      As of February 28, 2004, there were 169,751 and 14,409 record holders of Class A and Class B stock, respectively.

      The policy of our board of directors is to declare dividends each year out of current earnings. The declaration of future dividends is subject to the discretion of the board of directors in light of all relevant facts, including earnings, general business conditions and working capital requirements.

      On February 12, 2004, our board declared a dividend of $0.28 per share, which is payable on March 9, 2004 to shareowners of record on February 23, 2004.

13

Table of Contents

Item 6.     Selected Financial Data

      The following table sets forth selected financial data for each of the five years in the period ended December 31, 2003 (amounts in millions, except per share amounts). This financial data should be read in conjunction with our Consolidated Financial Statements, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and other financial data appearing elsewhere in this report.

Selected Income Statement Data

14

Table of Contents

Selected Balance Sheet Data

(1)	Excludes (on an after-tax basis) the gain on sale of Mail Technologies ($14 million) and Aviation Technologies ($15 million), the gain on redemption of long-term debt ($18 million), the loss on impairment of investments ($37 million), a reduction of income tax expense due to a lower effective tax rate from improvements in state income taxes ($39 million), a reduction of income tax expense due to the resolution of various tax contingency matters ($55 million), and a reduction of income tax expense from a favorable ruling on the tax treatment for jet engine maintenance costs ($22 million).
(2)	Excludes (on an after-tax basis) $121 million gain related to change in vacation policy, $65 million restructuring charge and related expenses, $72 million charge related to the adoption of FAS 142, and $776 million gain related to the settlement of a previously established tax assessment liability.
(3)	Excludes $26 million after-tax charge related to the adoption of FAS 133.
(4)	Excludes (on an after-tax basis) $145 million in investment gains, a $29 million gain on the sale of our UPS Truck Leasing subsidiary, and a $35 million charge related to an arbitration ruling under our 1997 contract with the Teamsters.
(4)	Excludes a $1.442 billion tax assessment charge.

15

Table of Contents

Item 7.     Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Operations

      The following tables set forth information showing the change in revenue, average daily package volume and average revenue per piece, both in dollars or amounts and in percentage terms:

16

Table of Contents