On a smaller scale, switching from express to ground delivery of products, if you determine that shipping speed is not a crucial element to your customers, and then upcharging those consumers who still prefer express delivery, could produce substantial savings.

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Many in the shipping industry oppose the speed limit, saying it would be too costly.

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And although they cannot compete with aeroplanes for speed, or with water-borne shipping for volume, they could cover in a few days a distance equivalent to a six-week journey by ship.

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But tracking costs from one work center to another or entering shipping data for hundreds of packages before UPS arrives requires speed and reliability.

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GARCIA-NAVARRO: His economic proposals, and that is the issue that most Mexicans are interested in, revolve around the campaign of public spending, a new overland shipping route that will rival the Panama Canal, high-speed railways connecting cities and the planting of a million acres of furniture-grade forest will provide the jobs.

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Mr. Kesslen said companies prefer to go after each other at the International Trade Commission, which offers quicker rulings and can impose an injunction barring the product from shipping into the U.S. Poor showings at the ITC can speed settlement, such as last year's agreement between Qualcomm Inc. and Broadcom Corp.

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Packaging and shipping orders is a central expense for Amazon, which has been building warehouses to speed delivery times.

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