Regional parcel carrier GLS has expanded beyond its nine-state western network to serve Texas, Chicago, Atlanta and Columbus, Ohio, with plans to expand its capabilities within those four areas.

According to CEO Steven Bergin, GLS partners with LTL carriers Averitt Express and Custom Companies to handle the first and middle miles itself and inject parcels into partner networks in the added states. Partners include Courier Express in Georgia, LSO in Texas, UDS in Illinois and Better Trucks in Ohio.

“The unique piece about all of us as regional parcel transportation providers is that we are technology forward and running off proprietary systems which are each now fully integrated with the GLS system,” said Bergin. “This allows for a seamless customer experience from pickup to delivery regardless if the last mile was delivered on a partner’s platform.”

Delivery times are three to five days depending on origin and destination.

According to Bergin, the offering will deliver more personal service, later pickup times, faster ground transit and advanced technology tie-ins. “Plus, working with local partners in these areas is allowing recipients to get the benefit of established networks that know their localized markets,” he said.

Bergin said the service will benefit all customers, but especially small to midsize businesses looking for delivery alternatives. He also said the service can chip away at the FedEx/UPS volume-based discounting models by offering steady rates to all areas it serves.

The Dutch carrier, with U.S. headquarters in Santa Fe Springs, California, recently announced the launch of its Zone 0 — defined by GLS as super short-haul, super-dense urban areas — and Zone 1 pricing tiers, in what it called a more targeted approach to parcel pricing than what it is offered by the large carriers.

According to GLS, its strategy allows businesses to only pay for what they need based on the distance a package travels, the density of the destination and the specific handling required.