TRANSPORTATION

UPS to Include Distance in Pricing: United Parcel Service said it soon will begin charging air express delivery customers based on the distance a package will travel as well as its weight. The policy means that prices for UPS Next Day Air will drop by as much as 40% in short-distance zones and that prices for packages traveling longer distances will increase as much as 28%. Federal Express does not plan to follow suit, a spokesman said. UPS said it is making the change, effective Feb. 3, because it is moving to a network of regional hubs for air express, a system it uses for standard ground service. Previously, the Atlanta-based company priced express shipments by weight only, the industry standard.