Did you know?

What is a courier?

What is a courier?

Today millions of parcels are delivered every day all over the world. But how did it get to this point? Throughout history, courier services have evolved enormously.

Let's start with what a courier service actually is.  A courier is a company that offers special deliveries of parcels, documents, shipments, etc. Operating independently of nationalized services, they can offer both faster delivery times and a wider range of services, designed primarily around customer needs. There really isn't a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to delivering parcels, parcels and special shipments. Services vary depending on the speed of delivery required and the type of shipment.

You certainly did not know that:

  • The history of couriers begins a long time ago, specifically in ancient Egypt, when King Pharos used slaves to carry stones inscribed with messages, which he sent to people or authorities.
  • Couriers were widely used by royalty. History shows us that in the Middle Ages, or roughly between the 5th and 15th centuries, royal courts all over the world hired their own couriers. Their job was to ensure that political correspondence always reached its destination.
  • The London Underground,  Post Office Railway, was once a post office railway. In 1927 a new way of transporting parcels was introduced using the railway from the Post Office, which was called by those who used it "Railway Mail". The driverless underground system carried mail between sorting offices and was inspired by the Chicago Tunnel Company. Unfortunately, it closed in 2003 and now remains a museum.
  • The courier industry was transformed by The Pony Express. Pony Express, a courier service operating in the U.S. at the start of the Civil War and during the California Gold Rush, is credited with changing the speed and efficiency of mail delivery in America. Couriers were able to transport packages from the east coast to the west coast in just 10 days and rode horses rather than using stagecoaches.
  • The world's most popular courier service, DHL got its name from the logistics company's three German founders: Dalsey, Hillblom and Lynn, DHL being the initials of the three's surnames. Founded in 1969 in California, DHL has remained today one of the top courier companies, not just in the US, but around the world.

Just as in any other industry, there are many challenges in the courier industry. You might think that anyone can deliver a package – but not every company can do it well. Many parcels require safe delivery and in some cases mishandling can lead to serious risks. That is precisely why, in order to be competitive at the level of contemporary times, it is very important to embrace technology. Automated processes are by far the biggest competitive advantage a courier company can have. If you also want to automate your business but you don't know what that entails, call our specialists with confidence.