A courier is a person or company employed to deliver messages, packages and mail. Couriers are distinguished from ordinary mail services by features such as speed, security, tracking, signature, specialization and individualization of services, and committed delivery times, which are optional for most everyday mail services. As a premium service, couriers are usually more expensive than usual mail services, and their use is typically restricted to packages where one or more of these features are considered important enough to warrant the cost.
Different courier services operate on all scales, from within specific towns or cities, to regional, national and global services. Some of the world's largest courier companies are the UPS company, followed by FedEx and DHL, the first two being based in the U.S.A and the DHL are now owned by Deutsche Post, a German company, and offer services worldwide.
UK Courier ServicesThe Courier Industry in the UK is mainly made up by the ‘Major Integrators’ that dominate the overnight work. Same-day delivery work is also often covered by smaller companies or freelance delivery drivers that work individually.
Small courier companies and freelance couriers occasionally cover the ‘overflow’ of work from the Major companies however the Proof of delivery requirements often make them unable to cover work. There is potential for this situation to change with the development of innovative new web apps that will allow small courier companies to meet the POD requirements with little outlay. The impact of these changes is unknown as of yet, however it has the potential to reverse the declining trend of recent years for small companies as more work will become available to them.
Courier Services in The USAThe courier industry has long held an important place in U.S commerce and been involved in historical moments in the nation's past such as westward migration and the gold rush.
Wells Fargo specialized in shipping gold, packages and newspapers throughout the West, making a Wells Fargo office in every camp and settlement a necessity for commerce and connections to home. Shortly afterward, Pony Express was established and launched to move packages more quickly and efficiently than the traditional method.
The success of efficient deliveries on the Pony Express route has been credited with keeping California in the Union during the Civil War. It also set in motion the demand for timely deliveries across the nation, a concept that continued to evolve including the use of trains, automobiles and interstate highways and which has emerged into today’s courier industry.