We’re here to tell you all about something you didn’t realise you needed to know: couriers. Now, if you’re a part of the logistics industry slinging courier loads to and fro, we’re sure you’re scoffing at us right now – after all, this is what you do for a living! Well, we’re a firm believer that it never hurts to have a refresher… plus, we’ve included some fascinating historic facts (the industry dates back as far as Ancient Rome!) that you might not have known about before.
The What and the How
A courier spends his or her days making special deliveries of packages and documents, otherwise known as courier loads. There are a variety of different businesses they can work for (some of the bigger names include FedEx, DPD and UPS), although some are self-employed. However, it’s important to note that these companies are not a part of the post office, meaning they have a more extensive range of services and their delivery times are often faster.
The vehicles used by these companies tend to be bikes, cars or vans. The driver will pick up their courier loads for that day, then bring them to a depot to be sorted (packages are often sorted by the area to which they are addressed). Once this has happened, the parcels are ready to go. They are loaded into a vehicle driven by a courier, who takes them to their recipients.
What’s in a Name?
Now you know the modern deal, it’s time for a bit of a history lesson. ‘Courier’ originates from the Latin word ‘currere’ (‘to run’). Although today it’s extremely uncommon to see deliveries made on foot, in Ancient Rome it was the norm. They used to form entire networks, where they would travel (often by running, although sometimes on horseback if the journey was long enough or their courier loads needed to be delivered quickly) to deliver a message or item.
Oftentimes relay systems were set up to improve speed: one runner would travel with his delivery until he met another at an agreed checkpoint. The latter would then continue on to the final destination while the former had the opportunity to rest.
A Logistics Legend
One of the oldest logistic legends is the story of Pheidippides. He was a Greek messenger who ran from Marathon to Athens (a total of 26 miles!) to deliver the news that the Spartans had defeated the Persians. He successfully arrived and relayed the message – right before he collapsed and died on the spot. Now that’s some kind of workplace loyalty!
As you can see, there’s a lot more to this job than may initially meet the eye… but hey, if you’re in the logistics industry delivering courier loads day in and day out, we’re sure you already knew that.
Norman Dulwich is a correspondent for Courier Exchange, the world's largest neutral trading hub for same day courier loads in the express freight exchange industry. Numerous transport exchange businesses are networked together on their website, trading jobs and capacity through what is now the fastest growing Freight Exchange in the UK.
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