Courier facts for kids

A courier is a person or company that delivers messages, packages, or letters from one place to another. Couriers often work for a business and are paid for their services. Sometimes, couriers also work for the government, like a diplomatic courier who carries important government messages.

What Couriers Do

Couriers are different from regular mail services because they offer special features. These include faster delivery, better security, the ability to track your package, and often a signature when it arrives. They also deliver quickly. Because of these extra services, couriers are usually more expensive than sending something by regular mail. People use couriers when speed, security, or tracking is very important.

Courier services work in many ways. Some deliver only within a city, while others deliver across regions, countries, or even worldwide. Big courier companies like DHL, FedEx, UPS, and J&T Express deliver all over the world. They often use a "hub and spoke" system, where packages go to a central sorting place (the hub) before being sent out to their final destinations (the spokes).

Many modern courier services use special software. This allows them to provide electronic proof that a package was delivered and let you track your package online.

Couriers in History

Long ago, before cars and trains, messages were delivered by hand. People used runners, homing pigeons, and riders on horseback. Runners would physically run many miles to deliver messages. Some historians believe the ancient Persian prince Cyrus the Younger was one of the first to use couriers.

A famous story tells of the ancient Greek runner Pheidippides. He is said to have run 26 miles from Marathon to Athens. He brought news of the Greek victory over the Persians in 490 BCE. The long-distance race called a marathon is named after his legendary run.

Ancient Couriers

Around 200 to 400 BCE, King Hezekiah of Judah sent couriers with letters throughout the lands of Judah and Israel.

The ancient Greeks and Romans also had special couriers called anabasii. These couriers rode horses or chariots to deliver messages quickly over long distances. The word anabasii means "ascent" or "mounting" in Greek. They were like the Greek hemeredromi, who delivered messages on foot.

In the Middle Ages, kings and queens had their own messengers. These messengers were paid, but not much more than regular workers.

Different Kinds of Couriers

In cities, you often see bicycle couriers or motorcycle couriers. They are great for quick deliveries in busy traffic. For longer distances, couriers use trucks, railroads, and even aircraft.

Some companies use "on-board couriers" (OBCs). These are people who can travel anywhere in the world very quickly, usually on regular airplanes. This service is expensive, but companies use it when it's super important for something to arrive on time. For example, if a factory assembly line would stop without a certain part, or if a legal document needs to be filed by a deadline.

Couriers Around the World

The courier business is very busy in many countries. Here are some examples:

Australia

In Australia, the courier business is very competitive, especially in and around big cities. Because Australia is so large, courier companies often send packages by air or along major highways. Australia Post, which is owned by the government, is the only large company that delivers across the whole country. It competes with other services like Fastway and UPS.

China

In China, international courier services include TNT, DHL, FedEx, and UPS. They connect China to countries like the US, Australia, and the United Kingdom. There are also many Chinese domestic courier services, such as SF Express and ZTO Express. Some, like E-EMS, work with online payment platforms like Alipay for online shopping deliveries. In Beijing, some couriers use cargo bicycles for deliveries within the city.

India

India has many international courier services like DHL, FedEx, and DTDC. Many local couriers also operate across India. Most of these services allow you to track your package online. India Post, run by the Indian government, is the largest courier service. It has about 155,000 branches, with most of them in rural areas. All couriers in India use the PIN code (postal index number) to find delivery addresses.

United Kingdom

The idea of same-day couriers in the UK started with London taxi companies. Soon, dedicated motorcycle riders began delivering packages. Today, many large companies offer next-day delivery services. There are also many "specialist" couriers for things like large freight, sensitive documents, or liquids.

The "Man & Van" or freelance courier model is very popular in the UK. Thousands of independent couriers and small local companies offer next-day and same-day services. This is popular because it doesn't cost much to start (you just need a vehicle). In the past, documents were a big part of courier business. But now, with email and PDFs, less paper is sent. So, couriers now deliver more packages and goods.

Booking a courier has become much easier. You can now book online, make instant payments, track your package, and get delivery updates. Couriers can pick up and deliver packages almost anywhere in the world.

United States

The courier industry has always been important in the United States. Companies like Wells Fargo, founded in 1852, became very important for shipping gold, packages, and newspapers during the westward expansion and gold rush. The Pony Express was later created to deliver packages even faster than traditional stagecoaches. This showed how much people wanted quick deliveries across the country.

Today, the courier industry in the US is very large. Big companies like DHL, FedEx, and UPS handle most of the business. However, many smaller, local courier services also operate. The USPS is a government service that delivers mail and packages. They are the only ones who can legally deliver to mailboxes. Recently, online shopping giant Amazon has also grown into a major competitor in the delivery field.

See also

Images for kids

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  A hikyaku (courier or postman) in Japan, between 1863 and 1877.

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  A Ya-Yieh or Yamen Runner in Western China, 1915.

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  Food delivery driver with takeout boxes in a car.