Courier services have been around since 490 B.C. There has been a lot of progress from the first people delivering messages on foot to billion-dollar corporations like Amazon, FedEx, and UPS being around every corner. There is a long history behind the profession that very few people know even know about. With that, here is a list of some of the things that you may not know about couriers.
1. The Origins
The first mail courier was seen in Persia around 40 B.C. However, there were no actual courier companies in the United States until 1852, when Wells Fargo became the first delivery service in the country. By today’s standards of the profession, it was not very reliable or timely.
2. Earliest Profession
Being a courier is considered one of the earliest professions out there. It became a vocation by the Middle Ages. Royal courts began to pay their couriers to use them to deliver their packages and letters.
3. The Danger of Pony Express
Working for The Pony Express soon proved itself to be a very deadly career path. An employment advertisement for a job opening would typically read: “Wanted: Young, skinny, wiry fellows not over eighteen. Must be expert riders, willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred.” This was because of weather conditions and threats of attacks that riders could be exposed to daily.
4. Marathons
The length of a marathon originated from a mail courier from Greece. A man named Pheidippides ran from Marathon, Greece, to Athens to deliver the news that Greece won the Greco-Persian War. The whole journey was 26 miles in length which is the current length of a marathon.
5. From Foot to Hooves
The Greeks and the Romans soon realized that there was only so much you could do on foot. Parcels were delivered by foot for years before they realized there were much faster ways of transporting their mail. The Greeks then decided to make deliveries easier by transporting their mail by horse and carriage.
Bonus Fun Fact: Fleet Couriers
Fleet Couriers offers couriers 24/7 services for same-day deliveries every day of the year, including holidays! Since 1996, our team has been one of the best in assisting you in medical and non-medical courier services in a safe and timely manor. For Northeast courier services, contact Fleet Courier at 1.800.734.9309 or visit us online.