Throughout your life, you’ve probably used courier services at some point or another. Living in the 21st century, it’s hard not to. Every time you make a purchase off Amazon, a courier delivers that package to your front step. However, how much do you really know about courier services? There’s a long, illustrious history to the profession that few people know about. Here are the top 7 things you never knew about couriers:
- Professional courier services originated in Persia. Prince Cyrus called on runners, horseback riders, and carrier pigeons as couriers in 400 BC to deliver his messages throughout the kingdom.
- The length of a marathon originates from a courier. In ancient Greece, Pheidippides ran 26 miles from Marathon, Greece to Athens. He delivered the news that the Greeks won the Greco-Persian War.
- Though it isn’t the world’s oldest profession, courier services are up there. While the Persians originated it, the Middle Ages saw a boom in deliveries as a profession.
- The Romans and Greeks realized that running could only get you so far. They’re the ones who made horseback couriers and chariots the norm for deliveries.
- Until the year 1852, there were no formal courier services in the United States. The first to establish in the industry in the US was Wells Fargo.
- The courier industry faced a revolution, both literally and figuratively. At the start of the Civil War, the Pony Express popped up as the premiere delivery service in the US. It delivered messages from different forts and across the country. They also played a part in the gold rush.
- The Pony Express was deadly. One ad described an ideal courier as expert riders who were young, wiry and skinny under the age of eighteen who was willing to risk death daily. They even declared that orphans were preferred.
No matter how much you think you know about courier services, there’s always a fun fact that will surprise you. For instance, UPS was invented by two teenagers in 1907, and Fleet Couriers offers same-day deliveries 24/7/365. For couriers in the Northeast, contact Fleet at 800-734-9309 or visit us online.