The Pony Express serves as one of the most iconic courier services in American history. In its day, it carried 35,000 letters and packages from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California by horseback through a series of 184 relay stations. The stations were anywhere between 5 and 25 miles apart, which, depending on the terrain, was how far a horse could gallop before tiring. All told, the route was 1,900 miles and took the Pony Express riders about 10 days to make the trip. This was a massive improvement over the 6 months previously. At its height, the Pony Express employed 120 riders, 400 horses, and several hundred general employees. It operated just 18 months from April 1860 to October 1861 when Wells Fargo purchased it for 1.5 million dollars. The relative cost, lack of lucrative government contracts, and complications due to the civil war, made the Pony Express unsustainable. On the other hand, Wells Fargo was already running a similar courier service to the north and already had the necessary government contracts. Eventually, the advent of the railroad and telegraph made horse based transportation irrelevant and the business model evolved. Even though the Pony Express was short lived, it had a dramatic impact on the country. It proved that transcontinental communication was possible. For the first time news and information crossed the country in a meaningful time. Stories about the opportunities and adventures of the Wild West flooded the east. It will always have an enduring place in American lore.
Fleet Couriers maintains the spirit of the Pony Express, but not the technology. Instead of relay stations and horses, we maintain the most sophisticated versions of technology that you could ask for in the digital age. There is total web integration from order, tracking, pick up, and delivery. We use live traffic mapping so that we can direct our couriers by the most efficient route possible. We are dedicated to speed and efficiency every much as our spiritual forbearers were. Whatever size job you have, you can be assured of a quick, precise, and economical turn around.
So see how we can address your package and delivery needs feel free to contact us at (800) 734-9309