Courier servicing has been around since the earliest signs of communication in humans, from carving out words in clay to using animals to send letters and packages. It is now one of the easiest and most common ways to give and receive goods without face-to-face contact. Whilst in the modern day couriering is certainly quick and easy, these superb services have not always been so effortless to use…

Earlier years

From around the 17^th century, people have been couriering goods on foot on bicycles or with the use of animal assistance. Delivery on foot is obviously still a common way of transportation of goods, however in early days couriers had little choice but to deliver on foot – no matter how far they were required to travel! For these reasons postal services were much more costly and a privilege reserved only for those who could afford it.

There wasn’t just a human element involved in the sending of goods in years gone by, however. Carrier pigeons are still a favoured decision amongst a select few for the transportation of goods in the modern day, most commonly letters, but in earlier years small and light packages would have also been delivered by these intelligent birds who have the ability to find their way back to a predetermined location. Horses were a stronger choice for packages and often carried heavier loads.

Around the 18^th and 19^th centuries steam powered boats and trains were introduced to the world of couriering and so it was much less complicated to send goods to distant relatives or friends. Now that these modes of transportation had been introduced, people were free to send a variety of packages as far as they wished. This was in lots of ways the beginning of the modern day courier services we know and recognise today.

Modern years

Around the 1940s, courier transportation was more available than ever and the industry powered forward in a more efficient, straightforward manner, meaning that people were able to send goods even more effortlessly and to even more places than before with the availability of aircraft. Heavy goods vehicles became available for the transport of a variety of items and set the pace for the advancing world of courier service vehicles. Now courier services are definitively the fastest and most efficient they have ever been and have certainly become more advanced. Practices are evolving every day with proof in the form of online shipping. Goods can now be transmitted directly to the destination with the use of online shipping – an option that is sure to display the vast advancement of courier services.

To see how a modern-day courier could work for you as an alternative to postal services, take a look at our Services page for more details.