A Brief History of the Courier Service Industry

 

Have you ever wondered about the history and evolution of courier services? The history of the courier service industry goes back a long way. You may find some of this information very interesting if you are a delivery driver Domestic Couriers in Karur.

When did the idea start?

This is a great question, but it's one that no one can answer definitively. We can still be fairly certain that people at the top of society would want to send goods (often gifts) even in prehistory. This would usually have been between rulers. It was probably part of the concept messengers, diplomats, diplomats, and ambassadors. It's difficult to separate these concepts if you look at the history of courier services. The 'Cursus publicus' was an extensive network of stations, couriers, and wagons that was established in the Imperial Roman period. It was designed to transport official communications and publications across the empire. However, this was only for official purposes.

Private Arrangements

Over thousands of years, private individuals have had to make ad-hoc arrangements to send goods or communications to others.

Some societies had courier-slaves that would take them from their point of origin to their destination. Sometimes, they would have carried smaller goods or other goods for their owners' friends and associates.

Commercial exchanges of goods involved hiring horses and carts to transport the goods to the nearest port. Then, they would find a ship headed in the right direction. An agent would arrange for the shipment to arrive at the destination port.

Recognizable services were available in some countries to deliver goods or communications. However, it is a matter of debate whether they could be called courier service. It was difficult to get letters or goods from 'A" to 'B' for a long time in Europe. Many letters surviving from that period were sad to see the loss of letters, packages, and other mails.

Solutions through the History of Courier Services

Different societies and countries have adopted different measures over the years to make it easier to move things around. However, the overall risk of transporting goods was still high until the middle of the 19th century. The Victorian Age saw improvements in roads and communications and an increased government commitment to preventing theft and robbery along the highways. This was the first step towards regulation.

This included the establishment of the Post Office, and the creation a government agency that would guarantee mail and parcel-sized goods reached their destination. As unbelievable as this may seem to modern readers, there were eight mail delivery routes each day in London during that time.

Although there was a certain degree of regularity once it was established, it also brought with it some inflexibility. Private companies stepped in to fill the gap by offering courier and shipping services point-to–point. This trend exploded in the 20th century.

The modern, global industry we have today is the result of a long history in courier services. It is hard to believe that it all started with runners carrying wax tablets messages from one city to another - but it is interesting stuff.