Large courier companies include DHL, PathaoDTDC, FedEx, EMS International, TNT, UPS, India Post, J&T Express and Aramex.
In ancient history, messages were hand-delivered using a variety of methods, including runners, homing pigeons and riders on horseback.
Hemerodromoi (day-runners), Hemeroscopoi (day-watchers) and Dromokerykes (runner heralds) were specialized couriers in ancient Greece renowned for their exceptional endurance.
These trained runners were employed to carry important news, often conveying information about significant events across the Greek world.
[2][3][4] Starting at the time of Augustus, the ancient Greeks and Romans made use of a class of horse and chariot-mounted couriers called anabasii to quickly bring messages and commands from long distances.
While this type of service is the second costliest—general aviation charters are far more expensive—companies analyze the cost of service to engage an on-board courier versus the "cost" the company will realize should the product not arrive by a specified time (an assembly line stopping, untimely court filing, lost sales from product or components missing a delivery deadline, loss of life from a delayed organ transplant).
The courier business in Australia is a very competitive industry and is mainly concentrated in the high population areas in and around the capital cities.
[citation needed]Australian Post operates quite differently to government departments, as it is government-owned enterprise focused on service delivery in a competitive market.
These companies provide nominal worldwide service for both inbound and outbound shipments, connecting China to countries such as the US, Australia, United Kingdom, and New Zealand.
Of the international courier services, the Dutch company TNT is considered to have the most capable local fluency and efficacy for third- and fourth- tiered cities.
E-EMS, is the special product of a co-operative arrangement between China Post and Alipay, which is the online payment unit of Alibaba Group.
Within the Municipality of Beijing, TongCheng KuaiDi (同城快递), also a unit of China Post, provides intra-city service using cargo bicycles.
Over the years, the courier industry in Bangladesh has grown significantly, adapting to changes in technology and expanding its services to include international shipments.
The courier industry has been quick to adapt to an ever-changing digital landscape, meeting the needs of mobile and desktop consumers as well as e-commerce and online retailers, offering end users access to instant online payments, parcel tracking, delivery notifications, and the convenience of door to door collection and delivery to almost any destination in the world.
The courier industry has long held an important place in United States commerce and has been involved in pivotal moments in the nation's history such as westward migration and the gold rush.
The company specialised in shipping gold, packages and newspapers throughout the West, making a Wells Fargo office in every camp and settlement a necessity for commerce and connections to home.
It illustrated the demand for timely deliveries across the nation, a concept that continued to evolve with the railroads, automobiles and interstate highways and which has emerged into today's courier industry.
On the other hand, regional and/or local courier and delivery services were highly diversified and tended to be smaller operations; the top 50 firms accounted for just a third of the sector's revenues.
[citation needed] In a 2019 quarterly earnings call, the CEO of FedEx named Amazon as a direct competitor,[12] cementing the e-commerce company's growth into the field of logistics.