A Brief History of Couriers: Past, Present, and Future

What do pigeons, horses, and runners all have in common?

They are important parts of the history of the courier business.

The word “courier” actually comes from the Latin word “Curere”, which means “to run”.

That’s because way back when, before our super fast Dallas delivery trucks came in existence, if you wanted a super fast delivery, you were hoofing it on foot. Everything from important messages to packages fit for a king, they were all delivered by the (un)lucky chosen runner.

In fact, we can trace the history of couriers back to Greek mythology.

The First Couriers

Hermes, the son of Zeus, had wings on his feet. He was sent by Zues to deliver dreams or protection to the mortals by traveling from the heavens to Earth.

The Greek legends don’t stop there.

In 490 BC, a Greek messenger is said to have run from Marathon to Athens to bring news to the Athenians of their victory against the Persians at the Battle of marathon. The messenger is said to have fought the battle and then run 26 miles to home, only to die of exhaustion upon arrival.

This legend is where we get the marathon event that we know today. 26.2 miles of fun… and then you die.

Thankfully, couriers of the past wised up a bit.

We figured out that running was unnecessary. We had animals who were much more fit (literally and metaphorically) to complete this task for us.

Animals as Couriers

Horses

Horses are known to have transported post from as far back as the 1200s. Couriers could take small bundles super fast on horseback, or they could use horses to pull carts carrying mail for long distance deliveries.

The “Pony Express” operated in 1860, carrying super fast mail service across America.

Some areas still use horseback to send and receive mail when regular transportation is not possible or practical.

Birds

While horses were used to carry large loads, birds were used to carry small messages very quickly. The Greeks and Persians were known to convey messages of their civil and military victories using this method of communication.

The French trained pigeons for military purposes in 1870, and they were widely used to carry messages to land from the sea.

Automobiles Used in Delivery

By the mid 1900s, automobiles began to gain popularity among the general public. With the ability to live outside the city came a need for the transportation of goods and services.

Refrigerated trucks

Refrigerated goods used to be limited by the courier’s ability to transport ice along with the goods. While attempts at early refrigerated transportation had begun much earlier, the use of mechanical refrigeration was not in place until the 1950s and 1960s.

Modern advances allow us to now carry fresh goods across the country and Dallas without the need of ice using refrigerated, or reefer, trucks.

The Future of Couriers

We’ve come a long way since the days of bloody toenails and carrier pigeons. Pretty much anything and everything can be transported across the city, state, or country by super fast Dallas couriers like our Eagle Express team.

So what now?

Drones seem to be the next viable option for the courier industry. They can reach new heights (pun intended), and go places couriers like Eagle have a tough time getting to.

However, as recent news has shown us, drones can sometimes be hazardous to both ground and air safety. In fact, the FAA has recently proposed sanctions that would make it illegal for drones to fly anytime the sun is not up, and prevent them from carrying cargo.

That would make it tough to replace a courier!

For now, Dallas couriers will focus on the future of faster deliveries, safer transportation, and technology that gives you peace of mind about where your product is at all times.