An individual responsible for the exchange of items between two or more parties. Couriers are usually employed by a company that charges a flat rate to the party using the courier service. Federal Express, UPS, DHL, and the United States Post Office all employ couriers to deliver mail and packages. Couriers are extremely important in busy cities because they are able to use other modes of transportation such as bicycles and motorcycles to maneuver around heavy traffic.
A courier is a person or a company who delivers messages, packages, and mail. Couriers are distinguished from ordinary mail services by features such as speed, security, tracking, signature, specialization and individualization of services, and committed delivery times, which are optional for most everyday mail services. As a premium service, couriers are usually more expensive than usual mail services, and their use is typically restricted to packages where one or more of these features are considered important enough to warrant the cost.
Different courier services operate on all scales, from within specific towns or cities, to regional, national and global services. The world's largest courier companies are DHL, FedEx, TNT N.V., UPS, and Aramex. These offer services worldwide, typically via a hub and spoke model.
In cities, there are often bicycle couriers or motorcycle couriers but for consignments requiring delivery over greater distance networks, this may often include lorries, railways and aircraft.
Many companies who operate under a Just-In-Time or "JIT" inventory method often utilise on-board couriers. On-board couriers are individuals who can travel at a moment's notice anywhere in the world, usually via commercial airlines. 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 realise should the product not arrive by a specified time (i.e. an assembly line stopping, untimely court filing, lost sales from product or components missing a delivery deadline, organ transplants).
Over time, demand for a new type of representative courier has emerged. With the increase in fuel prices and productivity goals monitored closely by companies, this new type of all-in-one courier has developed to "take care of business". Workers in companies have more work and less time to be out of the office. Operating largely using independent contractors that have gone through a screening process and background checks have found a niche in the courier industry. Research, intransit pet care, complex paperwork filing, and a host of other services are now offered in this new category of courier service.
International Courier Service:
this is a transport service of goods or documents from one country to another. The task of the courier service provider is to ensure that the correct means of transport (air, sea or land) is used for the most efficient delivery.
Same Day Express Courier Service:
this is a service provided to those who need a last minute or urgent delivery to be sent and received on the same day. This particular service is very popular in big cities, especially for the delivery of important documentation.
Overnight Courier Service:
this is great if you need goods to arrive at their destination the next morning or before a certain time in the day. The courier service will usually transport the goods during the night or the early hours of the morning.
Pallet Courier Service:
this is a service that safely and promptly delivers goods on pallets. This service helps clients to meet strict delivery deadlines at affordable rates.
Warehousing Service:
this is a service designed to give companies greater control over their business and goods. This type of service will involve managed storage solutions, pick, pack and dispatch service as well as storage reporting so that you can keep track of your business and its stock.
