5 Interesting Facts About Delivery Services
People have been transporting goods and delivering parcels across the world for thousands of years. But do you know the origin of deliveries, especially for important purposes or for business? Here are five interesting facts about delivery services over the millennia.
- First recorded delivery service
Did you know that one of the first known services involving the movement of goods originated in ancient Egypt around 2400 BC? Along with moving blocks to build the pyramids, runners were providing parcel services and transporting documents carved in stone. This is the earliest known documented delivery service. By 400 BC, courier services involving men, pigeons and horses were being used in ancient Persia.
- Forget van deliveries, try animals…
Along with humans, early delivery services involved various types of animals. Before the modern engine was invented, people relied on camels for long distance deliveries. In the 17th and 18th centuries, horses and dogs were regularly used to transport parcels and mail. In the USA, the Pony Express delivered parcels across North America, and horses are still used in this way in areas of China and Tibet.
- Deliveries of the winged kind
Although there are accounts of pigeons being used to carry messages as far back as 5,000 years ago, the first organised “pigeon mail” was during the Franco-Prussian War. Due to their sense of direction, homing pigeons were trained to deliver mail during times of conflict. Later nicknamed “war pigeons”, the birds were used in both World War I and World War II to deliver critical messages in times of radio silence.
- The word ‘Marathon’ originates from an ancient courier service
The length of a marathon is 26 miles long and this is due to the distance between a place called Marathon and Athens in Greece. During the Greco-Persian War, a courier named Pheidippides ran this distance to report on the Greeks victory over Persia. Ancient Greeks and Romans mainly used a horse and chariot for deliveries. - Courier services recognised in the Middle Ages
Whether it was messages or items, the Royal Court understood the importance of courier delivery services. Recognised as an official vocation in the Middle Ages, couriers were paid wages to delivery parcels to courtiers. Depending on the distance and if they needed to travel by sea, a courier delivery could take many months.
Nowadays, every company relying on business-critical goods or parts needs a fast and efficient delivery strategy, especially in the current economic climate. Did you know that we can ship last-minute items to your field technicians overnight, including to their vehicle boots? We can also save you money on expensive warehousing costs by optimising your stock control. Our fast turnaround for spare parts delivery will increase customer satisfaction.
GenRev offers a range of smart delivery services to help you improve your efficiencies by getting your spare parts to where they’re needed on time. We provide In Night distribution, In Boot, Just in Time and a parts storage, pick and pack service. Contact us to find out more.
