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Couriers have only become a more indispensable service in the age of the internet and same-day shopping.

What is a courier service?

A courier service, also known colloquially as a postal courier, delivery courier, and messenger service, is a business involved in the activity of delivering a package from point A to point B. These companies are also known to some people as express courier services, or put simply, couriers. A courier’s task is not only to bring packages to their destination quickly but to ensure that packages arrive with the least amount of damage possible. If possible, couriers endeavor to have packages arrive in near-perfect condition to convince clients to use them repeatedly.

What are the different types of courier services?

Courier services vary depending on the number of their resources, area of operations, and specialty if any. International courier services are the undisputed king of logistics. These companies operate big ships, and in some cases where the courier also offers same-day courier service and aircraft. The big couriers are sometimes supported by independent couriers, usually contracted to deliver parcels for last-mile deliveries from the hub to a smaller hub or the final destination. Courier companies can offer specialized services, and in some cases, a courier service offers only one type of specialized delivery service. Examples of these are pet courier services, which have all the skills, equipment, and experience in handling animals to get them to their destinations safely. They also know how to manage stressed animals in transit. There are also medical courier services that exercise extreme care and caution in transporting medicines and medical tools that are very fragile and can easily spoil when exposed to the elements. These couriers charge a higher fee as they usually use specialized equipment such as refrigerator vans, portable chillers, and special monitoring instrumentation. Surprisingly, there still exists bike messenger services that normally operate within cities. Even in this age of cars, a bike is still one of the fastest and cheapest ways to get small parcels like documents to the other side of the city.