Using courier companies is an easy convenient process to expediently dispatch important packages and letters worldwide. Courier companies offer a variety of services from simple package hand off and swift delivery, to intricate systems that forward packages nationally and internationally. Courier companies use tracking systems to ensure correct delivery and provide proof of delivery. They also provide insurance either included in the delivery cost or an optional additional charge based on the specific item being sent.
Packages and letters can be dropped off at specific locations or a pickup can be arranged depending on the company. Paperwork is filled out with recipient information, contents and other information including the required customs forms for international locations. Payment for delivery can be immediate, or billed to an account depending on the agreement with the courier company.
A letter or package has a bar code attached to it and the information is scanned or manually entered into a system. This alpha-numeric information allows for the courier company to track delivery status and ensure packages are routed in the right direction or staged correctly for expedient delivery.
Packages are forwarded to a major distribution center where they are quickly sorted, scanned and staged for local delivery or hub destinations. They are then loaded on trucks, airplanes, and other delivery vehicles and sent onward. For some packages delivery is expedient, for others, due in part to local import restrictions or other legal paperwork, the process is longer and the package may be scanned and reloaded several times. International packages might require customs inspection before release to the final destinations. At the end, all packages, when delivered are scanned or noted as delivered.
