Do you know the differences between a carrier, courier and post service? There are key differences between the three types of services that anyone looking for a delivery service should be made aware of. While some of these services only work locally, others can ship internationally. Let’s find out the differences and benefits of these three transportation services.
What are the Main Differences Between a Carrier, Courier, and Postal Service?
If you need to send a package there are three different options to choose from, mail/postal service, a courier service, and a carrier service. There are a few differences between them, but the main ones are that a postal service and carrier service tend to be slower than a courier service. Usually a courier service is used for door to door deliveries that need to be done quickly (typically from an hour to before the end of the day), and they can usually deliver anything from an envelope to pallets of goods on a rush basis. Meanwhile, a postal service delivers smaller packages and letters, and their delivery time frame is anywhere from a day to a week. A carrier service on the other hand deals with larger bulk goods on a much larger scale, think multiple containers on a cargo ship, and can ship internationally, but they do not do door to door deliveries.
While postal services and carriers tend to be less expensive than courier services, the obvious drawback is speed, door to door delivery capabilities, and the size of the items being delivered.
What is a Carrier?
A carrier is a logistic organization that delivers goods over long distances. They typically manage and transport bulk goods and large volumes internationally over cities, countries and continents. There are three different types of carriers in the shipping and logistics industry:
Common Carrier: Transports goods between companies or people and has a license from a regulatory authority, allowing them to work for multiple shippers in one day.
Contract Carrier: Provides transport services for only one shipper long term. This can include a single person with their own minivan or a large international company with trucks, boats, trains, and planes.
Private Carrier: Carriers that companies only use for their own products and are owned and operated by the companies themselves.
What Types of Transport Modes do Carriers Use?
Carriers are usually larger logistics entities and as such they can use different transport modes and methods. The primary three are road, air, and ocean transport, but occasionally depending on your requirements you may see rail transportation as well.
- Road – Usually consists of trucks, including box trucks and semi trucks. This is one of the most effective carrier transport modes as it is more flexible, but it can only cover short and medium distances.
- Air – The fastest transport mode for international carriers for urgent packages, but is usually more expensive than it’s other counterparts.
- Sea – Maritime or sea transport uses cargo ships to transport goods. This is the most cost effective mode of transport for carriers for moving a large volume of goods over long distances, and internationally. The downside is that it is limiting and
- Rail – Using railroad and rail cars to transport bulk cargo, is usually cost effective but is usually used only for longer distances in land.
Prominent Carrier Service Providers
While you may not know some of these names here are some notable examples of large logistics carrier services:
- Amazon – One of the largest and most prominent logistics carrier providers in the United States. They recently surpassed UPS and FedEx and handle 6.3 billion packages domestically in the United States and are on track to surpass USPS by 2028 (Pitney Bowes)
- DHL – Currently one of the largest international carrier service. Founded in the United States but headquartered in Germany, their fleet consists of planes, and automative vehicles, but they do not own their own ships and instead opt to partner with various ocean carriers to transport global shipments. They generated the a revenue of €84.2 billion in 2024 alone. (DHL)
- A.P Moler – Maersk AS – Headquartered in Denmark, they are one of the worlds most prominent and largest overseas freight and cargo transportation companies. They employee over 100,000 employees worldwide and have subsidiaries and offices across 130 countries.
- Kuehne + Nagel International AG – One of the largest sea freight and air forwarding freight logistics companies in the world. Originally founded in Germany but now based in Switzerland, it has approximately 1,300 offices in over 100 countries and employees over 79,000 people.
What they ship:
Carriers primarily only ship larger packages or quantities of packages as a whole. This means a typical delivery weight of over 100 pounds to one ton. Carriers can also ship some types of hazardous materials to special locations requiring specific clearances, such as USCIS or immigration.
How do they ship it?
Carriers typically deliver goods by using a variety of transportation methods, such as cargo ships for sea freight, semi trucks and box trucks for over the road, and planes for air shipping. Keep in mind that these carriers are usually shipping bulk goods and in large quantities, so they require the largest vehicle to accommodate their transportation needs.
Cost
The cost of shipping with a carrier is usually cheaper than their courier counter parts as they do not face the same time constraints. Typically they handle large scale, bulk shipments at a much slower pace which allows them to reduce per item shipping costs.
Speed/ efficiency
Having multiple stops for pick up and delivery hinders those who are on a time crunch for a package. Having to send a package through a warehouse, sorting, and going between multiple locations and trucks can also add to the time delay of a pickup and delivery of a package. Although this allows carriers to typically cut down on costs to clients, it does not prove to be a very fast option for anyone in a rush to get their package delivered.
Safety
Multiple packages being placed on a truck or cargo ship and transferred between multiple warehouses and or vehicle types can increase the risk of the package being lost or damaged during transport.
When To Use a Carrier Service
When you’re deciding if you need a carrier service instead of a courier service or postal service, then there are three simple questions that you should ask yourself.
- Do I need to transport bulk goods, including multiple containers?
- Does my shipment need to be transported internationally?
- Do I care if my goods or packages are not transported quickly?
If you answered yes to at least two of the above questions then most likely hiring a carrier to transport your goods is the best option. Only carriers transport bulk goods including multiple containers, they also normally ship internationally or across long distances, but the downside is that the speed of transporting your goods can take from several days to several weeks or more. Couriers on the other hand can usually do international transport, and can transport bulk goods (up to a truck full usually), and their speed is much quicker than the carrier option. A postal service can slowly ship internationally, but they have limits of up to 70lbs per package, and do not ship bulk goods.
Post and Mail Delivery Services
Usually government operated postal services, such as USPS, they are mandated to deliver to all addresses within the United States. Usually delivering small letters, documents and packages up to 70lbs.
What they ship:
Post delivery primarily only ships letters, documents, and small parcels. The weight is typically under 10 pounds or under specific size restrictions. There are also many restrictions on what can be shipped, such as amounts of fluid, type of substance, etc.
How do they ship it:
Typically, a post-delivery service will deliver in a small sedan, van, or postal truck. These vehicles are not typically equipped with GPS systems and rely on the driver’s personal device for route changes and confirmation of delivery.
Cost:
The shipping cost varies depending on when you are shipping an item, how large the item is, how much it weighs, and how fast you want it to arrive. The costs can vary as they can be cost effective in most situations when shipping speed is not important, but can get more expensive with their faster options.
Speed/ efficiency
If you are looking for speed, the fastest a postal service offers is overnight, which has proven to be a one to two day service over time. The post-delivery service also offers 2-3 day shipping, but can be delivered later than promised.
Safety
Packages transported by postal services are typically handled by regular people with no prior experience or training and do not go through training or certification courses. During transportation, packages are also typically set in the vehicle and not secured and are prone to sliding around and having other deliveries damage them or get lost being jumbled together.
When to Use a Postal Delivery Service?
Postal and mail services definitely have their place in the logistics industry. They are probably one of the most cost effective options if you are shipping an envelope or something small. They do have two obvious negatives and that would be that they are generally slow unless you opt out for the quicker shipping options; but then they are not cost effective. The other downside is that they do not transport large packages or items. You would use a postal service if you had smaller packages that were not time sensitive to deliver.
Courier Services
Courier Services are a company or individual that can deliver packages door to door in a fast manner. If the courier company is larger organization, they will have a fleet of vehicles to deliver everything from letters to pallets, typically in an hour to under a day.
What types of couriers are there?
The types of courier services you may find will also vary depending on the company you hire for your package pickup and delivery. The types of couriers can also vary depending on the company size and their specialty. Here are the main types of couriers:
- Rush and Hot Shot Courier
- Same Day Courier
- Nationwide Courier
- On Demand Courier
- Local Courier
- Legal Courier
- Overnight Courier
Rush and Hot Shot Courier
These are the types of couriers that offer rush services, when you need something delivered ASAP you contact a courier that has rush delivery options. Their usual options can vary from under an hour to by the end of the day. All of their courier delivery drivers are also hot shot couriers, meaning that their drivers pick up from one destination and deliver it directly to it’s delivery point with no stops in between. This usually allows for the safest transportation option for important packages because there is almost no chance of your package getting damaged during the transportation process. Due to the time constraints this can be one of the most expensive courier options out there, so you may need to ask yourself is a rush delivery service worth it?
Same Day Courier
Same day delivery companies focus on delivering your package the same day that they are picked up and the order is placed. This is one of the most cost effective courier services available because a courier can pick up your package and it does not have the same time constraints as a rush or hot shot courier service. Some same day delivery companies also offer next day delivery services, usually if the package is ready in the afternoon and the delivery location closes. These options are usually less expensive and require a smaller fleet.
Nationwide Courier
Some courier companies have a network of nationwide drivers and vehicles, which allows them to offer nationwide courier services. Usually these couriers are stationed around major cities, which allows them flexibility if you need something picked up in a smaller city, suburb, this courier service would dispatch their nearest driver to pick up the package. This typically also means that they have nationwide delivery capability, and can pass off your package from one driver to another for the quickest transport.
On Demand Courier
On demand couriers are similar to rush and hot shot couriers, in that they deliver direct and wait for the customer to contact them for a pick up and delivery. They usually do not offer other services aside from direct delivery.
Local Courier
Local couriers have a local area that they operate in and usually offer hot shot and on demand delivery as part of their services. Usually, these couriers only do smaller packages and do not have access to larger vehicle types such as box trucks to deliver larger packages.
Legal Courier
Legal couriers are couriers that specialize in court filings, summons, contracts, complaints, document retrieval, articles of incorporation, apostille services, courtesy copies and more. Usually, they will be hired by a law firm or business to handle the task of dealing with the court with physical documents. They are different from regular couriers in that they are trained specifically for maintaining chain of custody, being discreet and confidential, and having some knowledge of the court systems and how they work and their layout. They are a vital part of the legal system and keep detailed record keeping and provide stamped copies back to their legal clients as part of their service.
Overnight Courier
Overnight Couriers are couriers who pick up packages the same day that you order your delivery, but usually get the package delivered the following day. This does have benefits in that you are guaranteed that your package arrives the next day as long as it is picked up by a certain time (usually by 5-6pm). Packages are usually stored securely, which means that they are not susceptible to temperature changes or being stolen. This type of courier is usually more cost effective than same day or on demand couriers, but the downside is that your package does not arrive as quickly as those other options.
When to Use a Courier Service
Courier services offer the fastest option to deliver your package to it’s destination. If you are in a hurry to get your delivery, then hiring a courier service is going to be the only option for you. Furthermore, if your package is fragile then a courier service is also the best option to transport your package because they can deliver it directly and make sure that it is the only package that is being transported. Also if you have specific instructions, such as what time the package needs to be picked up and exactly what time the package needs to be delivered then the only logistics service that provides this is also a courier service. If you have a more complex delivery such as delivering to a courthouse or have a medical delivery that requires special attention you can also state that to the courier and they will make sure that it is done correctly and according to specifications.
The Bottom Line
So you may be asking yourself whats the difference between a courier service, carrier service, and postal service? Well, the main differences are what they transport and the speed at which the delivery occurs.
Postal services have limitations but they can transport smaller items on a cost effective basis, albeit much slower than their counterparts.
Carrier services use larger trucks, container ships, and rail to transport bulk goods over long distances. They are cost effective when transporting large bulk goods over long distances, but have limitations in delivery speed and where they can deliver your goods. They also do not do door to door deliveries which can pose a problem for some customers.
Courier services usually have a fleet of over the road vehicles such as scooters, sedans, and box trucks to deliver goods in the fastest manner possible. The downside is that they usually can only deliver up to 8 pallets at a time, and it is not as cost effective as the other options.
The bottom line is if you need something delivered as fast as possible and can’t wait for it, then contact us today for a free quote. Our courier service utilizes a large fleet of sedans, cargo vans, and box trucks which ensure that we can deliver any type of package no matter the size, shape or weight, in the fastest manner possible.
FAQs on Carriers, Couriers and Postal Services
- What is the difference between a Carrier, Courier, and Postal Service?
Carriers typically transport large bulk amounts of goods and over larger distances, they do not offer door to door service while couriers and postal services do. Postal services usually transport smaller packages and are slower than their courier counterparts. Courier services transport goods and packages in a much faster manner and from door to door when compared to carriers and postal services.
- What are the benefits of hiring a courier service over a postal service or carrier service?
Couriers deliver packages in the fastest time possible, while a carrier and postal service do not. Couriers can also handle large bulky items including pallets while postal services do not. They also offer door to door service without going to through their facility and your package does not change vehicles or go to a warehouse for resorting.
- How much more can a carrier service transport when compared to a courier service and postal service?
Carriers can multiple containers of freight. A courier can usually transport up to 8 standard pallets or whatever would fit into a 26ft box truck in a quick and efficient manner.
- What different types of deliveries or packages does a courier service cater to?
Couriers usually cater to the medical, legal, trade show, remote office equipment pick up, airport, and same day freight industries. They offer these services on an on demand basis allowing them to transport these goods as quickly as possible.
