A courier service is run by a company that arranges the transportation of parcels and documents to destinations both locally and also around the world. Some courier services are tailored to offer a service that is specific to the goods that are shipped for instance in larger cities couriers are often used to transfer legal documents from office to office that cannot be emailed or faxed as putting these documents in the post would take longer to arrive.
The chief advantage of using a courier service rather than the normal postal service is that the sender has more control over the shipping of goods as they can determine when the shipment is delivered. Courier service is usually much quicker than other methods of shipping, is more reliable and more secure which is of vital importance when sending valuable items. There is also less chance of parcels getting lost in transit using a courier service, a problem that has escalated in recent months.
The main disadvantage of using a courier service to transport items is that the cost is generally higher than using the postal service. However, for the security and convenience that this service provides many businesses prefer to use this method of shipping.