To transport, or not to transport, that is the question. The transporting world has many types of businesses and modalities to accommodate either your personal or business needs. Among them are the carriers and the couriers.
The terms carrier and courier are often confused, as they possess similar meanings. Yet carrier is a more general word meaning transportation of things or even people. In contrast, courier reflects a more specialized, strictly commercial transport focused on goods or documents.
Although very similar in principle, let’s learn precisely where differences lie, what characterizes each, and some examples of which are used in which situations. And trust us, this has evolved a lot since the famous carrier pigeon.
What Is A Carrier?
Carrier is a word with multiple meanings, relating to many different fields. Literally defined as “one that carries,” it is a noun deriving from the verb “to carry,” meaning “to move while supported.” But the word carrier means so much more than simple transportation, even if its main definitions include “an individual or organization engaged in transporting passengers or goods for hire;” “transportation line or postal employee who delivers or collects mail, either between post offices or in from their origin to their final destination;” “person or thing that carries, holds, or conveys something;” “person or company that undertakes the professional conveyance of goods or people;” “a vessel or vehicle for transporting people or things, especially goods in bulk;” among others.
Some of the alternative meanings to the word, according to Merriam-Webster, Oxford Languages, and Britannica, include uses in the fields of physics (in terms of entities carriers of electric charge, or electromagnetic waves or currents used for telecommunication signals or transmissions); in biology (regarding the transference of molecules within a body or across cell membranes – like protein that makes possible the transfer of other substances-, as well as particular genes and hereditary traits); in medicine (a transmitter of infectious diseases); in chemistry (substances like catalysts that transfer compounds between each other, such as pigments or radioactive material, as well as diluents added to radioanalytical preparations); or simple daily life, as defined as containers, machines or devices used for carrying different things or objects; among others.
In a completely different context, “Carrier” is also the name of a Native American tribe with a settlement in the territory that is now British Columbia. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, this name “derives from the custom in which widows carried the ashes of their deceased husbands in knapsacks for three years.” Also, ‘Carrier” is a well-known brand of home appliances, especially air conditioners, heaters, refrigeration, and other similar devices.
Etymology And Synonyms Of Carrier
The word “carrier” originated in the 14th century, and since then, has maintained today’s primary meaning.
Other alternative words for “carrier” include “bearer,” “messenger,” “conveyor,” or “transporter.”
What Is A Courier?
Meanwhile, the noun “courier” is formally defined as “a messenger,” such as “a member of a diplomatic service entrusted with bearing messages;” “an espionage agent transferring secret information;” “a runner of contraband;” or “a member of the armed services whose duties include carrying mail, information or supplies.” Additionally, the word courier, as per Oxford Languages, also means “a company or employee of a company that transport commercial packages and documents;” or “send of transport (goods or documents).”
Other meanings, not entirely related to the transport or messaging activity, include the British “courier” in the sense of “a person employed to guide and assist a group of tourists.”
Etymology And Synonyms Of Courier
Its first use comes from La Middle English, as it was used to refer to a person “sent to run with a message”), with an origin in the Old French word “coreor” and the Italian word “corriere,” in turn, originated from the Latin term “currere,” meaning “to run.”
Some other words or phrases that can be used alternatively to “courier” (besides the historical terms “pursuivant,” “forerunner,” “legate,” or “estafette,” often in disuse) include:
- Special messenger
- Dispatch rider
- Letter and/or mail carrier
- Runner
- Bearer
- Conveyor
- Envoy
- Emissary
- Harbinger
- Herald
Distinctions And Peculiarities Between Carrier And Courier
According to the meanings we’ve discussed, one may assume that all couriers are carriers of some kind, yet not all carriers are necessarily couriers. They’re, therefore, words that are related or belong to the same family yet are not complete synonyms, as one is more specialized than the other.
The difference is hardly as radical as taking the most distant meaning of the two, which in this case would be that courier is a sort of host of usher to tourists, as courier indeed can and is applied on a daily basis to transport.
Courier is, as mentioned, a more specialized type of transport and refers most frequently to express shipping or transport services, private delivery companies, and international fast carriers. In this sense, they’re often described as “a company, usually a private firm, that facilitates the shipping of parcels and important documents, specializing in a specific type of shipping within certain destinations, or covering an array of shipping services with destinations worldwide.”
Some categories of couriers include:
- Time-sensitive shipping (such as overnight or same day);
- By size of shipment (some specialize on small shipments or parcels);
- Local shipping (high-end messaging services or hired errand runners);
- International shipping (widespread in countries outside of the USA, they form an overseas network to deliver purchases made in the USA or certain cities of Europe to other countries abroad).
An excellent example of a carrier would be a country’s government-operated postal service or an airline. In fact, “air carrier” is the common terminology used to define commercial airlines by law and international treaties or conventions, whether they transport people or goods. Large freight shippers also refer to themselves as carriers. Companies that specialize in carrier shipping needs for goods are called “logistics companies.”
How To Use Each One
Let’s learn some facts from both services while learning how to use each word in the correct context:
Carrier
- Carriers work with transporting both people and goods from one place to another.
- Carrier costs are usually lower than with other shipping options.
- Carriers can transport both locally or internationally.
- Delivery times when shipping with carriers are far less flexible, and services are less personalized than other shipping alternatives, such as couriers.
- Lufthansa airline is Germany’s flagship carrier.
- Carrier companies are used for any shipment that exceeds 150 pounds.
- Carriers use specialized trucks that can transport goods in skids or pallets.
Courier
- Couriers work exclusively with goods and mail.
- Couriers can be pricier as they provide a more personalized service, as well as shorter delivery times.
- Couriers usually focus on transporting their shipments between different territories, whether other states, countries or even different regions.
- Couriers are known for being a more reliable alternative to shipping goods and mail than postal services and carriers.
- Federal Express (FedEx) and United Parcel Service (UPS) are both renowned multinational courier services.
Conclusion
Knowing the difference between carrier and courier can help us decide which service is right for us when in need of making a shipment. Depending on what we’re sending (or even if it’s ourselves we need to move from one place or another), ranging from the parcel or shipment’s volume to its cost and the distance that needs to be covered, as well as the time we need it to reach its ultimate destination, each one serves a purpose and is helpful on its own means. Picking the right option for us will even help us be more effective, pay the right price, and get better overall results.
But the message here is that they definitely are different and should never be treated as equals, as not to risk making a very pricy (or even irreparable) mistake.
Shawn Manaher is the founder and CEO of The Content Authority. He’s one part content manager, one part writing ninja organizer, and two parts leader of top content creators. You don’t even want to know what he calls pancakes.