Founding of UPS

UPS began as a local messenger service and grew into one of the largest parcel carriers in the world, so its origin is a starting point for much of today's ground parcel network. Young messengers ran errands and delivered notes and packages on foot and by bicycle, and the business soon focused on deliveries for local retail stores. After a 1913 merger it became Merchants Parcel Delivery, and it adopted the United Parcel Service name in 1919, when it first expanded beyond Seattle to Oakland, California. Its retail delivery roots shaped the dense, scheduled routes and consolidated deliveries that UPS later extended nationwide.

• Last MileFinal leg of delivery to the door
• Regional CarrierParcel carrier that serves one region
• Tracking NumberNumber that follows a package's scans

• Jim Casey1888–1983 · Founder of UPS

• Rural Free Delivery (RFD)1896 · The Post Office starts delivering mail to farms for free
• First Air Cargo Flight1910 · A Wright plane flies silk from Dayton to Columbus
• UPS Coverage of All 48 Contiguous States1975 · UPS can deliver to every address in the lower 48

1. Our History about.ups.com
2. United Parcel Service (UPS) britannica.com
3. James E. Casey en.wikipedia.org