Fred Smith

Smith created the overnight air express model, which made guaranteed next-day delivery a normal business service and set the template for today's time-definite shipping. Federal Express flew packages into a central hub in Memphis, sorted them overnight, and flew them back out, so any two cities could be linked in one night. That hub-and-spoke design, along with package tracking, became standard across the parcel industry. Brands offering expedited shipping, late order cutoffs, or air service for urgent B2B orders rely on networks built on Smith's approach.

• Cutoff TimeLast order time for same-day shipping
• Tracking NumberNumber that follows a package's scans
• Time in TransitBusiness days from first scan to delivery

• Jim Casey1888–1983 · Founder of UPS
• Ken Thomas1913–1997 · Founder of TNT
• Wang Weib. 1970 · Founder of SF Express

• Federal Express Begins Overnight Service1973 · 14 jets carry 186 packages through one Memphis hub
• Formation of FedEx Ground1998–2000 · FedEx buys Caliber and turns RPS into FedEx Ground
• FedEx Acquires Flying Tiger Line1989 · FedEx buys an air cargo line and its global routes

• Air Cargo Deregulation Act of 19771977 · Freed US domestic air cargo routes and rates

1. Frederick W. Smith, visionary founder of FedEx, dies at 80 (FedEx Newsroom) newsroom.fedex.com