We are so used to placing the order online and having it arrive on our doorstep that we never stop to think how the package makes its way to us. The only time we take interest in where the package is when there has been a mess-up. Overnight shipping from companies like FedEx, UPS and DHL has a huge infrastructure in place that makes the delivery of orders appear seamless.
The FedEx centre in Memphis and the UPS WorldPort in Louisville are two of under-rated logistical marvels. Their placement at these places is due to the proximity to the mean population centre of the US. Memphis has turned into the second busiest cargo airport of the world owing to FedEx.
It sends out 3 million packages every day and employs more than 30,000 people in the region. Normally, the packages arrive on 150 planes every night and are quickly sorted through automatic systems. The planes take off again in the early hours of the morning. Every large city in America can have a plane land in the city around sunrise.
These cities then turn into smaller hubs for the overnight shipping services. They send out the packages on smaller prop planes that arrive in the smaller towns around 9 in the morning. These smaller towns then turn into even smaller hubs and employ trucks to transfer the packages to nearby rural areas.
These trucks then make their way to the local delivery systems and your package finally arrives on your doorstep. It may just be a simple click of a button for us but various shipping plans are whipped up as soon as we place the order and figure out which routes will be the best to transport the package you paid for, to your doorstep.
The next time you opt for overnight shipping, you will know how the package makes its way to you. You can watch the video to learn more:
