How “Absolutely, Positively Overnight!” Came To Be Mark Twain once said, “The man with a new idea is a crank until the idea succeeds”. This phrase could be applied to Fred Smith and Federal Express. From their beginnings in Little Rock, Arkansas in the early 70’s delivering 186 packages overnight to 25 U.S. cities, to three decades later parlaying it’s $20 billion dollar corporation into no less than five major operation companies. FedEx has become the world’s leader in global express transportation, providing fast delivery of documents, packages and freight shipments worldwide. As a result, the name “Fed Ex” is used in much the same manner as name “Band Aid” has today. Many use this term generically meaning all forms of overnight or rapid delivery systems. The powerful FedEx brand and the ever-familiar purple, orange and white colored letters are a welcome sight as deadlines near. History of Moving Freight – The mail actually saved the future of passenger flight, but ironically outgrew it and needed its own logistical changes.Fledging airmail service started in the U.S in 1918. The Post Office began regular delivery service between New York and Washington D.C., totaling a distance of 218 Perry 2 miles, using four U.S. Army Curtiss Jenny’s in which about 140 pounds of mail could be loaded into the front cockpits. Although before that, Aeromarine Airways flew passengers, airmail, and freight between Key West and Havana in November 1919 (Air Trans 95,105,319). The regular handling of larger packages did not occur until later on in the 1920’s. In those days, and for obvious reasons, air mail was considered pretty much a “suicide club” due to the lack of proper equipment, established airways and related equipment. Thus, the pioneers of early airmail routes must be credited for their efforts, as they established through th...
