Literally, billions of tonnes of product are shipped from one part of the globe to another on a daily basis. Either by air, ship or truck, commerce depends on effective logistics.
But what are the strangest things that have ever been put in the post and sent around the world?
Here we take a look at the bizarre and the unbelievable world of past freight shipping.
- People Who Post Themselves
Every so often we get a story in the press about someone jumping into a box and shipping themselves around the world. It’s been going on longer than you think. In the 1960s, Aussie athlete Reg Spiers found himself stranded in the UK without any money to get home.
His solution? You guessed it, he decided to post himself in a wooden crate, cash on delivery, back to his Australian home. Armed with tinned food, a torch and water, his plans were scuppered when there was a 24-hour delay on route.
- The Statue of Liberty
The iconic statue of Lady Liberty that stands on Ellis Island in New York was actually a gift from the French. To get it to their American friends, the statue was dismantled into 350 sections and transported by steam freighter. The 200-tonne monolith was then reconstructed by the Americans on the island where it remains to this day, welcoming immigrants who arrive by sea.
The Statue of Liberty isn’t the only monument to be shipped by freight. All 224 tonnes of Cleopatras Needle in London was transported to London from Egypt in the mid-19th century. Because of the weight and size, a custom ship had to be made at a huge cost to transport it.
- Children, Hamsters and Other Animals
It’s amazing that someone would think of transporting a child in freight. One Ohio couple did exactly this and sent their kid across country when they discovered it was cheaper than buying a train ticket.
One slightly bemusing story involves a family in Essex who posted their hamster to the location where they were staying because they thought it might get homesick.
Freight is also often used to transport endangered species. Following an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that put turtles at risk, a quarter of a million eggs were transported to the area to boost the species.
- Bricks Through the Post
You might send one brick through the post as a joke but not a whole building’s worth. This is exactly what happened when Bill Coltharp decided he wanted to build a bank. The brick type he wanted were located several hundred miles away so he decided to post them rather than pay for more expensive transportation.
- Escape to Freedom
Escaping to the North was no small undertaking for slaves in the US before emancipation. Henry Brown, however, found an ingenious solution. He packed himself away and had himself freighted to safety.
- Expensive Jewels
Finally, would you send an expensive piece of jewellery through the post? Most people wouldn’t. The Hope Diamond, however, was once sent by post for just $140 (most of which was insurance). Today, the diamond is worth in the region of $250,000.
Whatever you are shipping, and wherever in the world you want it to go, Equator Worldwide will help you get it there, contact our expert team to discuss your global shipping requirements today.