Alaska's Couriers Keep Alaska Running: Same day deliveries help businesses succeed.

• Author: Stricker, Julie
• Position: TRANSPORTATION

Most Alaskans have heard about one of the greatest transportation stories in Alaska history. In winter 1925 an outbreak of diphtheria in Nome threatened the entire community and surrounding villages. With ship travel halted for the season and air travel unfeasible due to inclement weather conditions, the only way for the antitoxin to reach Nome was via some pretty dedicated couriers.

The critical serum traveled from Anchorage to Nenana via the Alaska Railroad. From there, a relay of twenty mushers and 150 sled dogs ferried the serum 674 miles overland in blizzard conditions, reaching Nome in 5.5 days, ultimately saving the community.

The diphtheria serum run, immortalized by today's Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, is Alaska's most well-known courier delivery. Although today's deliveries are decidedly less dramatic, couriers still serve Alaska in many ways, from timely deliveries of vaccines and construction supplies to quick delivery of jars of mayonnaise and million-dollar parts for oilfield service companies.

While FedEx and UPS are the two best-known national couriers, multiple Alaska companies use their knowledge of local needs and challenges to give their customers the best possible service. Nearly all are locally owned and operated.

Who Are Alaska's Couriers?

AMS Couriers in Anchorage has been in business for more than fifty years and offers round-the-clock service. Touting its delivery "at the speed of life," AMS employees are OSHA and HIPAA compliant. Medical deliveries, including lab samples and clinic equipment, are a big part of its operations.

Originally called Anchorage Messenger Service, the company was started in 1964 by an Anchorage Court clerk as a service to file legal paperwork. After it was sold in 1995, the company expanded to include package delivery, warehousing, and last-mile logistics. It specializes in same-day and next-day delivery across the state.

Another courier service with statewide operations is Alaska Northern Courier. Charles Ward Jr. started the company in 1993 as he waited out a local and state police hiring freeze. "I needed something to occupy my time while I waited, so I started a courier service," he says from his Anchorage office. "The impetus? Just luck of the draw."

Ward says the idea germinated after an acquaintance asked how to get mail from a postal center, similar to a Mailboxes Etc., to a home address. Ward offered to deliver mail to a couple of people and thought it would be a viable temporary...