Question
Why do mail-order companies add a fee for “shipping” even if a package is not going on a ship?
Answer
Long before Federal Express and UPS, freight was normally shipped by boat; roads weren’t made for carrying heavy loads. Oftentimes, it was less expensive to transport goods by boat than by land, and it took less time.
The word shipping continued to be used later for items sent over land and now is used to refer to any transportation of goods.
The word shipping continued to be used later for items sent over land and now is used to refer to any transportation of goods.
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