FedEx history

Introduced the overnight letter; began delivery to Canada; opened our super-hub next to Memphis International Airport.

Made American business history as the first company to reach $1 billion in revenues within 10 years of startup without mergers or acquisitions.

Started intercontinental operations with service to Europe and Asia.

Roadway Package System (RPS), later Caliber System Inc., changed the direction of the small-package industry by using barcodes to track packages.

Introduced SuperTracker^® hand-held barcode scanner.

Started cargo service to Japan.

Acquired Tiger International.

Won the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in the service category—the first company to do so.

RPS exceeded $1 billion in annual revenue—the fastest growth of any ground transportation company in history.

Rebranded as FedEx; launched fedex.com, the first transportation website with online package tracking.

Became the only U.S.-based, all-cargo carrier with rights to serve China.

RPS offered 100 percent coverage of North America.

Introduced FedEx interNetShip^®, now FedEx Ship Manager^®, enabling customers to process shipments online for the first time.

Acquired Caliber System and its subsidiaries.

FDX renamed FedEx Corporation; introduced tech solutions including FedEx^® Global Trade Manager and FedEx Ship Manager^®.

Renamed FedEx to FedEx Express, reflecting our position in the overall FedEx Corporation portfolio of services and further positioning us as an express carrier.

Began operations, providing IT, sales, and marketing support for FedEx Express and FedEx Ground, and later for FedEx Freight and FedEx Office.

Rebranded RPS as FedEx Ground following the acquisition of Caliber companies.

Launched FedEx Home Delivery^®.

Formed FedEx Trade Networks with the acquisition of Tower Group International and World Tariff, Ltd.

Created FedEx Freight by combining two acquisitions, Viking and American Freightways, to offer convenient shipping for LTL customers.

Rebranded Tower Group International as FedEx Trade Networks Transport & Brokerage, Inc.

Formed FedEx Trade Networks Trade Services, Inc., to incorporate duty and tax data services of WorldTariff with Trade & Customs Advisory Services.

Acquired Parcel Direct, later rebranded FedEx Ground Economy.

Acquired Kinko’s—operational since 1970—a provider of copying, printing, film processing, and office supplies to individuals, businesses, and commercial print buyers through its 800+ stores; rebranded it as FedEx Kinko’s Office and Print Services.

Acquired Kinko’s, rebranded as FedEx Kinko’s, then as FedEx Office in 2008.

Started around-the-world flights; unveiled California’s largest corporate solar-power installation at our Oakland hub.

Launched FedExCup^® with the PGA TOUR.

Rebranded Watkins acquisition as FedEx National LTL and FedEx Freight Canada.

Introduced Boeing 757 freighters to our fleet for a new cargo service route between Memphis and Washington, D.C., demonstrating our commitment to reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

Rebranded to FedEx Office.

Kicked off aggressive expansion, opening offices around the globe, giving FedEx Trade Networks access to nearly all the world’s GDP through international air and ocean freight forwarding, customs brokerage, distribution and warehousing, and other services.

Introduced SenseAware^®, providing near real-time visibility and insight into shipment conditions mid-transit.

Announced first all-electric trucks.

Merged FedEx National LTL with FedEx Freight, launching its two service offerings, FedEx Freight^® Priority and FedEx Freight^® Economy, at all lengths of haul across the U.S. network.

Launched FedEx Delivery Manager^®.

Added more fuel-efficient Boeing 767-300F planes to our fleet; launched 30+ initiatives to improve fuel efficiency and cut fuel emissions.

Launched FedEx Delivery Manager^® to allow U.S. customers to schedule dates, locations, and times of delivery, and track and manage deliveries en route.

Acquired Bongo International and rebranded as FedEx Cross Border, providing duty and tax calculations, export compliance management, HS classification, currency conversions, shopping cart management, and protection against credit card fraud.

Acquired GENCO, rebranded as FedEx Cross Border (North America).

Acquired TNT Express (Europe).

Opened $100 million International Express and Cargo Hub in Shanghai, China; delivered thousands of tons of medical supplies, food, and water to Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico, and other areas hit by natural disasters.

Rebranded GENCO as FedEx Supply Chain.

Realigned specialty logistics and e-commerce solutions under FedEx Trade Networks.

Announced three transformational operational changes: year-round, seven-day residential delivery; the integration of FedEx Ground Economy volume into standard operations; and the addition of large-package capabilities.

Introduced FedEx Freight Direct to meet growing e-commerce market needs for delivery of heavy, bulky products to or through the door for residences and businesses.

Renamed FedEx Trade Networks to FedEx Logistics, providing air and ocean freight forwarding, supply chain solutions, customs brokerage, and trade management tools and data from a single, trusted source.

FedEx Dataworks organization is established to apply the powerful data insights generated by the FedEx network to build digital solutions that create new opportunities for our customers, their customers, and for the FedEx of tomorrow.

Unveiled Priority Earth: Our initiative to deliver a more sustainable future with a goal of carbon neutral operations by 2040.

FedEx Dataworks introduced its first solution, FedEx Surround, a digital platform designed to help digitize our customers' supply chains with breakthrough, real-time inventory tracking and logistics management, which was instrumental in distributing the COVID-19 vaccine.

FedEx Dataworks is designated as its own operating company with the mission of making supply chains smarter for everyone to transform the supply chain from “just-in-time” to “peace-of-mind.”

On April 17, 2023, FedEx celebrates 50 years of driving what's next.