DHL, the international delivery company, started by giving free plane tickets to travelers in exchange for carrying important documents in their luggage. The company utilized spare space in suitcases to transport high-value papers, avoiding delays caused by containerization in the 1960s. This clever system revolutionized the delivery of critical business documents and allowed goods to clear ports quicker. DHL eventually became a multi-billion dollar business and a leader in the sharing economy. Despite technological advancements, the outdated system of requiring original bills of lading for cargo release still persists, prompting innovative solutions like those being developed by Flexport.
https://www.flexport.com/blog/dhl-bills-of-lading/