Were hot air balloons ever used as a cargo transportation solution?

Ever? Maybe. But it’s a very problematic way to carry something from place to place. if you really mean an un-powered and un-tethered hot air balloon, as those are dependent on the wind for which direction they go, and they tend not to have much capacity, etc. That can be solved for short distances by tethering a balloon to the ground between desired landing points. Tethered hot air balloons are used sometimes to transport things UP, such as when assembling a tall tower construction.

However a powered balloon (a blimp or zeppelin), yes.

Actually, searching around, I did find at least one modern company claiming to do it, unless it’s a joke: https://www.magimpact.com/demo/vanguard/hot-air-balloon-transport-company/worldwide/ They guarantee they drop your package within 100 meters of your desired target.

@Zaku I looked around the site and somewhere they called it a demo website. I wish it were true. :-)

Aw!

Google Project Loon does provide internet access to areas with no service. That seems like a great use!
They are lifting gigabytes of data, not cargo.

Wow! Interesting…

Not a hot air balloon but . . .
CargoLifter CL160 design

Not a hot air balloon

Also, not a “balloon” in aircraft terminology. Balloons float with the wind. If it can steer it’s an airship.

Apologies for the nitpicking, but I am fascinated by airships and read a lot about them.

The Wikipedia page on airships: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airship