Next day courier service with a named delivery time
Book a dedicated van today for a delivery at a set time tomorrow: before 9.00 am, by noon or within a 30-minute window. No depot, no sorting, and a signature from the person you name.
- Delivery time agreed, not a day-long window
- One van, straight to the address
- Collect today or early tomorrow
What "next day" means when you book with us
Most next day services are parcel networks. Your item is collected on a round, taken to a local depot, sorted, trunked overnight to a hub, sorted again and put on a delivery van with a hundred other stops. It usually works, but the delivery window is the whole working day unless you pay for a timed upgrade, and size and weight limits apply.
Our next day service is a dedicated courier booked in advance. One van and one driver carry your consignment from your door to the delivery address, for a time you choose. Nothing else goes on the vehicle, and nobody sorts your goods on a conveyor.
When a pre-booked van is the better choice
A parcel network is cheaper for a single small box with no deadline, and we will say so. A dedicated next day courier earns its place when one or more of these apply:
- The time matters. Delivery before 9.00 am for a site meeting, by 11.00 am before a goods-in desk closes, or inside a 30-minute window booked with a hospital or distribution centre.
- The item is too big or heavy for a network. Pallets, long lengths, furniture or crated machinery that would attract oversize charges, or be refused.
- A named person must sign. Tender documents, legal bundles or a laptop that has to go into one person's hands.
- You want no depot handling. Fragile, high-value or loosely packed items that would not survive a sorting belt.
- Several pieces must arrive together. A multi-box display, a kit of parts or a set of samples that are useless if one box goes astray.
Our guide to choosing between a dedicated courier and a parcel network goes through the trade-offs in more detail.
Collect today, or collect tomorrow morning
There are two ways to run a next day job, and the right one depends on distance and on when your goods are ready.
| Option | Works well for | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Collect today, deliver tomorrow | Long distances, early delivery times, premises that close at 5.00 pm | We collect this afternoon or evening; the goods stay on the booked vehicle with the driver until the delivery run |
| Collect tomorrow morning | Shorter routes, goods still being finished, sites that open early | The driver collects early, often before 6.00 am, and goes straight to the delivery address |
Collecting the day before suits a run such as Southampton to Glasgow for 8.00 am. Drivers' hours rules limit a van driver to 10 hours of driving and 11 hours on duty in a day, so a route that long has to be planned with the driver's rest built in. We tell you at booking how the job will run.
Collecting in the morning keeps the goods in your hands overnight. A printer finishing conference packs late in the evening, for example, can have them collected at 6.00 am and delivered to a Manchester venue before registration opens. For deliveries in the small hours, see our overnight and early-morning courier service.
Choosing the delivery time
Tell us the real constraint at the delivery end, not just a time. Useful details include:
- a "by" time, such as before 9.00 am or by noon;
- a window, such as 10.30 am to 11.00 am, with any booking reference the site has issued;
- a "not before" time, if the site opens at 7.30 am and nobody can sign earlier;
- who will sign, and a mobile number for them.
A replacement pump needed by a fitter arriving at a food factory in Leicester at 7.00 am is a typical example. The time is fixed by the engineer's start, not by the courier's route, so that is the time we plan to. Jobs like this are common in manufacturing and engineering, where a missed slot costs a shift.
No fixed booking cut-off
We work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so there is no last-booking time for tomorrow. Book whenever it suits you. Earlier booking simply gives us more choice, which matters if you need a specific vehicle such as a Luton van with a tail lift or a refrigerated van. If tomorrow is a Saturday, Sunday or bank holiday, the weekend courier page covers what to check at the receiving end.
When you book, have ready the collection and delivery addresses, contacts at both ends, what the goods are, the number of pieces, dimensions and weights, and any access details. Our van size guide helps if you are unsure which vehicle you need.
Get a quote for this jobor call 020 4525 2039, any time
Tracking, proof of delivery and cover
You get live updates during the job and a signed proof of delivery when it is done: the recipient's name, the time and a signature, with a photo where useful. Goods in transit cover is included; see our terms for limits, and tell us the value when you book.
Need it today rather than tomorrow? Our urgent courier service sends a van now.
FAQ
Common questions
Is a dedicated next day courier more expensive than a parcel network?
For a single small box with no deadline, yes, and a network is the sensible choice. The comparison changes when the consignment is large, heavy, fragile or several pieces that must arrive together, or when the time matters. Once you add a pre-9.00 am upgrade, oversize charges and the cost of a missed slot, a van booked just for your goods is often closer in price than people expect. We give you a fixed price before collection.
What is the latest I can book for delivery tomorrow?
We run 24 hours a day, so there is no fixed cut-off. Book whenever suits you. Booking earlier gives us more choice of vehicles and drivers, which matters most if you need a Luton van with a tail lift, a refrigerated van or a very early delivery a long way from the collection point.
Can you guarantee delivery before 9.00 am?
We agree the delivery time with you at booking and plan the route and collection time to meet it, with margin for normal traffic. What nobody can promise is a clear motorway: closures, accidents and severe weather do happen. If anything threatens the time, you hear from us straight away with a revised arrival, so you can warn the recipient.
Where are the goods kept overnight if you collect today?
They stay on the booked vehicle with the driver; they do not go into a shared depot or get mixed with anyone else's freight. We agree the overnight arrangement with you at booking. If you would rather the goods stayed on your premises, we can collect early tomorrow morning instead, provided the distance allows it.
Can you deliver next day anywhere in mainland UK?
Yes, we collect from and deliver to anywhere in England, Scotland and Wales. Very long routes, such as the south coast to the north of Scotland, are planned around drivers' hours, which usually means collecting the day before. For Northern Ireland, the Scottish islands or the Isle of Wight, ask us and we will tell you what is possible.
What happens if nobody is there to sign at the agreed time?
The driver phones the contact you gave us, and we phone you. We then agree the next step with you: waiting, handing to an alternative named person, or bringing the goods back. Goods are only left without a signature if you give us written instructions to do so. Giving us a mobile number for the recipient avoids most of these problems.
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