Overnight courier for early-morning delivery
We collect this evening, drive through the night on quieter roads and deliver before the working day begins. One dedicated van, out-of-hours collections arranged with your key holders, and signed proof of delivery.
- Evening collection, delivery before 9.00 am
- Out-of-hours access planned in advance
- Drivers' hours built into the plan
How an overnight run works
Your goods leave in the evening and are waiting when the delivery site opens. The night is used for driving, so nobody loses a working day.
- Book and agree the times
You tell us when the goods will be ready, where they are going and the latest time they can arrive. We confirm the vehicle, collection time and price.
- Evening or late-night collection
The driver arrives at the agreed time and loads with your contact. Access details, such as gate codes or a security lodge, are agreed in advance.
- Driving through the night
One van, one driver, straight to the delivery address. You get live updates and can ask for an arrival estimate at any point.
- Delivery before the working day
The driver arrives inside your window and hands over to the named recipient. You receive signed proof of delivery, with a photo where useful.
Why the night is often the better time to drive
Motorways and city ring roads are far quieter after 9.00 pm, so a 200-mile run is more predictable than the same route in the afternoon peak. It is not a free road, though. In England, National Highways schedules much of its maintenance overnight, with lane and junction closures and signed diversions. We check planned closures on the route when we book and allow time for them.
At the delivery end, an early arrival means your team can start work at 7.00 am rather than waiting for a van that left at breakfast.
What people send overnight
Exhibition stands and event kit. Build-up at a large venue usually starts early, and most halls run a vehicle booking or marshalling system. We collect the stand from your workshop in the evening and arrive for your slot; give us the slot reference and the hall entrance. See our work for events and exhibitions.
Theatre and production equipment. A touring set or lighting rig comes out at the get-out after the last performance and needs to be at the next venue for the morning fit-up. The same pattern applies to location shoots, where kit has to be on set before the crew call; our film and TV production page covers this in more detail.
Spare parts for a morning shift. A failed motor or a control board found at 6.00 pm can be collected from the supplier that evening and on the line before the 6.00 am shift starts, rather than costing a full day of production.
Shop-fit and site materials. Fitters working on a store before opening hours need joinery, fixtures and signage on site before they arrive. Shop fits and refurbishments are common construction courier work for us, often in a Luton van with a tail lift. Our van size guide shows what fits in each vehicle.
Out-of-hours collections: getting the details right
Most problems with night work are about access, not driving. Before the job, we need to know:
- who will be at the collection point, with a mobile number that will be answered;
- how the driver gets in: a security lodge, a gate code, an intercom or a key holder meeting them;
- where to park and load, and whether the site has a curfew or a loading-time restriction;
- whether the goods are packed and ready, or still being broken down;
- the same details for the delivery end.
Gate codes and keys
Give access codes to us by phone or through your booking rather than writing them on the paperwork that travels with the goods. If a key holder has to attend, confirm with them that day, not just when the job was booked.
Some premises have planning conditions or lease terms that restrict deliveries at night. If you are not sure, check with the site manager before booking, because a driver turned away at the gate at 4.00 am is a wasted journey.
Delivering to an unattended site
Sometimes nobody can be there at 5.00 am. We will only leave goods at an unattended site when you have given us written instructions saying exactly where they go, such as a locked compound, a named container or behind a specific door, and who has authorised it. The driver photographs the goods in place as part of the proof of delivery.
Cover for goods left without a signature is set out in our terms, so read that before you authorise it. Tell us the value when booking and we will confirm cover, or arrange additional cover for high-value goods.
Drivers' hours at night
The rules do not change after dark. A van driver under GB domestic rules can drive for up to 10 hours and be on duty for up to 11 hours in a day. We plan each overnight job so the driver's duty fits those limits. For the very longest routes, such as Cornwall to Aberdeen, we may recommend an earlier collection or a second driver, and we tell you at booking.
For more on planning deliveries where the time cannot slip, read our guide to organising time-critical business deliveries.
FAQ
Common questions
How is an overnight courier different from next day delivery?
A next day parcel service sorts your goods through depots overnight and delivers them at some point the following day. An overnight courier is one dedicated van that leaves after your evening collection and delivers at a time you set, often before 7.00 am. Nothing changes hands on the way. For daytime timed deliveries tomorrow, see our next day courier page.
Can you collect late at night, after a show or event closes?
Yes. We work 24 hours a day, so a collection at 11.00 pm or later is normal. Tell us when the goods will genuinely be ready to load, not when the event ends, because a get-out or breakdown often runs longer than planned. We confirm the collection time at booking and keep in touch with your on-site contact.
What if the delivery site is not open when the driver arrives?
We plan the arrival around the opening time you give us. If the driver is early, they wait. If the site is still closed at the agreed time, the driver calls your site contact and we call you. Goods are only left at an unattended site when you have given us written instructions saying where and how.
Can you deliver at an exact time such as 5.30 am?
Yes, a specific early time or window is what this service is for. Give us the time, the name of whoever will receive the goods and how the driver gets in. Building in some slack before the time is normal, so the driver may arrive a little early and wait nearby rather than risk being late.
Is overnight delivery more expensive than daytime?
Price depends on distance, vehicle, timing and any extras, and night work is part of the timing. You get a fixed price in your quote before we collect, so you can compare it with alternatives such as a daytime run plus an extra day of waiting. Quieter roads can make long routes more predictable.
Do drivers' hours rules limit overnight runs?
Yes. Van drivers under GB domestic rules can drive for up to 10 hours and be on duty for up to 11 hours in a day, at night as well as by day. We plan each overnight job so the driver's duty fits within those limits. For very long routes we may suggest an earlier collection or a second driver, and we say so at booking.
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