Same-day pallet delivery, direct by dedicated van
Single pallets and small pallet loads collected and delivered the same day, in a van booked only for your goods. No pallet network, no overnight hub, and a tail-lift Luton when there is no forklift at the other end.
- Direct, not via a pallet hub
- Tail-lift Luton for up to 5 light pallets
- Full, half and quarter pallets
Dedicated pallet delivery or a pallet network?
There are two very different ways to move a pallet in the UK, and choosing the right one saves either money or a missed deadline.
A pallet network collects your pallet in the afternoon, takes it to a local member depot, trunks it overnight to a central hub, then on to the depot nearest the delivery address, which delivers it the next working day or later. It is efficient and often cheap, but the pallet is handled by forklift several times, and same-day delivery is not what the system is built for.
A dedicated same-day pallet delivery puts your pallet on a van booked only for you. Your pallet is strapped in at collection and stays on that one vehicle until it is unloaded at the destination. Nobody re-handles it at a hub, it is never moved onto another vehicle, and it does not sit in a warehouse overnight.
| Item | Dedicated van (our service) | Pallet network |
|---|---|---|
| Typical timescale | Same day, direct | Next day or 48 hours |
| Handling | Loaded once, unloaded once | Several depot and hub transfers |
| Cost | Higher, priced per vehicle and route | Lower, shared trunking |
| Suits | Urgent stock, fragile or high-value loads, several pallets to one site | Routine freight that can wait |
We are happy to say when a network will do. If your pallet of packaging can arrive on Thursday, a network is likely to be cheaper. When a pallet of components must reach a production line in Derby before the evening shift, or a retailer needs stock in-store for an opening tomorrow morning, a dedicated van is the safer choice. For typical market rates, see what a same-day courier costs.
How many pallets fit in each van
Counting footprints on the floor tells you only part of the story. On a pallet job the combined weight is usually what decides the van, and that is most obvious with a Luton.
| Pallet job | Van we would usually send | Standard UK pallets on the floor | Combined weight the van can typically take |
|---|---|---|---|
| One quarter or half pallet of spares | Small van | one | roughly 500 kg at most |
| One or two full pallets of boxed stock | SWB van | two | somewhere between 800 kg and a tonne |
| Two pallets plus a few loose cartons | MWB van | two, sometimes three | a tonne to 1.2 tonnes |
| Three pallets to a single site | LWB van | three | 1.1 to 1.3 tonnes |
| Four or five light pallets, no forklift at delivery | Luton with tail lift | as many as five if the goods are light | about a tonne in total |
Treat every figure here as typical: the model of van changes them a little, and we confirm the numbers for your booking. Five pallets of packaging or textiles sit comfortably in a Luton. Five pallets of bottled drinks would overload it several times over. If you want worked examples, read our pallets-per-van explainer, and the van size guide lists the load space of each vehicle. Height matters too: a small van's load space is only about 1.1 m high, so a tall pallet needs a larger van.
Tail lift, forklift or pallet truck: what each end needs
- Forklift or loading dock at both ends: any suitable van can be used, and loading takes minutes.
- No forklift at one end: we send a Luton with a tail lift. The pallet is wheeled onto the lift on a pallet truck, raised or lowered, and moved away. Expect a lift limit of around 500 kg; anything heavier has to come off with a forklift.
- No pallet truck either: tell us, and we will confirm whether the van can bring one. If not, the goods may have to be broken down and unloaded by hand, which takes longer and is only practical for lighter boxed stock.
A pallet truck needs firm, level ground. A smooth yard or car park is fine; gravel, cobbles, grass or a slope is not. Kerbs, steps and narrow gates matter as well, so mention them when you ask for a quote.
Get a quote for this jobor call 020 4525 2039, any time
Wrapping and labelling the pallet
A well-built pallet travels safely and unloads quickly. In short:
Pallet preparation
- Use a sound pallet with no broken boards or protruding nails
- Stack heavier boxes at the bottom and keep the load within the pallet's footprint
- Shrink-wrap the load tightly, wrapping into the pallet base so the goods and pallet move as one
- Add straps or corner boards for heavy or unstable loads
- Label at least two sides with the delivery address, contact name and phone number
- Mark "Do not stack" or "This way up" where it applies
For the step-by-step version, see preparing a pallet before the van arrives. A dedicated van means less handling than a network, but the pallet still has to cope with braking, corners and motorway driving.
Declaring the weight
Please give us an honest, measured weight for each pallet. It decides which van we send, whether the tail lift can take it, and whether the load stays within the vehicle's payload. An under-declared pallet can leave a driver unable to load, which means a delay and a different vehicle.
If you do not have scales, add up the weight of the goods from the delivery note or packing list and add roughly 20–30 kg for a standard wooden pallet. Round up rather than down.
Pallet sizes: UK standard, Euro, half and quarter
The UK standard pallet measures 1200 × 1000 mm. The Euro pallet, common on goods arriving from the continent, is 1200 × 800 mm, so it is narrower and can sometimes fit an extra pallet into a larger van. We carry:
- Full pallets on UK standard (1200 × 1000 mm) or Euro (1200 × 800 mm) bases.
- Half pallets, typically up to around 1.1 m high, which suit a small van or share space with other items.
- Quarter pallets, typically up to around 0.8 m high, often used for a few boxes of spares or samples.
Pallet networks charge by these size bands. On a dedicated van, the price depends more on the vehicle, the distance and the timing, so a single quarter pallet in a small van can be good value when it has to arrive today. Oversized or overhanging pallets are no problem if the van has room for them, so send us the real measurements rather than the nominal size.
Single pallet delivery for urgent jobs
A typical urgent job is one pallet sent at short notice: a replacement order for a customer whose delivery went missing, spare parts for a manufacturing or engineering site, or display stock for a retail launch. A small van or SWB van handles one pallet well and costs less than a large vehicle.
Several pallets going to one address, or pallets plus loose items, may suit a Luton or a large item courier booking. Pallets for EU destinations can travel on our European courier service. You get a signed proof of delivery and live progress updates on every pallet we move. Goods in transit insurance is included; the limits and exclusions are in our terms, so let us know what the pallet is worth when you book and we will confirm it is covered or arrange extra cover if the value is high.
FAQ
Common questions
Can you collect and deliver a pallet on the same day?
Yes. Because the pallet goes on a van booked only for your consignment, it goes straight from your premises to the consignee with no hub stop in between. The one real constraint on long routes is drivers' hours: a run from the south coast to the far north of Scotland can mean two drivers sharing the wheel or a planned overnight break, and we flag that at the quoting stage. The collection estimate you get depends on how close the nearest van of the right size happens to be.
Do I need a forklift to load a pallet?
Not necessarily. A tail-lift Luton can do the lifting, provided the pallet can be rolled onto the platform on a pallet truck. Most lifts on these vans handle roughly 500 kg. Heavier pallets, or vans without a tail lift, need a forklift or a loading dock. Tell us what equipment is available at both addresses so we can send the right vehicle.
Is a same-day pallet more expensive than a pallet network?
Usually, yes. A pallet network shares lorries and trunking costs between many customers, so it is cheaper for freight that can wait. A dedicated van is priced for the whole vehicle and route, so it makes most sense when the pallet has to arrive today, when it is fragile or awkward, or when you are sending several pallets to the same place.
Can you take a Euro pallet?
Yes. Euro pallets measure 1200 × 800 mm, narrower than the UK standard of 1200 × 1000 mm, and travel in the same vans. Their narrower footprint sometimes lets an extra pallet fit in a larger van, depending on the vehicle's internal width and wheel arches. Tell us the pallet type when you book and we will confirm how many fit in the van we send.
Can a pallet be delivered to a home or a shop with no loading bay?
Often, yes, with a tail-lift Luton and a pallet truck. The pallet is lowered to the ground at the rear of the van and wheeled to the delivery point, which needs a hard, level surface. Gravel, grass, steep drives and steps stop a pallet truck. In those cases the goods may need to be unloaded by hand at the kerbside, so mention the access when booking.
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