Frequently asked questions
Straight answers to the questions we are asked most about booking, collection, the goods we carry, insurance, payment and deliveries to Europe. Can't see yours? Call the booking desk at any hour.
Booking and quotes
Short answers to the questions customers ask most. For background on the company and how our dedicated-vehicle service works, read about us.
How do I book a same-day courier?
Phone the booking desk or send our quote form with the collection and delivery postcodes, what you are sending, when it will be ready and when it must arrive. We reply with a fixed price and an estimated collection time, and once you accept, we dispatch the van.
Give sizes and weights for anything large. For anything that needs to move in the next hour or two, phoning is quicker than the form, because we can ask questions as we go. Our how it works page walks through each stage.
What is the latest I can book for delivery today?
There is no single cut-off: the latest booking time depends on the distance and on when the recipient closes. A job across one city can often be booked in the afternoon for delivery the same day, while a long cross-country run needs a much earlier start.
A job from Exeter to Newcastle is a long drive, and booked at 3.00 pm it will arrive late in the evening. Tell us when the delivery address stops accepting goods and we will tell you honestly whether today is realistic, or whether an overnight delivery for first thing tomorrow is the better plan.
Is the price you quote fixed?
Yes. The price is agreed before the van is dispatched and reflects the mileage, the size of vehicle, the time of day and anything extra such as a tail lift. It only changes if the job itself changes, and we always tell you the new cost and get your agreement first.
A job changes when, for example, the goods are larger than described and need a bigger van, the driver is kept waiting beyond the allowance in your quote, or you add a drop or change the address.
Can I book ahead or ask for a specific delivery time?
Yes. You can book a day or a week ahead and ask for collection at a particular time and delivery by a particular time, and we plan the vehicle around both. It suits planned moves such as exhibition kit that must reach a venue for a set build slot.
Stock for a store opening is another common example. For deliveries that repeat on a pattern, a scheduled courier arrangement saves you booking each one.
Do you charge for waiting time?
Your quote includes a reasonable allowance for loading and unloading. If the driver is kept waiting beyond that, for example because goods are not ready or a goods-in queue is long, waiting time may be charged. We confirm the allowance when we quote, and the booking desk will tell you if waiting charges are about to start, so you can decide whether the driver waits or the plan changes.
Can I cancel or change a booking?
Call the booking desk as soon as you know. Changes to times, addresses or contacts are usually straightforward, and we tell you if they affect the price. Whether a cancellation is charged depends on how far the job has progressed, for example whether the van has already set off or arrived at collection. Our terms and conditions set out the position, and we will explain it before you decide.
Collection and delivery
How quickly can you collect?
We confirm an estimated collection time when you book, based on where the nearest suitable vehicle is. We don't publish a standard collection time, because a van might be minutes away in one place and further out in another, especially in rural areas or late at night.
What we do commit to is a realistic estimate before you book and a call if anything changes. Having goods packed and ready when the van arrives saves time at your end.
Do you work evenings, weekends and bank holidays?
Yes. The booking desk and our vans run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including weekends and bank holidays. A Sunday collection or a delivery at 4.00 am is handled the same way as a weekday job. The thing to check is the other end: a business that is closed at the weekend can't sign for goods. Our weekend courier page covers planning for Saturday and Sunday deliveries.
Which areas do you cover?
We collect from and deliver to anywhere in mainland Great Britain: England, Scotland and Wales, from Cornwall to the north of Scotland. Destinations reached by ferry sit outside the standard service: the Scottish islands, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Wight. Please check with us before booking any of those. For goods leaving the UK, see the Europe and international questions below.
Will my goods be the only goods in the van?
Yes, on a standard booking. Every job is a dedicated vehicle and driver for your consignment, going directly from collection to delivery with no depot sorting and no other customers' goods. The exception is a multi-drop run that you book, where the van carries your goods to several addresses in a planned order. Our article on dedicated couriers versus parcel networks explains why this matters for urgent or fragile goods.
Can the driver wait and bring something back?
Yes. This is called wait and return: the driver delivers, waits while documents are signed or equipment is swapped, then brings the return item back to you or takes it on to another address. Tell us at booking roughly how long the wait will be, so it is built into the price rather than added later.
It suits signed contracts, faulty parts going back for repair, or a hire item being exchanged.
Can goods be left if nobody is in?
Only if you tell us to. By default the driver hands goods to a person and gets a signature. If you want goods left in a particular place, such as a locked porch or with a named neighbour, tell us at booking and the proof of delivery will record exactly where they were left, with a photograph.
Bear in mind that leaving goods unattended may affect cover, so check our terms for high-value items.
How far can one driver go in a day?
One driver can cover most same-day routes in Great Britain, because the GB domestic drivers' hours rules allow van drivers up to 10 hours of driving and 11 hours on duty in a day. A run on the scale of London to Aberdeen can go past those limits, so it may need two drivers or an overnight rest stop.
If your job falls into that category, we tell you when we quote.
Goods we carry
What can't you carry?
We don't carry hazardous goods that need ADR transport, such as flammable liquids, gas cylinders, corrosives or fuel. We also don't carry live animals, cash or valuables that need a cash-in-transit service, firearms, or anything illegal to transport, and we don't move vehicles or offer house removals.
If you are not sure whether something counts as hazardous, check the safety data sheet or ask us before booking. It is far better to settle that on the phone than at collection.
Do I need to package my goods?
Yes. A dedicated van means far less handling than a parcel network, but goods still move with the vehicle under braking and on corners. Use strong boxes with padding and sealed tape, wrap and strap pallets, and mark fragile items and which way up they go.
Furniture and equipment can often travel unboxed with blankets and straps, but tell us so the driver comes prepared. Our guide to packing fragile items has practical detail.
What is the largest item you can carry?
The largest item we can carry is one that fits our biggest van, a tail-lift Luton. Its box is typically about 4.0 metres deep and 2.0 metres wide and tall, and it takes roughly a tonne of goods. Anything longer, taller or heavier needs a lorry operator, because we don't run 7.5-tonne or larger lorries.
Our vehicle size guide lists typical load space and payload for every van, and we confirm exact figures for your vehicle when you book.
Can you deliver pallets the same day?
Yes, by putting the pallet on a dedicated van rather than a pallet network, which usually delivers the next day or later. A small van takes one UK pallet, an LWB typically three and a Luton up to five, though weight usually limits a Luton first. Without a forklift at either end, a tail-lift Luton is normally needed. See same-day pallet delivery for how pallet jobs are planned.
Can you carry chilled or temperature-sensitive goods?
Yes. We run refrigerated vans with insulated load areas for chilled food, medicines and other temperature-sensitive goods. You tell us what temperature the consignment needs and we agree it when you book; for reference, plenty of medicines are held at 2–8 °C and much chilled food at 0–5 °C.
Pre-cool the goods before collection where you can, because a refrigerated van keeps goods cold rather than chilling warm stock quickly. Our refrigerated courier page covers loading and temperature records.
Can you carry medical samples and pharmaceuticals?
Yes, as part of our medical and pharmaceutical courier work, provided they are properly packaged. Diagnostic specimens under UN3373 (Biological Substance, Category B) must be packed by the sender in P650 triple packaging, and for pharmaceuticals we work to the temperature, handling and paperwork requirements you set.
We keep temperature records when the van is equipped to log them. Tell us exactly what is being sent when you book so we can allocate a suitable vehicle.
Insurance and liability
Are my goods insured?
Yes. Goods in transit insurance comes with every booking, and the limits and exclusions are set out in our terms and conditions. Give us a value for the consignment at booking and we will tell you what cover applies, or arrange a higher level of cover for valuable goods.
Declaring the value up front matters most for items that are light but valuable, such as laptops, jewellery samples or medical devices.
What should I do if goods arrive damaged?
Ask the recipient to note the damage on the proof of delivery before signing, photograph the item and its packaging, and keep the packaging. Then contact us as soon as possible with the job reference, because claims have time limits, which are set out in our terms.
The packaging helps show how the damage happened, and reporting quickly protects your position. We will explain the process and what information we need.
Is there anything insurance doesn't cover?
Yes. Like all goods in transit policies, ours has exclusions and limits, and these are set out in our terms. Typical exclusions across the industry include cash, precious metals and items that should not have been sent, such as hazardous goods. If your consignment is unusual or very valuable, tell us before collection so we can confirm whether it is covered and whether additional cover is available.
Payment and accounts
Do I need an account to book?
No. Anyone can book with us, whether you are a business sending one urgent part or a private customer moving a single item across the country. You agree a fixed price before collection, and we confirm how to pay when you book. Businesses that book regularly often prefer an account, because jobs are invoiced together rather than paid for one at a time.
Can my business open an account?
Yes. We offer business accounts with invoicing to approved businesses, subject to a credit check. An account lets named staff book by phone or email at any hour, records standing instructions such as delivery contacts or PO requirements, and lists every job on a consolidated invoice. To apply, send us a message through the contact page and choose Business account in the subject.
Will there be extra charges I don't know about?
No. The price you agree before collection is the price you pay, unless the job changes and you agree the change first. Route charges such as the London Congestion Charge, ULEZ, Clean Air Zone charges, tolls or ferries may apply, but they are included in your quote rather than added afterwards.
Things that can change a price include extra waiting time, an added drop, a change of address, or goods that need a larger vehicle than booked.
Can I put my own reference or PO number on the invoice?
Yes. Give us your reference when you book, whether it is a purchase order number, a job number, a customer order or a cost centre, and it appears against that job on the invoice and the proof of delivery. Account customers can set a standing instruction that every booking must carry a PO number, so jobs can't be booked without one.
Europe and international
Do you deliver to Europe?
Yes. We run direct road services from the UK into Europe using a dedicated van, so your goods stay on one vehicle from collection to the delivery address. That suits urgent parts for a factory in Germany, exhibition stands for a show in Paris, or stock for a customer in the Netherlands. Our European courier page explains how these jobs are planned, including crossings and timings.
What paperwork do I need to send goods to the EU?
Since Brexit, goods moving from Great Britain to the EU need customs formalities at both ends. You will need an EORI number, a commercial invoice showing the value and origin, and the correct commodity codes. A customs broker or agent makes the export and import declarations. Getting the paperwork ready before collection avoids delays at the border. Our guide to sending goods to Europe by road covers each document.
How long does a delivery to Europe take?
It depends on the destination, the crossing and how quickly customs clearance is completed. A delivery to northern France or Belgium is a very different trip from one to southern Italy, and drivers' hours rules apply to every leg. We give you an estimated delivery time when we quote, based on the route and the paperwork in place, and keep you updated during the job.
Can you send goods outside Europe?
Yes, on request. For destinations beyond Europe we arrange shipments through partner carriers, typically using air freight and international networks rather than our own vans. Tell us what you are sending, where it is going and when it needs to arrive, and we will come back with the options. Our international courier page explains what to have ready.
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