Automotive courier for car parts, wheels, tyres and engines
A dedicated van for the parts that keep vehicles moving: VOR transfers between dealers, panels for bodyshops, wheels to and from refurbishers, and drained engines and gearboxes on pallets, driven direct and signed for on delivery.
- Dealer-to-dealer VOR transfers
- Wheels, tyres, panels and engines
- Race-weekend and out-of-hours runs
The car is on the ramp and the part is 70 miles away
A customer's car is stripped in your workshop, the dashboard module is wrong, and the correct one is at a sister dealership across two counties. The manufacturer's parts delivery comes tomorrow. The customer was promised the car back tonight, and a courtesy car is out for another day.
We are booked for that gap. One van collects the part and drives it straight to you, with no depot in between, so you can tell the customer a realistic time rather than "tomorrow, hopefully". Who we help, and how, depends on which side of the trade you work in.
Dealer parts departments
Vehicle off road (VOR) orders are where a same-day urgent courier earns its fee. Your parts advisor locates the part on a stock locator or through another dealer in the group, and we do the transfer.
- Tell us the part number, both addresses and who releases it, so the driver is not sent back to the counter.
- If the order is split between two dealers, one van can collect from both on the same run.
- For workshop parts needed first thing, an evening collection with an early delivery keeps the morning's bookings on schedule.
Groups that move parts between their own sites every day often set this up as a fixed daily run, so stock levels at each branch can stay lean.
Bodyshops and accident repairers
Repair times matter to insurers, and a bodyshop waiting on a bumper, headlamp or door is a bodyshop paying for a courtesy car. Parcel networks dislike large panels for good reason: they get bent in sortation. In a dedicated van a bonnet or tailgate travels as you packed it, flat or upright, and is handled only at collection and delivery.
Tell us whether panels are primed, painted or bare, and how they are wrapped. Painted panels should be fully covered, with card on edges and corners.
Wheel and tyre specialists
Alloy wheel refurbishers often work on a collect-and-return cycle: four wheels from a dealer or a customer's driveway, back to the workshop, then home again a day or two later. Tyre wholesalers need the opposite, quantity: a run of tyres to a fitting centre that has sold out of a common size.
| Load | Typical vehicle |
|---|---|
| A set of four alloys or four car tyres | Small van |
| Two or three sets, or wheels with tyres fitted | SWB van |
| A wholesale run of 30 or more car tyres | LWB or Luton |
| Motorsport wheels and tyres for a race weekend | SWB or LWB |
These are typical choices; exact capacity depends on the vehicle model and tyre size, and we confirm at booking. The van size guide lists typical load space.
Engines and gearboxes
Engines, gearboxes and axles are heavy, awkward and frequently oily, which is why parcel carriers refuse many of them. We carry them on a pallet in a dedicated van, provided they are prepared properly.
Drain it before we arrive
The sender must drain oil, fuel and coolant before collection. We do not carry hazardous goods, so a unit that still contains fluid, or is dripping, will not be loaded. Cap or tape every opening, fix the unit to a pallet or into a crate with bolts or ratchet straps, and have lifting equipment ready at both ends.
A Luton van with a tail lift suits palletised units, with the lift typically rated to about 500 kg. A forklift at the loading point is still the safest way on and off. Our guide to preparing a pallet for collection covers wrapping and strapping, and larger awkward items are covered under large item courier.
Motorsport teams
A gearbox rebuilt overnight in a workshop in the Midlands needs to be in the paddock at Silverstone, Donington Park or Brands Hatch before the next session. Club teams often run without spares on the transporter, and a weekend can be lost to one broken driveshaft.
We run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so Saturday-night and early-Sunday runs to circuits are normal work. Circuits control paddock access, so the team needs to arrange a pass for the van or meet the driver at the gate. Give us a mobile number for someone who will answer on race day.
What we cannot carry
Some automotive items are dangerous goods. We do not carry vehicle batteries, airbag modules, seatbelt pretensioners, fuel, oils, paints, aerosols or anything else that requires ADR handling. We also do not move vehicles themselves. Everything else that fits a van, from a single sensor to a palletised gearbox, goes direct.
FAQ
Common questions
Can you collect a part from another dealer and get it to our workshop this afternoon?
Usually, yes. Once your parts department has located the part and agreed the transfer, give us both dealer addresses, the part number and the name of the person releasing it. We confirm an estimated collection time when you book, based on where the nearest suitable vehicle is, then drive directly to your service reception or parts counter. If two dealers each hold part of the order, one van can collect from both on the way.
How should alloy wheels be packed for a courier?
Protect the face of each wheel. Bag or wrap them individually, put card or foam between wheels if they are stacked, and keep wheel nuts and centre caps in a taped bag inside one of the wraps. Freshly refurbished wheels need the same care on the way back. In a dedicated van a set of four can travel flat on the floor, but packing is still what prevents a scuff, as our fragile packaging guide explains.
Does an engine or gearbox have to be drained before collection?
Yes. Oil, fuel and coolant must be drained by the sender before the driver arrives, and openings capped or taped so residue cannot escape. We do not carry hazardous goods, and a unit that is still dripping will be refused at collection. Fix the unit to a pallet or in a crate with bolts or proper restraints, and have a forklift or engine crane ready to load it.
Can you return the old unit to the remanufacturer?
Yes. Many reconditioned engines, gearboxes, turbos and injectors are sold on an exchange basis, with the old core going back. Book the core collection with the delivery of the new unit, or as a separate job once it has been removed. The old unit must be drained and secured in the same way as the new one, and in the remanufacturer's packaging where they supply it.
Can you deliver tyres or wheels to a customer's home?
Yes. We collect from and deliver to business and home addresses anywhere in mainland UK. Give us the customer's name and mobile number so the driver can call ahead, and agree in advance what should happen if nobody is in, such as a named neighbour or a return to you. The signed proof of delivery records who took them.
Can you take a whole car or a body shell?
No. We do not offer vehicle transport, so cars, motorcycles and anything needing a trailer or car transporter are out. Loose panels, doors, bonnets, bumpers, subframes and axles are fine as long as they fit the van. Send us the longest dimension and the weight and we will tell you which vehicle suits.
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