Courier service across Kent, from Dartford to Dover
One dedicated van for your Kent consignment, collected from your address and driven straight to the delivery point, whether that is a Medway workshop, a London office, a port-side customer or a business on the other side of the Channel.
- Every Kent town, port and estate
- Direct road runs into Europe
- Routes planned around Brock
Kent is two counties for a courier
Most of Kent behaves like any busy South East county: offices, hospitals, industrial estates, farms and shopping centres sending goods to each other and to London. But Kent is also the main road gateway between Britain and the Continent, and the traffic heading for Dover and the Channel Tunnel affects the whole county's roads.
Each Kent booking has a van and driver to itself. The van collects from your premises and goes directly to the delivery address without a stop at any sorting hub. When you book, we allocate the nearest suitable vehicle and confirm an estimated collection time based on its location.
Three Kent towns have their own pages, and this page does not repeat them: Maidstone and mid Kent, Canterbury and east Kent and Tunbridge Wells. What follows is the rest of the county.
North Kent: Dartford, Gravesend and Medway
The Thames side of Kent is the most industrial. Dartford has the Bluewater shopping centre, Darent Valley Hospital and distribution sites close to the M25 and the Dartford Crossing. Ebbsfleet and Gravesend continue east along the A2. Further on, the Medway towns of Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham and Strood hold engineering firms, trade suppliers, the Medway City Estate and Medway Maritime Hospital.
Work here is varied: a pallet of building materials for a site in south London, a replacement part for a workshop, retail stock for Bluewater, or a consignment heading across the Thames into Essex.
Sittingbourne, on the A2 and close to the M2, has the Kent Science Park, and the A249 runs north to the Isle of Sheppey and the Port of Sheerness.
The M20 corridor: West Malling to Folkestone
The M20 is the county's commercial spine, running from the M25 at Swanley, past the M26 junction at Wrotham, through Maidstone to Ashford and Folkestone. Ashford has grown into a major business and distribution centre, with the William Harvey Hospital and large industrial parks on the edge of town. At the coast, the Eurotunnel terminal at Cheriton, near Folkestone, carries vehicles to Calais.
East Kent and Thanet
Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate make up Thanet, at the eastern tip of the county. Near Sandwich, Discovery Park houses life sciences and technology businesses on the site of a former pharmaceutical research centre. The countryside around Thanet and the Stour valley is farming country, including large-scale glasshouse growing. Chilled produce runs to wholesalers and distribution centres are a job for our refrigerated courier service.
Dover, the tunnel and Europe
Many Kent consignments go no further than the port: a pallet for a haulier's yard, documents for a customs agent or spare parts for a lorry stuck at the border. Others go all the way. Our dedicated vans run directly into Europe, crossing at Dover or through the tunnel, and the same driver stays with the goods from collection to delivery. Before booking, make sure the export paperwork is in hand; the European courier page sets out what is needed.
Operation Brock
At times of heavy cross-Channel demand, such as summer holiday peaks, National Highways can put Operation Brock in place on the M20. Port-bound lorries are queued on part of the motorway, other traffic runs in a contraflow at reduced speed, and delays spread onto the A20 and local roads. We check whether it is active before planning a Kent route and use the M2 and A2 where that is quicker.
Roads and corridors
Kent's main roads all lead towards London or the coast. The M20 runs from the M25 at Swanley to Folkestone, and the M26 links it to the M25 near Sevenoaks for traffic heading west. The M2 and A2 run from the Dartford area through Medway, past Faversham and Canterbury, to Dover. The A21 heads south from the M25 through Sevenoaks and Tonbridge to Hastings, and the A249 links the M2 and M20 near Maidstone.
The Dartford Crossing is the busiest single pinch point, and any crossing charge that applies is included in your quote. The M25 approaches, the A2 near Bluewater, the M2 around Medway and the M20 whenever Brock is active are the others.
Typical journeys across Kent
Approximate road distances, rounded; actual mileage depends on the addresses at each end.
| Route | Approx. road distance | Main route |
|---|---|---|
| Chatham to Dartford | 15 miles | A2 |
| Ashford to Folkestone | 16 miles | M20 |
| Canterbury to Dover | 16 miles | A2 |
| Dartford to Dover | 60 miles | A2, M2 |
| Ashford to central London | 60 miles | M20, A20 |
| Ramsgate to Heathrow | 100 miles | A299, M2, M25 |
For larger loads, our pallet delivery page explains how many pallets each van carries.
FAQ
Common questions
For a delivery into France, do you use the ferry or the Channel Tunnel?
Either, depending on the job. Both Dover and the Eurotunnel terminal at Folkestone carry vans, and we choose the crossing that best fits the timing, the destination and how the day's traffic looks. What matters more is the paperwork: since Brexit, goods leaving the UK need an export declaration and EU import formalities, so have the commercial invoice, EORI number and commodity codes ready. Our European courier page explains the process.
Is the Dartford Crossing charge added on top for runs into Essex?
No. If the route crosses the Thames at Dartford, any crossing charge that applies is included in the fixed price you agree before collection, in the same way as any other road charge. From Medway or Dartford, the crossing is usually the quickest way to Essex, Suffolk and the M11, though it can queue badly at peak times. If it is closed or severely delayed, we tell you and plan accordingly.
Can you deliver to a company at Discovery Park in Sandwich?
Yes. Discovery Park is a large science and business park on the edge of Sandwich, with many separate tenants, so give us the building name and the tenant's goods-in or reception details, not just the park address. Laboratory equipment and samples should be packed by the sender before collection, and anything that needs to stay chilled can travel in a refrigerated van with the range agreed at booking.
Do you cover the Isle of Sheppey and Romney Marsh?
Yes. Both are part of mainland Kent, so they are covered like anywhere else. Sheppey is reached by the A249 and the Sheppey Crossing, and the Marsh by the A259 and the lanes around Lydd, New Romney and Dymchurch. Rural roads on the Marsh are narrow and slow, so collections and deliveries there may take longer than the mileage suggests. Tell us about any access limits at the address.
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