Same day courier service in Manchester
With our courier service in Manchester, one dedicated van collects in Manchester or Salford and drives straight to your delivery address, whether that is a Trafford Park warehouse, a studio at MediaCityUK or a customer 200 miles away. The price is fixed before we collect.
- Trafford Park to anywhere in mainland UK
- Landside airport cargo collections
- Pallets, parcels and production kit
Manchester is several different courier jobs
A van collecting in Trafford Park and one delivering to a law firm off Deansgate face completely different days. The first is about pallets, forklifts and getting out onto the M60. The second is about a ten-minute window, a building reception and finding somewhere legal to stop.
Either way, the booking works the same. You describe the load and both addresses, we pick the right size of van and send whichever suitable vehicle is closest to your collection point at the time, and we tell you when to expect it. No sorting hub, no transfer to a second vehicle: the van that collects is the van that delivers.
Trafford Park and the Ship Canal side
Trafford Park is one of the largest industrial estates in Europe, running along the Manchester Ship Canal between the M60 and Old Trafford. Food manufacturers, distributors, engineering firms and building suppliers all trade here, alongside Port Salford across the water.
Most of the work is heavier freight:
- two pallets of packaged food from a Trafford Park distributor to a retailer in Leeds, booked into a 2.00 pm slot
- a replacement pump assembly for a stopped production line in Warrington
- a part-load of flooring for a site in Preston that needs a tail lift because there is no forklift on site
A Luton with a tail lift or an LWB van usually covers these. Our pallet delivery service explains loading and weights, and the van size guide gives typical dimensions. For regular collections, such as a daily run from a Trafford Park unit to a customer in Liverpool, a scheduled courier arrangement works better than booking each one.
MediaCityUK and Salford Quays
The broadcasters' studios and production companies at MediaCityUK generate a steady flow of time-sensitive work: rushes and drives going to post-production, camera kit returning to hire houses, costume and props moving between locations. Shoots overrun, so the useful question is not "when can you collect?" but "can you wait, and what will it cost if you do?" We agree waiting time when you book.
See our film and TV production courier page for the details that matter on set, such as unit base access and how we handle call-time changes.
Get a quote for this jobor call 020 4525 2039, any time
City centre: Spinningfields, the Northern Quarter and Oxford Road
Spinningfields and Deansgate hold much of Manchester's legal and financial work, with the Manchester Civil Justice Centre on Bridge Street West. Court bundles, signed contracts and completion documents tend to have firm cut-offs, and parts of Deansgate have been closed to through traffic, so drivers plan the approach. Our document courier service is built for this kind of job.
The Northern Quarter is independent shops, bars and studios on tight streets. Deliveries go much better early in the morning or with rear access.
The Oxford Road corridor links the University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester Royal Infirmary and the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital. Hospital deliveries usually go to a named department rather than the main entrance. For samples and medicines, our medical and pharmaceutical courier page sets out what the sender needs to prepare.
The airport cargo area (landside)
Manchester Airport's World Freight Terminal is on the west side of the airport, close to junction 6 of the M56. It runs around the clock and handles both freighter traffic and cargo carried in passenger aircraft holds. Imports and exports pass through the forwarders' and handling agents' sheds there.
We collect and deliver at the landside sheds only. Common jobs include taking a cleared import carton to a customer in Sheffield the same afternoon, or delivering an export consignment to a forwarder before its cut-off.
The M60 and when to avoid it
The M60 ring road is the backbone of most Manchester routes, and it is also where time disappears. The worst points are well known:
- Barton High Level Bridge (between junctions 10 and 11), right beside Trafford Park
- Simister Island (junction 18), where the M60 meets the M62 and M66
- The M60/M56 junction near Sale, and the M56 towards the airport at peak times
Where we can, we route around these or time collections to avoid them. A 7.00 am departure from Trafford Park to Leeds is quicker than an 8.15 am one.
Typical journeys from Manchester
| Destination | Approximate road miles |
|---|---|
| Liverpool | 35 |
| Leeds | 45 |
| Nottingham | 70 |
| Birmingham | 85 |
| London | 200 |
| Glasgow | 215 |
These are approximate road miles; actual time depends on traffic and time of day. Two cities we cover just as often from Manchester have their own pages: Liverpool and Leeds.
FAQ
Common questions
Does Manchester have a Clean Air Zone charge for vans?
No. Greater Manchester's original charging Clean Air Zone was not introduced. In January 2025 the government approved an investment-led plan instead, which does not charge vans to drive in the city. That means your Manchester quote has no clean-air charge in it. If your delivery goes on to a city that does charge, such as Birmingham or Sheffield, any charge that applies is included in the price we agree.
Can you collect an import from the World Freight Terminal at the airport?
Yes, from the landside sheds. The World Freight Terminal sits on the west side of Manchester Airport near junction 6 of the M56, and it is home to forwarders, handling agents and transit sheds. Once your agent confirms the goods are cleared and released, give us the air waybill number, the shed and the release reference. Our driver collects at the landside door. We do not go airside.
We need a van at MediaCityUK for a shoot that wraps at 11.00 pm. Is that possible?
Yes. We work 24 hours a day, so a late wrap is normal for us. Tell us the building and loading area at Salford Quays, the time the kit will be packed and ready, and where it is going: a hire house, a post-production facility or the next location. A long-wheelbase van or a Luton with a tail lift suits most camera, lighting and costume loads. Waiting time is agreed in advance, so a wrap that overruns is not a surprise.
How do you deliver to shops in the Northern Quarter?
With planning. Streets around Thomas Street, Oldham Street and Stevenson Square are narrow, kerb space is limited and loading times vary from street to street. We ask whether the shop has rear access or a nearby loading bay and what time someone will be there to sign. Early-morning drops before trading starts are often the easiest option for retailers and cafés.
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