How to get an accurate same-day courier quote (and the extras that get added later)
The information a courier needs to price a job properly, why two quotes for the same run can differ by £100, and a checklist of the charges that appear after you've booked with the wrong firm.
A courier quote is only as good as the questions behind it. Give a firm two postcodes and a vague 'some boxes' and you'll get a number that changes once the driver arrives. Here's what to have ready, and what to ask back.
What the courier needs from you
- 1.Both full postcodes, not just towns. Distance is priced by road miles and the last mile decides whether it's a 20-minute or 50-minute job.
- 2.What it is, roughly how heavy, roughly how big. 'Four boxes, 60 kg total, 1 m³' lets them pick the vehicle. Guessing small means the wrong van turns up.
- 3.When it needs collecting and when it must be delivered. Same-day now, a slot today, or tomorrow at 9. Pre-booked work is cheaper with every honest courier.
- 4.Access at both ends: loading bay, stairs, a goods-in desk that closes at 4, a site that needs a booked slot.
- 5.Anything unusual: fragile, high value, temperature, hazardous (which most couriers can't carry at all).
Why two quotes for the same job differ
| Difference | Effect on a 90-mile van job |
|---|---|
| Return journey priced in or not | £40–£60 either included or added later as 'dead mileage' |
| VAT | 20% on the whole bill unless the courier isn't registered |
| Congestion Charge / tolls | £18–£40 shown up front or billed after |
| Waiting allowance | 15 vs 30 minutes free; 50p–£1.25 a minute after |
| Fuel surcharge | 0% from most direct couriers; 5–15% from some brokers |
| Vehicle size | Small van vs SWB: £30–£60 |
| Service level | Same-day vs pre-booked: 10–15%; priority: +25% |
The after-booking extras checklist
Ask every courier these before you book. If the answer is 'it depends' or 'that's billed after', you don't have a fixed price.
- Is the driver's return journey in this price?
- Is VAT in this price?
- Is the London Congestion Charge (or any toll) in this price?
- How many minutes waiting are free at each address, and what's the rate after?
- Is there a fuel surcharge, a card fee or a booking fee?
- What happens if nobody's there to receive it: redelivery charge?
- Do I get photos, a signature and a PDF, or just an email saying 'delivered'?
Our answer to all seven is on every quote, line by line: call-out, miles, return leg, road charges, service rate, total, no VAT. The only thing ever added afterwards is waiting over 30 minutes at an address, agreed with you on the day.
Prices quoted are our published rates at the time of writing, with no VAT added. Enter your postcodes for a fixed price today.