UK courier cost index · October 2026
What a same-day courier costs in the UK
Real numbers, not "call for a quote". Below is our live rate card by distance and vehicle, how it's built, what the national brokers charge for the same job, and the extras to check before you book anyone.
- 10 miles, small van
- £35.00
- 50 miles, SWB van
- £127.88
- Birmingham to London, SWB
- £306.64
No VAT added: we're not VAT registered, so the price shown is the price paid.
Same-day courier prices by distance
Dedicated vehicle, same-day, standard hours. Jobs over 40 miles include the driver's return journey. Short runs hit the vehicle's minimum.
| Distance | Car | Small van | SWB van | LWB van | Luton van |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 miles | £25.50 | £35.00 | £45.00 | £60.00 | £90.00 |
| 25 miles | £41.25 | £53.25 | £66.25 | £77.25 | £98.75 |
| 50 miles | £85.88 | £106.38 | £127.88 | £147.37 | £181.63 |
| 100 miles | £156.75 | £190.75 | £225.75 | £258.75 | £313.25 |
| 150 miles | £227.63 | £275.13 | £323.63 | £370.13 | £444.88 |
Per mile
Car £1.05 · Small van £1.25 · SWB van £1.45 · LWB van £1.65 · Luton van £1.95. Plus a call-out of £15.00–£50.00 for putting the vehicle on the road.
Return journey
Over 40 miles, each loaded mile adds 35% of the mile rate for the empty run back. Every courier charges this somewhere; most hide it in a higher per-mile rate.
Service level
Pre-booked for tomorrow or later: 15% off. Priority (nearest vehicle now): +25%. Evenings, nights and Sundays: +40%.
Direct courier vs national broker: the same 92-mile van job
Coventry to King's Cross, mid-size van, same-day. The broker figures are from quotes we took in October 2026; yours may differ by a few pounds.
| National broker | Swiftline (direct) | |
|---|---|---|
| Same-day price | £260.78 + VAT = £312.94 | £240.09, no VAT |
| Pre-booked for tomorrow | £221.66 + VAT = £265.99 (15% off) | £208.58, no VAT (15% off) |
| Effective rate per loaded mile | £2.83 | £2.61 |
| Congestion Charge | Not stated; often billed after | £18 shown in the quote, at cost |
| Waiting time | 15 min free, then 75p + VAT per minute | 30 min free at each address, then 50p per minute |
| Who drives | Whichever subcontractor takes the job from their board | A vetted partner driver on our own network, visible to you by name |
| Proof | Email on delivery | Photos at collection and delivery, signature, GPS and time, live map, PDF |
Brokers aren't dishonest; they're paying a driver and keeping a margin, and the VAT alone is 20% if you can't reclaim it. For a consumer, a non-VAT direct courier is the single biggest saving available.
Popular routes, priced
SWB van, same-day. Every route page has all five vehicles and the pre-booked price.
- Birmingham to London£306.64
- Birmingham to Manchester£202.26
- Birmingham to Leeds£260.98
- Birmingham to Bristol£202.26
- Birmingham to Nottingham£131.79
- Birmingham to Leicester£112.22
- Birmingham to Oxford£163.11
- Birmingham to Sheffield£194.43
Courier price questions
- How much does a same-day courier cost per mile in the UK?
- For a dedicated vehicle, expect roughly £1.00–£1.30 per mile for a car, £1.25–£1.75 for a small or SWB van and £1.75–£2.50 for a Luton, plus a call-out of £15–£50, on a direct booking. National brokers quote one figure that works out at £2.50–£2.90 per loaded mile on a 90-mile van job once their return mileage and margin are folded in. Short jobs hit a minimum charge (£25–£90 by vehicle).
- Why do same-day courier quotes vary so much?
- Four things: whether the driver's return journey is priced in (it always is somewhere; honest quotes show it), the van size, the service level (same-day, priority, out-of-hours) and road charges like the London Congestion Charge. Brokers also add a margin for finding a driver. Ask any courier whether the price is all-inclusive before you book.
- Is next-day cheaper than same-day?
- Usually, because a next-day parcel shares a van with 100 others through two or three depots. A same-day courier is one vehicle on your job alone, so it costs more and arrives in hours instead of days. For a 30 kg box across the Midlands, next-day is £15–£30; same-day is £45–£90.
- What extras should I watch for?
- Waiting time beyond a free allowance (we include 30 minutes per address, then £0.50 a minute), Congestion Charge and ULEZ in London, toll crossings, fuel surcharges (some brokers add 5–15%), card fees, and 'failed delivery' charges. Our quote includes the road charges and never adds fuel or card fees.