Courier services for urgent and regular business deliveries

Same-day courier work is booked for collection within a short window and delivery the same day. In cities it is often done by bike or motorbike for documents and small items; beyond that, by small or large van. Price is driven by distance, vehicle size, waiting time and the time of day.

A dedicated vehicle means your consignment is the only one on board and goes directly from collection to delivery. It is what you want for high-value, fragile or confidential items, because nobody else's goods are loaded and the driver does not stop at a depot. Some couriers run multi-drop same-day services instead, which cost less but take longer.

Scheduled runs are regular collections and deliveries on fixed days and times: lab samples, spare parts to branches, internal mail between sites. They are priced by the run or by the month, and reliability matters more than speed. Ask what happens when the regular driver is off sick.

Give the courier dimensions and weight, not just a description. A small van takes a few boxes; a large panel van can take pallets, but only if someone can load them, because most couriers' vans have no tail lift and the driver will not have a pallet truck. If your goods need a forklift at either end, say so.

Vans used for carrying goods in the UK do not need an operator's licence while they stay at or below 3,500 kg gross plated weight. That changes for international work: a van over 2,500 kg maximum authorised mass carrying goods for payment in the EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland needs a standard international operator's licence. Heavier vehicles need an O-licence in any case, so a courier offering a 7.5-tonne lorry should hold one.

Couriers trade on their own terms and conditions. These usually limit liability per consignment or by weight, exclude certain goods altogether, such as cash, jewellery, fine art or medicines, and require you to report damage within a short time. Goods-in-transit insurance is common, but its limit may be well below the value of an expensive component. If you are sending something valuable, declare it in writing and ask whether the courier will accept it at that value.

Dangerous goods, including many batteries, aerosols and chemicals, are regulated for carriage by road. Some can go in small quantities under simplified rules, others need a trained driver and correct documents. Mention them before booking, not at the collection point.

For international deliveries, remember that goods leaving Great Britain for the EU need customs paperwork. A courier that offers European runs should tell you who makes the declarations and what documents you must supply before the van can board a ferry or train.

Agree what counts as proof of delivery: a signature and printed name, a photo of the item at the door, a time stamp and location. For legal documents or tenders with deadlines, you may want the courier to wait for a receipt stamp. For samples, ask whether the chain of custody is recorded.

Live tracking is common for same-day work. It is useful, but a tracking link is not a guarantee. What protects you is a clear agreed delivery deadline, a named contact at the delivery address and a courier who calls you before the deadline if something goes wrong.

• collection and delivery addresses with named contacts and opening hours
• size, weight and number of items, and whether a pallet truck is needed
• latest acceptable delivery time
• declared value and any special handling
• proof of delivery you need
• for regular work, days, times and volume per week

Many courier firms use self-employed drivers or pass jobs to partner couriers. That is legal, but you are entitled to know who will actually carry your goods, whether that driver is insured for your job and whether your consignment could change vehicles on the way. For confidential material, ask for this to be ruled out in writing.

Van drivers are covered by drivers' hours rules too, generally the GB domestic rules. A courier who promises a long-distance same-day job with a single driver after a full day's work is taking a risk with the law and with your goods.

Tell us whether the work is one-off or regular, the number and size of consignments, the rough distance and how urgent it is. We confirm your phone number by a text-message code and your email address by a link, then offer the request, without your contact details, to courier businesses in your area. Exactly one courier business can buy it, pays Offrano for it, and then no one else can. You pay nothing to us.

We email you the courier's name, address and phone number before it gets your details. For an emergency job, note that no courier has to take the request, so keep a backup option ready; unsold requests expire after 21 days. We do not check how couriers perform, only that they are registered businesses.