Book the wrong vehicle and you either overpay or your item doesn't fit. Here's how to size it correctly, using our actual fleet — not generic guesswork.
Book the wrong vehicle and you either overpay or your item doesn't fit. Here's how to size it correctly, using our actual fleet — not generic "small, medium, large" guesswork.
The line-up
Motorcycle — up to 20kg
Best for: single documents, small parcels, samples. Fastest through city traffic and the cheapest option when the item is genuinely small — starts at £35.
Small Van — up to 700kg
Best for: a handful of boxes, retail stock top-ups, multiple small items on one run. Starts at £45.
Medium Van (Transit SWB / Trafic MWB) — 900kg to 1,100kg
Best for: larger multi-box shipments, small furniture, equipment that won't fit in a car but doesn't need a full van. Starts at £55-£60.
Mercedes Sprinter Luton (two variants) — up to 1,200kg
Best for: pallets, bulk stock, furniture, machinery parts. Starts at £80. Tail-lift equipped, which matters if you're moving anything you can't lift by hand.
How to choose without overpaying
The mistake most people make is booking a bigger vehicle "to be safe." That's how a £35 motorcycle job turns into an £80 Luton booking for a parcel that would've fit in an envelope. The honest approach:
- Weigh it, don't guess it. If it's under 20kg and fits under an arm, it's a motorcycle job.
- Think about handling, not just size. A single heavy item that needs a tail lift (over roughly 25kg, or awkward to carry) pushes you toward the Luton tier even if it's not bulky.
- Ask about the collection/drop-off postcode. If either end is in the EC1 or WC1 congestion zone, that's a flat £18 congestion charge regardless of vehicle — factor it in before comparing quotes.
One thing to flag if you're planning ahead
If you're booking a recurring same-day slot (daily stock runs, weekly document transfers), telling us the typical size in advance means we can pre-allocate the right vehicle tier and skip the guesswork every time you book.
Get the right vehicle, first time
Tell us what you're sending — weight, rough dimensions, and whether it needs a tail lift — and we'll match the vehicle rather than upsell one. Get a quote
Marcus Thorne
Senior Logistics Director
Marcus has overseen over 50,000 urgent consignments across the UK courier network. He specializes in supply chain logistics and time-critical freight.