When a delivery has to arrive by a specific time, tell the courier about the deadline before booking. “Same day” is not enough detail if an installer is waiting, production depends on the goods or a venue closes its loading bay at a set hour.

At ACS Same Day, call 01234 385970 for a fixed delivery deadline. Have the collection and delivery postcodes, goods-ready time and load details to hand. These are the essentials for working out whether the journey is achievable and which vehicle it needs.

1. Give the deadline first

Start with the time the goods are needed, then explain what that time means. Does the vehicle need to reach the gate by 2pm, or must the load be off the vehicle before a crew starts work at 2pm? Those are different transport requirements.

Mention any booked delivery slot, production start or installer’s access window. If there is flexibility, tell us how much. A clear requirement is more useful than “ASAP” when the receiver has a specific cut-off.

2. Confirm when the goods can actually leave

The goods-ready time should include packing, labelling and any release checks. If manufacturing finishes at 9am but packing takes until 10am, use 10am as the earliest collection time.

Make sure the person releasing the shipment knows about the collection and can be contacted. A driver arriving at the right address cannot load goods that are still being prepared or waiting for approval.

3. Send the load details before choosing a van

Provide the number of items, their packed dimensions and the total gross weight, including pallets and packaging. Explain anything that affects handling: fragile equipment, long panels, non-stackable items or goods that must remain upright.

Our guide to choosing the right courier van size explains what to measure. The fleet guide helps you compare vehicles, but ask us to confirm suitability if the load is close to a limit.

Flag dangerous goods, temperature requirements and unusual handling needs at the start. These require a separate assessment and should not be booked as an ordinary van load.

4. Plan loading, access and unloading

For a factory, building site or venue, the postcode may lead to reception rather than the goods entrance. Give the correct access point and any instructions the driver needs.

• Are there height, width or weight restrictions?
• Does the driver need a booking reference, security clearance or an arrival slot?
• Is a forklift, loading bay or suitable assistance available at each address?
• Who will release the goods and who will receive them?
• What time does the receiving team finish unloading?

The sender and receiver are responsible for loading and unloading unless another arrangement has been agreed. Tell us about any tail-lift requirement before booking. Carrying equipment inside a building or setting it up is not automatically included in a courier delivery.

5. Allow for more than the driving time

A map estimate is a useful starting point, but the delivery also needs time for the vehicle to reach collection, loading, traffic, site entry and unloading. A route that looks possible on a map may leave no room for a queue at the gate.

Dedicated transport avoids routine network hub transfers and keeps your goods on the same vehicle. It still needs a realistic schedule. For a tight deadline, discuss the complete journey with our time-critical courier team before committing to a booking.

Can you book a timed delivery online?

The public calculator provides prices for standard dedicated van journeys. Online courier bookings require at least 90 minutes’ notice, but that is a booking rule, not a guarantee that every delivery deadline can be met.

Call before booking for a fixed arrival deadline, collection within 90 minutes or urgent out-of-hours collection. For larger loads or dangerous goods, use the HGV quote request or ADR quote request and make the deadline clear. These requests are priced manually; submitting one does not reserve a vehicle.

What to tell us when you call

You do not need a long brief. This is enough to start:

“We have [number of items], measuring [packed dimensions], with a total weight of [gross weight]. They will be ready at [time] at [collection postcode]. We need them at [delivery postcode] by [deadline]. Loading is by [method], and unloading is by [method].”

Add the site contacts, access instructions and the reason for the deadline. If the goods-ready time or receiving slot changes afterwards, let us know promptly so the transport plan can be reassessed.

Have a delivery deadline to meet? Call 01234 385970 to discuss the job, or read more about our time-critical courier service.