Same-day courier Birmingham to London: times, costs and the ULEZ
How long a dedicated van takes from Birmingham to London, what it costs by vehicle, how the Congestion Charge and ULEZ are handled, and how to time a delivery into central London.
Birmingham to London is our most requested long run: around 126 miles door to door via the M40 or M1, two and a half to three hours in normal traffic, longer into the centre after 3pm. A van collected in Birmingham at 10am is in London before lunch.
What it costs
| Vehicle | Standard same-day | Priority (×1.25) |
|---|---|---|
| Car (documents, small parcels) | £131.70 | £164.63 |
| Small van | £162.90 | £203.63 |
| SWB van | £187.80 | £234.75 |
| LWB van | £221.00 | £276.25 |
| Luton with tail lift | £265.50 | £331.88 |
Prices include 30 minutes waiting at each end and proof of delivery. Compare that with a next-day pallet at £60–£90 that arrives tomorrow afternoon in a 4-hour window, or a Red Star-style rail option that still needs a van at each end.
Congestion Charge, ULEZ and tolls
- Congestion Charge: £15 a day if the delivery address is inside the central zone between 07:00 and 18:00 on weekdays (12:00–18:00 weekends). Charged to you at cost only if the address is inside the zone; we check at booking.
- ULEZ: all our vehicles are ULEZ-compliant, so there is no ULEZ charge to pass on. Older partner vehicles are not accepted for London work.
- M6 Toll: we usually avoid it from south Birmingham. If it saves meaningful time on a priority job we use it and pass on the £9.70 at cost.
- Dartford Crossing: £2.50 each way if the route crosses the river east of the city.
Timing a London delivery
- 1.Book before 9am for a guaranteed lunchtime delivery into zones 1–2.
- 2.Tell us the recipient's loading-bay rules: many central London offices only accept deliveries at a goods entrance with a booked slot.
- 3.For law firms and banks, give us a named person and their direct line. Reception desks in large buildings will not sign for goods.
- 4.For evening events, book out-of-hours rather than hoping a standard job runs late; the driver is then scheduled to wait.
Return loads
If you have something coming back from London the same day, say so when you book. A return leg on the same vehicle is priced as additional mileage only, with no second base fee, which usually saves 20–30% against two separate jobs.
Prices quoted are our published rates at the time of writing, with no VAT added. Enter your postcodes for a fixed price today.