What does a same-day courier cost from Birmingham?
The honest formula behind same-day courier prices: base fee, per-mile rate, minimums and multipliers, with worked examples from Birmingham to Coventry, Manchester and London.
Most courier websites make you phone for a quote. We publish the formula instead, because once you understand it you can work out roughly what any job will cost before you book, and you'll know when another quote is unreasonable.
The formula every same-day courier uses
Whether it's written down or not, same-day pricing is a base fee for sending a vehicle to you plus a rate per mile for the run itself. Short jobs hit a minimum charge, and urgent or out-of-hours bookings multiply the result.
Price = max(minimum charge, base fee + miles × per-mile rate) × service multiplier. There is no VAT on top: we are not VAT registered, so the price shown is the full price.
Our rates
| Vehicle | Base fee | Per mile | Minimum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Car | £12 | £0.95 | £25 |
| Small van | £18 | £1.15 | £35 |
| SWB van | £24 | £1.30 | £45 |
| LWB van | £32 | £1.50 | £60 |
| Luton with tail lift | £45 | £1.75 | £85 |
Standard same-day is the base rate. Priority (nearest vehicle dispatched immediately, collection in about 30 minutes) is ×1.25. Evenings before 07:00 or after 19:00, Sundays and bank holidays are ×1.4.
Worked examples from Birmingham
| Route | Miles | Car | SWB van | Luton |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham to Solihull | 9 | £25.00 | £45.00 | £85.00 |
| Birmingham to Coventry | 22 | £32.90 | £52.60 | £85.00 |
| Birmingham to Manchester | 88 | £95.60 | £138.40 | £199.00 |
| Birmingham to London | 126 | £131.70 | £187.80 | £265.50 |
Notice the minimum charge doing its job on the short runs: a Luton van to Solihull and a Luton van to Coventry cost the same, because the fixed cost of putting a big van and driver on the road is what you're paying for, not the miles.
What's included and what isn't
- Included: 30 minutes waiting at each address, loading and unloading kerbside, goods in transit insurance to £10,000, photo and signature proof of delivery, live tracking.
- Charged only if used: waiting beyond 30 minutes (£0.50 a minute), extra drops (from £12), a second person to lift (£25 an hour), London Congestion Charge, ULEZ and tolls at cost.
- Never charged: fuel surcharge, booking fee, card fee.
Why same-day costs more than a parcel
A parcel network puts your box on a van with 120 others, through two or three depots, and delivers it tomorrow or the day after for £8. A same-day courier puts one vehicle and one driver on your job alone for two or three hours. You're paying for the whole vehicle, which is why it's £50 and not £8, and why it arrives in two hours and not two days.
How to pay less
- 1.Choose the smallest vehicle that fits. A car for documents costs half what a van does.
- 2.Book standard rather than priority if an extra half hour doesn't matter.
- 3.Have the goods ready and the contact answering their phone; waiting time is the only cost that grows.
- 4.Regular work? A business account gets a negotiated rate card and one monthly invoice.
Prices quoted are our published rates at the time of writing, with no VAT added. Enter your postcodes for a fixed price today.