The introduction of tolls to new roads could have a negative effect on smaller delivery companies, as it would be an additional cost to factor into their journeys on top of fuel costs. The Treasury has said that possible new ways of funding roads would not involve pricing or tolls on existing routes, which may be of some comfort to couriers working for small delivery companies.

The Office for Budget Responsibility predicts that tax revenues from duties will fall by £13bn a year, at current prices, by 2029. This is due to increasing numbers of vehicles becoming electrified and other developments in fuel-efficiency. According to the IFS, plugging the gap would require a 50% rise in fuel duty. It recommends a nationwide system of road charging, including road tolls, to account for the loss of revenue. If the IFS’s solution were introduced, couriers would be charged by the mile. There would be higher pricing in congested areas at peak times. Consequently, couriers who work primarily in the countryside would be likely to pay less.

The Treasury and Department for Transport are in the process of carrying out a feasibility study looking at “new ownership and financing models” for the UK’s roads. The results are due in autumn. Meanwhile, Prime Minister David Cameron has suggested that private money be used to improve England’s road network. UK delivery companies could benefit from efficiency improvements brought about by better maintained roads, but smaller delivery companies could be further stretched if required to pay tolls in order to keep their courier services competitive.

If your parcel is urgent, you will have to make alternative arrangements or be prepared to pay bank holiday parcel delivery rates. When you have listed the job on DeliveryQuoteCompare.com, you can ask the transport providers whether they deliver on bank holidays. Most large parcel delivery companies will not make any collections or deliveries on Monday or Tuesday, but independent parcel delivery companies are more likely to work if a suitable price can be arranged. Unless you have negotiated bank holiday rates beforehand, any deliveries from same day couriers that fall over the bank holiday weekend will be delayed.

Remember to specify the delivery dates you need when listing the job on DeliveryQuoteCompare.com’s parcel deliveries partners websites and perhaps do some haggling to see at what price they would deliver on a bank holiday for!

The charity believes England’s motorways do not provide enough protection to drivers for an increase to the current limit. It found that half of the networks barriers are inadequate to cope with the increased speed and that neglect in the maintenance has exacerbated the issue along with trees being planted too closely to many motorways.

Later this year the Government is set to launch a consultation on the economic, environmental and safety implications of raising the limit, after the transport secretary Philip Hammond put the proposal forward last year. It is expected that if the limits where changed it would only be so on stretched which are suitable.

When the plans were announced in 2011 many motorists pointed out that the current limit on 70mph is consistently flouted and in actual fact the speed on most motorways is already 80mph. The RSF said it recognised the argument that respect for the 70mph limit was poor and it did not dismiss proposals to raise the limit. But the report concluded: “Drivers who want to are already travelling at 80mph when they can. Economic benefits only arise if ’80 means 90′ and opinion surveys show no public support for that. However, large economic benefits arise from fixing the motorways systematically rather than raising the speed limit.”
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The new rule is aimed at reducing drink-driving problems in the country which were responsible for around 4,000 deaths last year. It is believed that police will not be enforcing the rules or fines until November, but couriers are being urged to purchase the kits now and get into the habit of ‘self-testing’ before driving if they have been drinking the night before.

The kits cost less than £3 and the Freight Transport Association believe French Police will use their own, more sophisticated testing kits if they suspect someone exceeds the drink-drive limit. However, the kits only last around two years so they will need replacing regularly.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on this, especially if you are a European Courier who regularly travels to or through France. Do you think the initiative will have any effect? Should the UK bring in similar rules? Leave a comment below, or let us know on Twitter or Facebook.

Couriers should have a good working knowledge of the routes they commonly use and the cities in which they work. They should be familiar with the streets, parking laws and regulations, and they should also be aware of the locations of the businesses and individuals that they frequently do courier jobs for. Planning ahead can prevent rushed, panicked driving. Advanced planning can be more complicated for European and international couriers, but it is worth researching unfamiliar areas beforehand to prevent unnecessary risks.

A report carried out for Transport for London investigated the safety risks encountered by motorcycle couriers. They interviewed 155 individuals working in food delivery and the courier services industry. The report found that on average, motorcycle couriers make over 100 deliveries per day and cover a distance of 112 miles. Around a third of courier companies deploy riders who only hold provisional licenses, and only 30% of companies insist that their riders have clean driving licenses. Around half of all courier companies impose time limits on deliveries. The most common penalties incurred for late delivery are financial. This may involve pay deductions or losing certain lucrative clients.

Keeping to deadlines can be a stressful aspect of courier jobs, but it is important that drivers do not forfeit road safety considerations for the sake of financial reward.

Finding a European courier doesn’t need to be complicated. Once you have completed our quick quote form, couriers from all our European courier companies can quote for the job, allowing you to choose the cheapest, most appropriate service for your particular delivery. If a vehicle has already been booked to go to Europe, it is likely to have spare capacity. This means the courier has already covered their costs, so they can use their extra space to transport your item at a lower price.

If international parcel delivery services do not suit your consignment, DeliveryQuoteCompare.com also provides access to transport for larger items. Air freight and international shipping services cater for larger shipments, and such shipments can be delivered to most destinations worldwide. Once registered, you will have access to courier services that specialise in transporting bulky items by air or sea. These specialist couriers have a good understanding of the standard customs procedures that apply to international deliveries. When you send or receive parcels from overseas, you may have to pay extra tax or duty charges, so we recommend you ask your transport provider for advice or check the HM Revenue & Customs website.

• Wrap each item separately. Your parcel will be shaken up during transit, so each item should be wrapped carefully in bubble wrap. If you are packing multiple items together, they should not be touching.
• Use a strong box. Although it can be tempting to reuse an old box, it may not protect your goods adequately. Parcel delivery companies recommend that you use a corrugated fibreboard box with a strong outer wrapping.
• Create a double wall at the bottom of the box. Insert a double layer of corrugated card on top of a layer of cushioning material. You can do the same with the sides of the box for extra protection.
• Cushion your items well. Fill the spaces in the box with with polystyrene chips, polythene foam, additional bubble wrap or crumpled paper. Take particular care to cushion fragile items. The contents should not be touching the outer packaging.
• Create another cardboard double wall on top. Firmly place the card on top of the cushioning material and add extra cushioning on top.
• Close the parcel carefully. Make sure the flaps of the box are intact and no cushioning material can escape.
• Seal the parcel with strong tape. Parcel delivery companies suggest plastic or reinforced carbon tape, rather than ordinary household tape.
• Don’t strap two parcels together. Strapping is liable to get caught up during the delivery process, and the parcel delivery company will not pay compensation for parcels that were lost or damaged because they were bound together.
• Address the parcel properly. The recipient’s address and postcode should be clearly written on the parcel. Additionally, write your own address, post code and phone number on the outside and inside of the parcel in case the parcel delivery company has any queries during transit.

Here’s DeliveryQuoteCompare.com’s guide to fuel options:

Diesel versus petrol

In comparison with petrol-engined vans, those powered by diesel produce significantly lower CO2 emissions and have a lower impact on climate change. However, diesel engines emit greater levels of air pollutants than new petrol-engined vehicles.

If most of your jobs  involve long distance or motorway driving, you should consider a diesel engine for fuel efficiency and lower CO2 emissions. On the other hand, if you tend to cover shorter distances and spend more time driving in town, a petrol engine may be a better choice because air quality is a greater consideration.

Gas-powered vans

Vans powered by liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) or compressed natural gas (CNG) are generally converted from petrol-fuelled vans. This can be done by the original manufacturer or by an aftermarket converter.

Vehicles powered by LPG tend to fall between petrol and diesel in terms of CO2 performance. CNG offers even lower CO2 emissions than LPG, and is typically comparable with diesel. Only a small number of fuel retailers sell CNG or LPG, so most vans capable of running on these gases tend to be ‘bi-fuel’, meaning they can run on either petrol or the gaseous fuel.

Hybrid vans

Hybrids combine an internal combustion engine with an electric motor and battery, and there are various ways in which they can operate. For example, the electric motor can be used to provide extra power during acceleration. The battery can then be recharged by the internal combustion engine or from energy absorbed during braking.

Hybrids offer reduced fuel consumption and CO2, with potentially some reduction in the emission levels of local air pollutants.

Biofuels

Biofuels are derived from crops, and they can offer substantial reductions in CO2 emissions compared with petrol and diesel. Most biofuels are sold in blends of up to 5 per cent with petrol (bioethanol) and up to 7 per cent with diesel. These are suitable for use in all vehicles. A few manufacturers allow the use of higher blends of bioethanol in their vehicles, but you will need to check first.

Certain manufacturers offer ‘flexi-fuel’ vehicles that can run on bioethanol blends up to E85 – a blend of 85 per cent bioethanol and 15 per cent petrol – as well as fossil petrol. However, only a very small number of retailers offer this type of fuel.

You will need courier insurance in order to run your business. This should be considered for any business that carries goods for hire and reward on a multi-drop basis. You are not just transporting your own goods or carrying goods to be sold elsewhere – you are responsible for keeping other people’s possessions safe and delivering them directly. This means you will require more than a standard insurance policy.

As with any type of insurance, there are a number of courier insurance options you can choose from. You will need to decide between third party and comprehensive cover. You will also have the option of adding named drivers or having an “any driver” policy, depending on how many drivers work for your courier company. Other options include glass cover, legal costs, the level of excess, a protected no claims discount (NCD), and a replacement vehicle in case of breakdown. You may decide you would rather pay extra to guarantee a replacement vehicle rather than lose money on downtime.

It may be cheaper to take out a policy for light haulage rather than courier insurance, although not all companies offer light haulier insurance. Light haulier insurance often restricts the number of loads you can carry in a day, and some policies may limit cover to pre-booked jobs. Certain transport companies prefer to give work to drivers with courier insurance rather than light haulier insurance, so it is worth asking around before making your decision. Whatever insurance option you choose, always do your research and check the wording of the policy for any exclusions. Make sure you are covered for the all the courier jobs you intend to do.

For those of you who intend to assist with moving the piano, here are some tips.

• Make sure there are enough people to help you. Pianos are heavy and awkward to move, so you will need some extra hands. When you you have listed the job on DeliveryQuoteCompare.com and couriers start to bid, you can ask them if they will be bringing any assistants to help.

• If you are using a courier rather than a man and van, you may need to rent or purchase some equipment. You will need heavy-duty straps that will give you a better grip on the piano. Using a furniture dolly is also recommended, and the straps can be used to secure the piano to the dolly. Man and van companies will have specialist knowledge of such equipment.

• Close and lock the keyboard lid. The keys are fragile and must be protected. If the lid does not lock, make sure it is closed when you wrap the piano.

• Use blankets and padding to wrap the piano, particularly the corners, securing it with packing tape.

• When lifting the piano, do not do so by its legs, as they are very vulnerable. Always keep the piano in an upright position. Laying it on its side is bad for the mechanics.

• With two people at each end of the piano, place the straps under the bottom of it. With one person supporting each corner, lift it onto the dolly. Now secure it, ensuring that the legs are sitting flat on the dolly.

• Put the piano at the back of the van, against the wall that separates the van’s interior cab from the space in the back.

Use DeliveryQuoteCompare.com to find the right delivery service for the job.