Why is same-day courier service more expensive? Sometimes considerably when compared to next-day services.

To answer this you need to look at what you’re getting for your money.

Firstly, there’s the time frame. If your consignment is urgent and you can’t afford to have it arrive the following day or later, then same-day delivery is the only option. Most companies will offer same-day delivery to most of mainland England, Wales, and Scotland. Some will offer a more comprehensive service to Ireland and other remote areas, as we do. Having the infrastructure to collect rapidly and then complete the job anywhere in the UK on the same day has a cost. As does having a multitude of vehicles ready and waiting to fulfill said job.

That brings us to vehicles and fleets. Overnight networks and next-day providers are typically massive, multi-national companies. Such as DHL or EVRI. These companies have substantial buying power and resources to obtain and maintain huge fleets of vehicles and reduce fuel costs. If a vehicle is off the road, it’s not a problem. Having these fleets allows these companies to price their services aggressively. Same-day providers are usually much smaller and have smaller fleets, and more bespoke vehicles tailored to the type of work they undertake. Downtime is a factor, so the costs of upkeep are higher. Without the buying power of larger companies, smaller operators have higher running costs, especially with fuel and maintenance.

Dedicated service. This is the main reason same-day is more expensive than next-day. You are paying for a turnkey solution to get your consignment from point A to B quickly, safely, and promptly. With overnight and next-day solutions your item will be transported on multiple vehicles, handled by multiple staff, and pass through several sorting facilities. At any point, your item could be damaged, lost, or even stolen. Same-day dedicated delivery will have the driver collect from your location, business or residential. The same driver will then complete the journey in the vehicle that collected your consignment. This ensures the load is handled with care and can be easily tracked.

Communication. Next-day providers are usually quite good with giving a rough time frame for your delivery. You can track your package via an app or website. But what happens if something goes wrong? Who do you contact, and how? With same-day services, from the moment you book the job to its completion, you will have a dedicated, human point of contact who will oversee your job. They will keep you informed of any issues or delays and provide accurate ETA’s. Once the job is complete they will send you proof of delivery and check to make sure you are satisfied with the service.

There’s an old idiom: “You get what you pay for”. Yes, you can pay less and send something next-day if that suits your purpose. But, more and more individuals and companies are opting for same-day. Same-day is more expensive, but the benefits almost always outweigh the cost.