So lets kick of with one of the most important when you head out on your journey which is vision.

There are a number of things to consider when we talk about vision so lets break it down

1) Having clear vision through your vehicles windows. Sounds obvious i know but the amount of people that just dont bother until they get their car valeted or washed every two weeks is astonishing. If your windows and mirrors are dirty and that low sun hits at the start/end of the day its almost like driving blind, its absolute madness to not keep on top of this so before you set off in the morning make sure you give any windows and mirrors that need it a wipe over it takes 5 mins to do a whole car but could be a life saver.

2)Moving on from point one, your vision, if you wear prescription glasses make sure you have a spare pair with you in the glove box as a back up, you never know when that annoying little screw is going to fall out.

3)Sunglasses make sure you have a set with you, often that first or last half hour of sunlight is the most dangerous, where the visor doesn’t quite block enough of the sun out and you end up squinting, this is again where you put yourself and other in jeopardy. Keeping a pair in the glove box is just a sensible precaution to another of the roads hazards.

4) Windscreen wipers and screen wash. Before you set of just check that you have enough screen wash in and that your wipers are actually functioning as they should, we all get caught in those showers which then kick up dirt from the road or behind the lorry that’s splattering mud all over the p[lace. Make sure your not caught out without the tools to clear your screens properly, don’t delay when that orange light comes on for the washers thinking there’s an infinite supply of screen wash in there, it will run out at some point

Safe driving and look out for part 2

Kev

According to the oxford dictionary Economy means -  careful management of available resources (in this case money)

so in terms of delivering and transport, Economy delivery is normally a level of service which indicates some compromise on the delivery offering, so for example if you wanted a pallet delivered from birmingham to leeds you

photo credit: Leo Reynolds via photopin cc

could request two quotes based on either a dedicated service or an Economy Service.

On a dedicated service the client would set the terms for delivery ie times for collection and delivery, levels of insurance and so on. On an Economy service the compromise would be that it would not be a dedicated vehicle, the times would need to be more flexible to suit the route the vehicle was taking so the terms are set more by the company delivering the goods, the trade off for this would be that the cost would be substantially reduced.

An Economy service offered by us would NOT mean a compromise in the handling of the goods nor the quality of the service provided. We pride ourselves in treating ALL of our clients and their goods with the up most respect and consideration.

If you are looking for a more dedicated, bespoke service please feel free to visit our sister site here which will fulfil all of your needs.

If you are happy to look for a more economical solution to your delivery needs then please fill out our contact form  where we will be able to give you a price and the options available to you.

Well the delivery driver / white van man has over the years recieved alot of bad press, they are uintidly dressed (apparently), they drive like maniacs (so they say) and they have no regard for anything or anyone else apart from themselves (so its said)

Is this really true?

Of course there are in the minority a few stereotypical drivers like this but at cheap ebay couriers you wont find one.

photo credit: Leo Reynolds via photopin cc

There is a world of difference between these guys and professional couriers. Our drivers do not speed, how do i know this? well thats easy our vehicles are tracked and if a driver exceeds the speed limit on any road the office gets an email notification then the driver is reprimanded.  To be honest most drivers that drive for a living now stay pretty much within the speed limits what with mobile cameras and Traffic police on every corner it wouldn’t take long for them to loose their license if they were reckless.

My drivers and most other professional couriers take pride in the vehicles they drive, they are well presented (clean) inside and out, you wont find 10 day old Maccy D wrappers in there, this is their place of work why would they want to drive around in a skip all day week in week out.

The drivers that work for us are also not only well presented but well mannered, when they are out on the road they are not only representing our business often they are representing other businesses, if they go around shouting and swearing at every given opportunity our customers would soon find transport elsewhere.

Couriers are in my opinion the white knoghts on the road, they are the first to stop and help if someone on the road is in trouble, the amount of times ive seen a van driver pushing broken down cars onto the verge or hard shoulder is astounding whilst others just sit and watch pretending not to notice.

Of course as i said earlier there are always exceptions to this but take it from me they dont last long in the courier business.

If you want to see how a proffesional courier acts give us a try next time you need something delivered you may well be pleasantly surprised.

rgds

Kevin

1)Communications

Makes sure before you leave for any journey even if its just popping down to the local shops that you firstly have you

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mobile phone on you, and if possible fully charged. If you are notoriously forgetting to charge your phone or use it alot make sure you have a car charger capable of charging your phone whilst you are in your vehicle. Also make sure in your mobile phone you have the number of you recovery service with the account number as an additional line, if you do have a breakdown you firstly need to make sure you have enough power in your phone to call for help and secondly you have the right number. Another reason for carrying your phone is to report any incidents you may come across  It should go without saying but if you do need to make a call for any reason make sure you have pulled over preferably or talking on a hands free kit.

2)Supplies.

putting some basic supplies in the boot or cab of your vehicle is a must, i could rant on about all the things you need but as a few examples and what I would deem to be essential listed below are just a few examples.

1)Bottled Water – not only for drinking but in case you need it for the radiator.

2)Some type of snack, preferably a protein bar to keep you nourished.

3)A torch for obvious reasons

4)A Hi Viz Vest so in poor visibility if you need to leave the vehicle other motorists can still see you.

5) Blanket or coat if your engine malfunctions the heater generally goes of as well.

6)Medical kit, you can buy inexpensive car first aid kits, you never know when these may come in useful

When packing your boot also think of your passengers, if you have children in the car make sure there is enough food and drink for them, especially important if you have babies or very young children.

Look out for the next in the series

safe driving

Kevin

So the first in a series of blogs is here

1) Check you tyres

Makes sure that your tyres are inflated to the correct psi for the make of tyre that you have, do a visual check to make

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sure that there are no signs of wear on the tyre wall and that there is nothing sticking out of them. If your tyre havent been checked for a while check all the wheel nuts are also tight. go to where the spare is kept and make sure that it is inflated, in good condition and that the wheel brace and jack are present and working. Be honest with yourself when did you really last check these?. So many accidents can be prevented by these simple checks if you are unsure on any aspect of this take the vehicle to your local tyre dealer and ask them to check for you and if they do find a fault ask them to show you so you know what to look for next time.

2) Windscreen wash & wipers.

you should always know where the bonnet catch is in case of emergencies, if you are not sure refer to the handbook that came with the car or often a quick internet search will give you the answer. So checking the washer levels is easy, its a visual check, dont rely on your dashboard lights telling you when its empty, these do go wrong. all reservois have a max level marked on them. If its low refill using not only water but also the correct amount of screen wash also.

checking the blades and wipers is also simple, sit in the drivers seat and test them, if they are missing parts of the scree this may be due to wear and will probably need replacing, test the washer jets, if they miss the windscreen get a pin and slightly adjust them until the jet hits the screen properly.

If in any doubt about either of these point take your car to a local service centre and they will assist you with this.

I know it all sound simple and improbably teaching you to suck eggs however its remarkable how many frequent car and van users just forget or are in to much of a rush to carry out these basic check but ultimately they could be life saving

safe driving

Kev

So right from the start here at Cheap Ebay couriers  we are very careful not to over promise, why say you can do a job when its not the type of work you do? it makes no sense just leads to disappointment and frustration. On our blog we are careful about what we write about, we talk from experience and first hand knowledge not guess work. 

So some food for thought here i will list the top 3  things that as a purchaser of transport you should be careful about and as a delivery company we should be careful about.

From the Buyers perspective

1) Be careful when explaining you requirements, even small details can make a difference, whether that be size of the item (it might not fit on the allocated van) or the location (delivery is often worked out on a mileage basis)

2)Be Careful when booking your transport company, ask the right questions and when you book them you should be feeling confident that your requirements will be met, check out this post if you want to know more

3)Be careful when it comes to getting the final quote, too cheap and they probably wont turn up, to expensive and you will be out of pocket, make sure the price includes VAT and there are no fuel surcharges or time charges for delays.

From the Sellers perspective

!) We are always careful in ensuring we have all the relevant information before quoting for a job, and before a final price is given we summarise the customers requirements so all bases are covered.

2)We are always careful with the goods we collect, broken or damaged goods are no use to anybody

3)We are always careful when making a collection and delivery, our service is a professional one and whether we work for other businesses or private individuals we are always careful to promote ourselves and our clients in the manner the would want.

REMEMBER  if you would like a quote for any transportation needs please do either phone on 0800 917 7084 or submit one of our quote forms 

Rgds

Kevin

So what makes their service so attractive to potential clients?

photo credit: Rob Igo Photography via photopin cc

Is it that they offer fixed costs per pallet for most UK destinations?

Is it the flexibility on quantity they offer?

Is it the time offered to deliver?

Is it the level of insurance offered?

Is it the convenience of booking online without an account?

Maybe its the case that customers just dont know where else to go. When you look closely at the service being offered and the promises being made is it actually right for your company?

Do the risks out weight the gains?

Lots of pallet companies will not offer the levels of insurance that cover the replacement value of the goods being sent, remember this is a bulk service, you as the client will not have a clue as to what vehicle is turning up at your clients premise or how the driver talks to your client or even how well presented they are, they are after all representing YOUR business.

In tough times in business the details matter, its not only about cutting costs and taking shortcuts its about maintaining    your relationship with your clients, it doesn’t matter whether its business to business or business to consumer, reputation and service are often whats talked about and as beneficial as word of mouth marketing can be it can also be damming to your business.

At cheap ebay couriers we don’t cut corners we are run by a professional dedicated courier service used to delivering the highest levels of service so your company is represented as you would hope it to be.

Next time you want to send a pallet out ask your delivery company a few questions as above and if you dont get the answers you want give us a call on 0800 917 7084 ask us and see the difference

rgds

Kevin

photo credit: Monceau via photopin cc

B is for Bulky, in an previous post how to get you bulky item delivered we explain what defines a bulky item.

Bulky, ugly or oversized cargo is a transport companies nightmare, parcel companies will if outside their parameters either charge you a fortune or refuse to take it, the same with pallet companies so why is that?

Well  for parcel companies it means either a two man lift due to health and safety or it means that the item will not fit on their conveyor belt when going through the sorting process so its more labour intensive (according to them) to have to have two people walk the item from one end of the sorting chain to the other, whether in reality this happens or not in some cases is probably debatable.

As far as pallet companies go slots on their vehicles are allocated according to standard pallet sizes of 1200x1000x1000 usually, so if they get a item that is outside of these measurements even by  a fraction the will charge twice the space.

Also something to consider with the pallet companies is if the item is unstackable, if it needs to be put on the top of another pallet as all vehicles double stack their pallets again this adds an extra charge as it means only 1 of 26 spaces are available rather than 1 of 52.

So other than over hanging pallets what type of items are classed as oversized/ bulky?

In recent times to give you an example apart from the obvious things like 3 seater sofas, wardrobes and furniture we have moved some interesting items that customers found difficult if not impossible to get regular transport companies to move such as a 7 foot stuffed grizzly bear from the 1600′s, a 5 foot square paper mache foot and a pyramid of doughnuts just to name a few.

If you are having trouble finding a company to move your goods at a reasonable rate give us a call on 0800 917 7084 or ask us for a quote via our quote form

rgds

Kev

Well apart from the obvious when making deliveries there are lots of precautions you can take to make the whole process smoother which leads to avoiding potential issues. So here are just a few

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1. Avoid breakages – make sure the item to be delivered if it has breakable parts is bubble wrapped or packaged so damage does not occur.

2. Avoid missed collections and deliveries – when you book cheap ebay couriers we will let both points know when to expect us (as in AM/PM) if you go out make sure you have a mobile phone on you with enough battery on it so it doesnt go flat after 10 minutes and you are waitng for the phone to ring and its just not gonna happen and make sure where you are there is a strong mobile phone signal.

3.Avoid extra costs – When you book a courier be absolutely honest about the item/ items for delivery if you have 10 boxes to deliver and agree a price don’t try to give the driver 20 boxes without having agreed it first, not only may the items not fir into the vehicle but extra costs will be involved so get it right from the off.

4. Avoid Delays – If your collection and or delivery address is know not to be found via its postcode (ie satnav compatible) let the delivery company know this in advance, provide verbal directions and highlight this at the point of booking, also if either location has parking issues ie its on a red route or permit parking again let the delivery company know, these might be things that dont seem to matter but the last 200 yards of any delivery can be a nightmare if this type of information is not communicated properly.

These are just a few of the things to avoid so when you have an item for delivery bear these in mind, when the organisation of deliveries are made well the delivery is always with cheap ebay couriers problem free

rgds

Kev

Car seats can wear out, the springs can go, the sliding mechanisms can become faulty. You may just want to upgrade you seats or put more comfortable ones in like bucket seats.

In commercial vehicles the drivers seat wears out very quickly and quiet often long distance drivers will buy new seats that offer more comfort and support than the standard ones that come with the vehicle.

photo credit: Michael Fienen via photopin cc

Whether you are selling or buying replacement seats they still need to be transported. most carriers will insist that they are boxed up or palletised for transport which can be a pain especially if you only have 1 or 2 seats to move.

At cheap ebay couriers none of that is essential, when we move car seats be it  they are drivers, passenger or bench seats we provide blankets to cover and protect them from damage, this can save alot on buying small quantities of packaging which is always more expensive than buying in bulk.

If you are a company or business that supplies car or van seats look at your packaging costs and delivery costs and see if you are overspending on unnecessary supplies because this is what your delivery company insists on rather than it being how you would like to send your goods out.

If you are an individual that has bought some second hand seats choose an courier company that doesnt insist on excessive packaging, it just adds to the cost of your purchase with little gain for you.

If you would like a quote for your car seat delivery need either use the quote form here or give us a call on 0800 917 7084

rgds

Kev