Freight, logistics and delivery companies have been around in the UK marketplace for hundreds of years, ever since there has been a need to move goods around the country. These early delivery companies, like Eddie Stobart in the 1950s, are one of the main reasons that the UK’s economy became so prosperous. It soon became a multi million pound business, and continued to expand as the economy did. Whilst the early days of delivery were with much smaller loads and had a more personal touch, haulage and logistics soon became a faceless industry moving thousands of tons of goods around the country to the beat of a rigid schedule. This is how it has operated ever since, and made a lot of sense whilst the economy was booming and there was work to spare. However, since the financial downturn of 2008/2009, the industry has changed. Sure, the big national and international players still exist, but smaller companies have had to re-evaluate the way they work in order to match changing market expectations.
This has in turn lead to somewhat of a renaissance in the old, more personal style of delivery. This is partly to do with companies that have had to move with changing markets, and partly due to the amount of small to medium sized packages brought about by online sales. This online market has boosted many delivery companies, and lots of them are reporting record profits in new areas. These are usually classified as:
2 Man Delivery
This is usually reserved for items at the larger end of the scale, such as sofas, where it takes two men to actually deliver. They will take it from the depot, load it into a van and bring it right to and inside your home.
Pick And Pack
This service is often employed by the very small delivery companies, who often buy goods by the pallet. The load is broken down by specialist warehouse staff, then repacked if necessary and delivered onwards. It usually consists of smaller items that can simply be dropped without the need for entering the house.
White Glove Delivery
A white glove service is much like the 2 man delivery, but is generally used on more specialist items. A good example of this is modern televisions, which are often large, quite delicate and need to be kept upright. A white glove service would carefully deliver the television, then help with the setting up as well. This could involve drilling, installing and mounting a wall bracket, plugging in, hiding cabling and help with the remote and set up. It is not surprising that this is the most expensive of the three, but often results in a much greater satisfaction and brand awareness.
Rob is a freelance journalist working for Panther Logisitics, a premier 2 man delivery company. He is a keen businessman and entrepenuer and loves to keep abreast with all the happenings in the business world.
