5 consignments where you would consider a haulage company

Haulage Companies are different to Couriers, as they tend to concentrate on distribution of large parcels or consignments, for example pallets or manufactured products. Couriers tend to concentrate on smaller items and work as an alternative to the general Post Office, where as Haulage companies could be considered more specialists in terms of the shipments they make.

Here are different types of consignments that you would ship via Haulage rather than Courier.

1. Retail. Bulk distribution of retail products – for example pallets of food or refrigerated goods. Haulage companies can transport these with ease and with the use of refrigerated trucks can keep products fresh for the arrival at their destination.

2. Manufacturing. In Manufacturing there is very often a requirement to send large, bulky products from one destination to another. These products would simply be too big to fit into the van of a courier so need to be shipped via a haulage company.

3. Construction. Again, as with Manufacturing, the construction industry might consider a haulage company to transport large, bulky items such as slabs or girders. On the other side of construction a haulage company might be asked to transport machinery such as small diggers!

4. Scrap Metal. Transportation of scrap metal is something that haulage companies can do with considerable ease. Although this is something that a courier company might also be able to do it is a lot more efficient for a haulage company to carry out this task as they transport the metal in bulk, which would offer considerable cost savings to the merchant.

5. Containers and Pallets. Haulage companies can specialise in the transportation of containers and pallets from one destination to another. If you have pallets or containers being delivered by ferry they can collect them at the port and take them to your destination. Again, this is another example of how a haulage company can easily deal with large and bulky items.

Things to consider when picking a haulage company

Swindon Haulage companies offer a service that allows you to send consignments that a standard courier won’t usually accept. This can be because the item is too big, bulky, fragile or heavy for a courier company to transport. Haulage companies tend to be specialists in delivering these sorts of consignments and offer a reliable solution in doing so.

As with any standard courier company there are many haulage companies out there, so finding the right one can sometimes be a daunting task. If you are new to dealing with haulage companies it’s probably a good idea to go with one with a good reputation. Remember that price isn’t always everything and you often get what you pay for, but on the flip side remember that you don’t always get value for money!

A well established haulage company will have a web site, maybe introducing you to members of their team and telling you a little bit about how long the company has been in operation, who their clients are etc. A haulage company that has really gone to town investing in marketing will also show up well in the search engine rankings.

Whilst looking on their web site, do they have any testimonials from other clients? This is often a good place to start looking, although be careful because not many companies will actually put a bad review on public show!

A big think to check for with any haulage company or courier is insurance. What insurance do they offer for your consignment should it get lost or damaged? It’s always good to know that you have peace of mind in the event of an accident. Remember that the loss of a consignment is not always down to the haulage company so make sure you have covered all your bases in this respect.

It’s really good to hear how a haulage company might interact with its clients. How do they answer the phone, do they answer emails in a timely fashion? This is normally a good indication into how organized and professional the haulage company is. As with anything first impressions last!