Same-day, next-day and international couriers since 2001
Rapid Despatch's Basingstoke branch, at 8 Hassocks Wood Industrial Estate, Stroudley Road, Basingstoke, RG24 8UQ, minutes from the A339 and M3. Open since 2015, and one of four branches of an independent courier company trading since 2001. Dedicated same-day vehicles, next-day, international, pallets and specialist movements.
We aim to collect within the hour across Basingstoke, sometimes in as little as 30 minutes, and never more than 90. That is a window rather than a guarantee: it depends on the postcode, where the nearest vehicle is when you ring, traffic, site access and the vehicle you need.
For urgent same-day jobs we allocate a vehicle to your consignment and drive it straight from the collection address to the recipient. Nothing passes through a parcel hub or moves between vans. We watch the job while it runs and send proof of delivery once the handover is complete.
The branch sits at Hassocks Wood, next to the Daneshill and Kingsland commercial areas. That puts us close to businesses right across Basingstoke, and out to Overton, Whitchurch, Bramley, Tadley, Odiham and Kingsclere. We aim to collect within the hour, sometimes in as little as 30 minutes and never more than 90, though how quickly we can be with you depends on your postcode, the traffic, the site access and the vehicle you need.
Two consignments travelling between exactly the same postcodes can need completely different services.
A boxed component that can arrive tomorrow suits an overnight network. A fragile prototype needed for a test this afternoon needs a dedicated vehicle. A pallet coming out of an industrial unit may need a tail lift, forklift access or a bigger vehicle than you'd think. An export needs accurate customs information as well as transport.
Tell us what you're sending, its size and weight, when it'll be ready, both postcodes and the deadline. Add loading restrictions, site contacts, booking references and any special handling. Then we can lay out the options, and you won't have to guess which service or vehicle to tick.
Same-day is for consignments that need direct handling and a controlled timescale: manufacturing parts, engineering samples, legal documents, IT equipment, exhibition material, anything that's holding up work. Some jobs stay inside Basingstoke and the villages around it. Others run straight from here to London, the Midlands, the North, Wales or Scotland. Same-day describes the plan; whether we can accept it still depends on when we can collect and how far it is.
See how same-day delivery works
When the consignment can travel through an overnight network, next-day usually costs a lot less than a dedicated vehicle. Standard next working day, pre-noon, 10.30am and selected weekend services. We'll check dimensions, weight, packaging, destination, cut-off and what happens if a connection is missed. If the item is unusually fragile, valuable, long or awkwardly shaped, tell us before booking.
View next-day courier options
Documents, parcels, pallets and freight from Basingstoke, using express air, European road, air freight and sea freight depending on the destination and the deadline. Shipments usually need a commercial or pro-forma invoice, an accurate goods description, the value, the reason for export, country of origin and a commodity code. Share the details early and we'll spot what's missing before we collect.
Explore international services
Small vans through larger Transit and Sprinter-type vans to Luton, tail-lift and heavier options. For a useful quote we need the total piece count, dimensions, weight, whether the goods stack and what loading equipment exists at both ends. Specialist consignments might need controlled handling, an agreed chain of custody or extra paperwork, so describe the goods properly.
Read about pallet and freight servicesBasingstoke has several distinct commercial areas and the collection plan changes with each one. Hassocks Wood sits next to Daneshill and Kingsland. Houndmills is over on the western side of town. Chineham Business Park and Hampshire International Business Park are north-east. Basing View is up by the town centre and the railway station, with access towards M3 Junction 6.
Each behaves differently for a driver. An estate unit might have a loading yard and a forklift, and also a numbered gate and three entrances. An office at Basing View may want reception booking, visitor registration and delivery to a loading point rather than the front door. A town-centre collection often has nowhere to wait and needs a contact standing at the door when we arrive.
So when you book, give us the business name, unit number, full postcode, which entrance, the floor or department, a contact number and any security procedure. If it's on a pallet, tell us whether there's a forklift or a loading bay. If you need a tail lift or pallet truck, ask for it at quotation. We can't assume it and then find one on the way.
We also cover residential and mixed-use areas including Old Basing, Chineham, Lychpit, Popley, Rooksdown, Oakley, Kempshott, Hatch Warren and Beggarwood. A house address can be harder than an industrial unit for a large vehicle, so mention narrow roads, height restrictions, controlled parking or a collection from a first-floor flat.
The A339 is the key local distributor, running from the north of town towards Newbury. The M3 handles the north-east and south-west corridor, and the A33 connects towards Reading. The ring road ties the commercial areas together. None of which makes journey times fixed. A motorway two minutes away doesn't help when there's an incident on it.
Traffic, roadworks, weather and the receiving site's opening hours all change the practical route. If your delivery has a production-line, court, event or aircraft deadline, give us the genuine latest acceptable arrival time instead of "as soon as possible". That lets the controller judge feasibility and build in some contingency.
For central London, airports, ports, construction sites and large distribution centres, the final mile usually matters far more than the motorway leg. Congestion charges, security gates, delivery booking slots, driver ID, loading rules and waiting time should all come out at booking.
“We needed something delivered urgently and Rapid Despatch Basingstoke were excellent. I dealt with Diane and she was very friendly and helpful including quickly responding to my (probably) annoying queries over email! The item was picked up and delivered to Central London in 2 and a half hours. Will definitely be using their services again!”
“Always plenty of work. Staff good friendly supportive and helpful”
“Regularly use Rapid Despatch to transport 'time critical parts', to and from site.....reasonable rates and reliable service. They get the job done!”
Goods in transit insurance is provided. On a dedicated vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes anywhere in the UK, account holders are covered to a maximum of £25,000. On other services, liability is limited to the value of the goods, the cost of repairing them, or £1,000 per tonne on gross weight, whichever is lowest. Cover applies in the UK and Europe and does not extend to consequential loss. Higher cover can usually be arranged before collection at an additional charge, so declare the value when you book rather than afterwards.
We aim to collect within the hour, sometimes in as little as 30 minutes, and never more than 90. That is not an unconditional promise. The real estimate depends on the postcode, where our drivers currently are, traffic, access and the vehicle needed, and we confirm it when you book.
Yes, open since 2015. 8 Hassocks Wood Industrial Estate, Stroudley Road, Basingstoke, RG24 8UQ, next to Daneshill and Kingsland. The local number is 01256 638148.
Yes. We collect in Basingstoke and arrange direct same-day delivery across mainland Great Britain where the timescale is achievable safely. Islands and the Highlands are quoted separately, because a ferry or an air leg decides the timing.
Yes. Overton, Whitchurch, Bramley, Tadley, Odiham and Kingsclere, plus the wider Hampshire and Berkshire area. Give us the full postcode for an accurate collection estimate.
Yes, depending on the load and vehicle availability. Send dimensions, weight, loading method and access information. If either end has no forklift, ask for a tail-lift arrangement before you book.
The same-day phone line runs 24/7, weekends and bank holidays included. Out-of-hours availability and price depend on where the collection is, the vehicle and the route, so ring the branch and we'll confirm. Same-day work is not tracked online; ring the branch and the controller has the driver's position. Every consignment carries a unique docket number.
Mostly it comes down to the collection and delivery locations, the vehicle, the timing, the access and any special handling. Same-day work is priced per job on those factors; account customers are quoted against agreed rates. Give us complete information and you will get a fixed price before you commit, and nothing is added to it afterwards. To see how a quote is built, read our guide to same-day courier pricing.
For an urgent collection, call the branch on 01256 638148, Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 18:00. Out of hours, existing customers can call 0345 8333 833, answered 24 hours a day. For planned same-day, next-day, international, pallet or specialist work, use the quote form and include the practical collection and delivery details. You'll get a recommendation based on your actual consignment.
