Same-day, next-day and international couriers since 2001
Rapid Despatch Logistics Ltd is an independent courier company, established in 2001, with four branches in Hampshire and Berkshire, covering Berkshire, Hampshire and Surrey, twelve people in operations and around fifty drivers. We run dedicated vehicles rather than a parcel network: one driver collects and delivers, and nothing is sorted or transferred on the way.
When a deadline is about to slip, the same-day line is answered by a person, 24 hours a day. We aim to collect within the hour, sometimes in as little as 30 minutes, and never more than 90. That is a window rather than a guarantee: it depends on where the nearest vehicle is when you ring.
Choose same-day when tomorrow would cost you something: a stopped line, a missed appointment, an installation that fails, a legal deadline. Your goods go in a dedicated vehicle on a direct route. We carry everything from envelopes to pallets, as long as we can match the item to a vehicle that can take it safely. We collect anywhere in the UK, normally within 90 minutes, and run the job end to end under one docket.
Learn about same-day delivery
The economical choice for well-packed goods that can travel through an overnight network. Standard next working day, delivery by noon, delivery by 10.30am, and weekend services on suitable consignments. We’ll check the cut-off, the dimensions and the packaging first. Miss the cut-off and we’ll price a dedicated alternative so you can compare.
Explore next-day options
International shipping is never only about speed. Contents, value, commodity code, reason for export and paperwork all shape the route. We arrange express documents and parcels, European road, air freight, sea freight, imports and urgent on-board courier movements, and we help you get the booking information right the first time.
View international courier services
One pallet, several pallets or a larger load, by dedicated vehicle, same-day or booked ahead. We build the service around dimensions, weight, loading method, site access and deadline.
Find out about pallet and freight delivery
Some jobs need a plan rather than a booking. We handle urgent on-board international courier work, sensitive documents, exhibition and event movements, high-value and fragile goods, and consignments with particular handling or paperwork behind them. We confirm what we’re carrying before we accept it, then agree the vehicle, handling, handover and evidence.
Discuss a specialist movement
From Reading and Southampton: storage, pick and pack, e-commerce fulfilment, point-of-sale campaign support, returns processing, kitting, labelling and distribution. Reading has around 7,000 sq ft. It scales to a single campaign, a seasonal peak or an ongoing outsourced operation. Because storage and delivery sit in the same business, an urgent order doesn’t wait for the standard carrier collection.
See storage and fulfilment servicesGive us both postcodes, the goods, pieces, rough size and weight, the deadline and anything awkward about either site.
For same-day we confirm the price and expected collection time before you commit; for network and international we check cut-offs, packaging and documents first.
A driver is allocated, checks the consignment at collection, and proof of delivery follows the handover.
Our four branches are in Hampshire and Berkshire, covering Berkshire, Hampshire and Surrey, with nationwide and international delivery.
Branch
8 Hassocks Wood Industrial Estate, Stroudley Road, Basingstoke, RG24 8UQ
01256 638148Opened 2015, near the A339 and M3.
Basingstoke servicesBranch
Ferneberga House, Alexandra Road, Farnborough, GU14 6DQ
01252 640064Opened 2007, on the A331 and M3, covering the Blackwater Valley and the Surrey border.
Farnborough servicesBranch
Unit 7, Robert Cort Industrial Estate, Britten Road, Reading, RG2 0AU
0118 987 5979Opened 2007, near the A33 and M4, with around 7,000 sq ft of storage.
Reading servicesBranch
Unit 2, 424 Portswood Road, Southampton, SO17 3SD
023 8055 3322Our first branch, opened 2001, and our registered office. Storage and fulfilment on site.
Southampton servicesIf your item is small, well packed and not urgent, a parcel network such as Royal Mail, Evri, DPD or Parcel2Go will usually be cheaper, and we will tell you so. Rapid Despatch is built for the opposite job: your consignment goes in a vehicle allocated to it alone, driven by one person from your door to theirs.
“Great same day service and price. Always able to help. Would definitely recommend”
“Regularly use Rapid Despatch to transport 'time critical parts', to and from site.....reasonable rates and reliable service. They get the job done!”
“Extremely helpful and efficient, excellent service”
The European Union is preparing one of its biggest updates to low‑value import rules in years, and if your business sends or receives goods from the EU, these changes will affect how you ship, declare, and budget for…
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In today’s global logistics environment, customs authorities and international carriers are enforcing stricter documentation and data‑accuracy requirements than ever before.
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When time is tight, finding a clear, fair price for a same day delivery can feel harder than it should. You want a straight answer, no hidden extras, and confidence that your item will get there on time.
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Businesses shipping to Northern Ireland should prepare for the new regulations under The Windsor Framework , affecting parcel movements from Great Britain (GB) to Northern Ireland (NI) .
Read moreYes. We collect anywhere in the UK, normally within 90 minutes, and run the job end to end under one docket. Our quickest response is around our four branches in Hampshire, Berkshire and Surrey. The Highlands and Islands, other islands and parts of Wales are quoted separately, because the timings there depend on the route rather than the mileage.
Overnight and international consignments are tracked online. On same-day work the office tracks the vehicle and updates you by phone, because the driver is on one job rather than scanning through a network. Proof of delivery closes every job, and if your process needs a signature, a photograph or a named-person handover, tell us at booking.
Our urgent same-day phone line runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Email and web forms are handled during staffed periods, so ring us if it can’t wait.
Every same-day job has a minimum charge, the first miles cost more per mile than the rest, and waiting and extra stops are charged on top. The price is fixed before you book. How same-day pricing works
No. You do not need an account to get a quote or to book by phone. An account gives you agreed terms, invoicing rather than payment on the day, and access to online booking and tracking.
Yes. We handle one-off bookings, repeat routes, account work, fulfilment programmes and planned distribution projects. Account customers can set up standing booking details, references, authorised contacts and reporting so future jobs take a minute rather than ten.
Send the collection and delivery postcodes, the item details and the deadline, and we’ll come back with a recommendation. If it’s urgent, pick up the phone instead of waiting on email.
