Luton Van Courier with Tail Lift
Need the biggest box on the fleet, loaded and unloaded without a forklift? Our Luton van comes with its own tail lift built in, so up to five pallets or one heavy, awkward item reach the ground safely, wherever you’re delivering.
- Fully insured
- DBS-checked drivers
- 4.9 rating
Get a Quote in Minutes
Tell us what’s moving, the pickup and the drop-off. A controller calls back fast, day or night.
When should you book a Luton van courier with a tail lift?
Book a Luton van courier when your load is too big or too heavy to lift by hand: up to five pallets, roughly 1,000kg total, or a single item close to 500kg. The tail lift does the heavy work at both ends, so you don’t need a forklift, a loading bay or extra pairs of hands. Every job runs as a dedicated vehicle with one driver and a fixed price agreed before we collect.
A Luton van courier solves the job every smaller van struggles with: a genuinely heavy load at a site with nowhere to unload it. The box body swallows up to five standard pallets or around 18 to 20 cubic metres of volume, and the built-in tail lift brings loads of up to roughly 500kg per lift down to ground level, ready to move on the pump truck we carry as standard.
Load Dimensions & Payload
| Specification | Typical capacity |
|---|---|
| Load length | Approx. 4.0m box body |
| Load width | Approx. 2.0m |
| Load height | Approx. 2.2m |
| Payload | Up to approx. 1,000kg |
| Pallet capacity | 4–5 standard UK pallets |
| Tail lift capacity | Approx. 500kg per lift, with pump truck on board |
| Best for | Multi-pallet loads, heavy single items, exhibition kit and house moves where there’s no forklift or loading bay |
Why Controllers Book the Luton Van Courier First
Our controllers reach for the Luton first whenever a job description includes the words “no forklift” or “ground floor only.” It’s the one van on the fleet that can load and unload itself, so a warehouse with no dock, a shop on a high street or a house with steps out front all become routine collections instead of problems to solve.
Stepping up from an LWB van mainly means more volume and that tail lift. If your load fits inside three pallets and every site has proper loading access, the LWB will usually do the job for less. Can’t say the same about your delivery? That’s exactly the gap the Luton is built for.
Tail-Lift Delivery Anywhere
Machinery delivered to a unit with no dock, pallets unloaded outside a shop, a photocopier carried into an office, staging lowered beside a marquee in a field: the tail lift turns every one of these into a routine job rather than a logistics puzzle. Our driver lowers the platform, moves the load on the pump truck and positions it exactly where you need it, with photo proof of delivery once it’s done.
Every tail lift on the fleet is kept within the goods-lifting examination cycle set out under HSE lifting equipment regulations, which require a thorough examination by a competent person at least every 12 months. That’s not a sales line, it’s the law, and it’s one more reason our drivers can load and unload with confidence.
Volume for Removals and Events
With the biggest box on the fleet, the Luton is also the van of choice for a two-bed house move. Furniture, boxes and awkward flat-pack all fit in one run, and the tail lift means nobody’s carrying a wardrobe down a flight of stairs.
It works just as well the other way round. Exhibition stands, literature and display furniture for an event courier booking often weigh little but take up serious space, exactly the kind of bulky-but-light load that fills a smaller van long before it hits its weight limit.
Home moves alone account for around 1.2 million UK household relocations a year according to the British Association of Removers, and a fair share of those need a single, well-loaded run rather than a full removals crew. That’s exactly where a dedicated Luton with a driver earns its keep.
Insurance, Pricing and What Happens After You Book
Book a Luton van courier and you get one dedicated vehicle, one driver and a fixed all-inclusive price agreed before we collect, never a per-mile guess that changes at the roadside. Call or request a quote online, a controller confirms the vehicle and price, and we can usually be on site within 60 minutes.
Goods in transit cover sits separately from the vehicle’s own insurance, and it’s worth checking the limit matches what you’re sending, especially for machinery or high-value stock. Ask your controller when you book and we’ll confirm the figure in writing before the driver sets off. You’ll get proof of delivery the moment the job is done, so you always know exactly when your load arrived.
Bigger Still?
Need more than five pallets or beyond 1,000kg in one go? We arrange multi-drop or larger vehicle runs to match. Compare the full range on our vehicles page and we’ll match the right van to your load.
Not Sure It Fits? Ask a Real Person
Send a photo and rough measurements. A controller will confirm the right vehicle and a fixed price on the same call.
See How Each Van in the Fleet Compares
Every job gets matched to the smallest vehicle that does it properly, so you’re never paying for space or a lift you don’t need.
Small Van
Ideal for envelopes, parts and fragile items up to around 400kg, quick through town and easy to park.
SWB Van
One standard pallet or close to 800kg, the van our controllers reach for most on a typical day.
LWB Van
Three pallets, loads to 4 metres and close to 1,200kg, built for long or bulky freight.
Luton Van (Tail Lift)
Five pallets, 1,000kg and a built-in tail lift, loaded and unloaded without a forklift.
Compare All Vehicles
Load lengths, payloads and pallet capacities side by side, so you can pick the right van in seconds.
Other Vehicles and Services
Luton Van Courier FAQs
Do I need a forklift or loading bay at my premises?
No. The tail lift and the pump truck we carry handle loading and unloading at ground level, so a forklift or dock isn’t needed. Firm, flat ground close to the vehicle is all your driver needs to get started.
How many pallets does a Luton van with tail lift carry?
Four to five standard UK pallets, depending on how the weight is spread, up to around 1,000kg total. Tell us the pallet count and rough weight when you book so we send the right van first time.
Can the tail lift handle heavy machinery?
Yes, up to roughly 500kg per lift for palletised or wheeled machinery. Give us the dimensions and weight at booking so your driver arrives with the right straps and pump truck for the job.
Is a Luton van the right choice for a house move?
It’s a strong fit for a one or two-bed move. The box body holds a full flat’s worth of furniture and boxes, and the tail lift means nobody’s carrying a wardrobe down the stairs.
How often is the tail lift safety-checked?
Every tail lift on our fleet is thoroughly examined by a competent person at least every 12 months, in line with UK lifting equipment regulations. It’s a legal requirement, not an optional extra, so you can load and unload with confidence.
Do you supply a van for me to hire, or a driver as well?
Always a driver. Same Day Delivery Courier isn’t a van hire firm: you get a dedicated Luton van and an experienced driver who handles the loading, the journey and the tail-lift work at both ends.
Do I need a special licence to drive a Luton van?
No, in most cases. A standard category B car licence covers any vehicle up to 3,500kg, and almost every diesel Luton van, including ours, is plated at or under that limit. Heavier conversions above 3.5 tonnes need category C1.
Are Luton vans charged in Clean Air Zones or ULEZ?
Only if they don’t meet the emissions standard. A diesel Luton van needs Euro 6 and a petrol one Euro 4 to avoid every charge, which covers most vans registered from around September 2015 onwards.
Can an electric Luton van be driven on a car licence?
Yes. Since 2018, category B has covered alternatively-fuelled vans up to 4,250kg, 750kg above the standard diesel limit, provided the extra weight is due to the battery or fuel system.
What’s the difference between a Luton van and an LWB van?
A Luton has a separate box body over the cab, giving more height and volume, around 1,000kg payload and five pallets. An LWB van carries similar weight in a lower, longer load area better suited to long or awkward items. Still not sure which vehicle fits your job? Call our controllers on 020 4525 2039 and tell them what’s moving, or get a fixed quote online and we’ll confirm the right van and price in minutes.
“A 700kg printing machine collected from an auction, tail-lifted out and delivered into our unit — no forklift at either end. Flawless.”
— Owner, print studio, Kent
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