Quick answer: One pallet on a dedicated same-day van starts from £49 (SWB van, around 800kg). Three pallets start from £69 (LWB van, around 1,200kg) and six from £89 (Luton with tail lift). Longer runs work out at roughly £1.10 to £1.80 per mile, depending on vehicle size, distance and urgency. Congestion Charge, ULEZ, tolls and fuel sit inside the fixed quote.
Ask three firms how much it costs to send a pallet and you’ll get three different numbers. They’re not being awkward. Pallet prices move with weight, height, distance, speed and how easy your loading bay is to reach, so a quote only makes sense once you know which of those apply to you.
What Decides the Price of a Pallet Delivery
Five things set the price. Weight comes first. A pallet of paper and a pallet of crisps take the same floor space, but one needs a van that can carry far more.
Height matters next, because a tall load can stop a pallet fitting under the roof or block a second one sitting alongside. Then you’ve got distance, how fast you need it there, and whether your site has a dock, a forklift or neither. Get those right in your enquiry and the quote you receive is the quote you’ll pay.
Not sure of the height? Measure from the floor to the highest point of the wrapped load, not the top of the pallet board.
What It Costs to Send a Pallet, by Van Size
Match the van to the load. Our published guide prices run from £39 for a Small Van (around 400kg) to £89 for a Luton. For pallets, three vehicles matter.
An SWB van takes two pallets and around 800kg, from £49. An LWB van takes three pallets, around 1,200kg and loads up to 3.3m long, from £69. A Luton with tail lift takes six pallets and around 1,000kg, from £89, with no forklift needed at either end. See the LWB van page for the full dimensions.
Those are ‘from’ prices, so distance and timing set the final figure. Watch the weight on a Luton: six light pallets fit, six heavy ones don’t. If your pallets weigh more than 1,000kg between them, say so up front and we’ll size the van to match.
How Per-Mile Pricing Works
Distance changes everything. On longer runs, pricing works out at roughly £1.10 to £1.80 per mile, depending on vehicle size, distance and urgency.
Take a 120-mile run such as London to Birmingham. On that band, the mileage alone lands somewhere between £130 and £215. Smaller vans sit toward the lower end, and rush jobs on bigger vehicles sit higher. You pay one fixed figure for the whole job, not a meter ticking while you wait.
Got a flexible collection time? Tell the controller. It gives them more room to plan your run.
Extra Charges That Catch People Out
A cheap quote can grow fast. The Congestion Charge applies in central London from 7:00 to 18:00 on weekdays and from 12:00 to 18:00 at weekends and bank holidays, according to Transport for London. ULEZ, clean air zone charges, tolls and ferry fares can follow.
Quotes elsewhere may list tail lifts, waiting time or access as separate lines. Ours doesn’t work that way. Congestion Charge, ULEZ, clean air zone charges, tolls, ferry fares and fuel all sit inside the fixed written quote, and there’s no postcode or rural surcharge. Nights, weekends and bank holidays cost a little more, and that’s inside the quote too. Our congestion charge and ULEZ breakdown shows how those add up.
Ask every firm one question: what isn’t included?
Dedicated Van or Pallet Network?
Both have a place. A pallet network moves your goods on a shared lorry, usually through depots, and it can cost less when nothing is urgent. We’d rather you choose the right service than the one we happen to sell.
A dedicated van works differently. One vehicle, one driver, one job: your pallet is loaded once, driven direct and unloaded once. Picture a trade counter in Croydon with a pallet of fittings that must reach a site in Reading before the fitters arrive. A driver is usually with you within 30 to 60 minutes of booking, and the pallet rides alone. Our same day pallet delivery page covers the vehicles and booking.
Which does your deadline actually need? If next day is fine, the network may win. If a line or a site is waiting, book the van.
How to Get an Accurate Quote First Time
Have six details ready: the number of pallets, the weight of each, the height and footprint, both postcodes, how soon you need it, and the access at each end. Is there a dock, a flat yard or just a kerb? Is there a forklift? If not, the Luton’s tail lift covers it.
Wrap and strap each pallet before the driver arrives, and keep heavy items low. The DVSA’s load securing guidance explains why an unstable load is a risk to everyone on the road. Our drivers strap and blanket every consignment, but a well-built pallet makes that quicker. If a load needs two people to lift, our two-man delivery service covers it.
Photograph the wrapped pallet before collection. It takes ten seconds and settles any argument later.
At a Glance
| Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| What’s the cheapest van for one pallet? | An SWB van, from £49, taking two pallets and around 800kg. |
| How many pallets fit on a Luton? | Six pallets and around 1,000kg, with a tail lift and no forklift needed. Guide price from £89. |
| What does per-mile pricing look like? | Roughly £1.10 to £1.80 per mile, depending on vehicle size, distance and urgency. |
| Are charges included in the quote? | Yes. Congestion Charge, ULEZ, clean air zone charges, tolls, ferry fares and fuel are all inside the fixed quote. |
| How fast can a pallet be collected? | Usually within 30 to 60 minutes in London and the South East. Nationwide, we confirm an honest ETA first. |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to send one pallet?
A single pallet on a dedicated same-day SWB van starts from £49 for local runs. Longer journeys work out at roughly £1.10 to £1.80 per mile, depending on vehicle size, distance and urgency. You’ll get a fixed written quote before you commit, and the price you confirm is the price you pay.
Is a pallet cheaper than several parcels?
Often, once you’re sending many boxes to one address. A pallet moves as a single unit, so there’s less to lose or damage. Check the weight and size first. If you only have one or two small boxes, a parcel service may be cheaper, and we’ll tell you so.
Do I need a forklift at either end?
Not with a Luton van, because its tail lift lowers the pallet to the ground. The other vans are loaded by forklift or pallet truck. Tell us about access at both ends when you enquire, and we’ll match the van to your sites.
Does the price change at night or weekends?
Slightly. Nights, weekends and bank holidays cost a little more, and the increase is already inside your fixed quote. There’s no postcode or rural surcharge added on top, so the price you’re given is the price you pay.
What if my pallet is worth more than £10,000?
Goods-in-transit cover runs to £10,000 per consignment. Higher declared values can be arranged in writing before collection, so tell us the value when you book. Public liability cover is separate, at £1,000,000.
Can you collect a pallet today?
Usually, yes, in London and the South East. A driver is normally with you within 30 to 60 minutes of booking, though we can’t guarantee that. Nationwide, we dispatch the nearest vehicle and confirm an honest ETA before you commit. Call 020 4525 2039 at any hour.
Pallet prices stop being a mystery once you know the weight, height and distance. Send us those three and you’ll have a fixed, all-inclusive quote before the pallet is even wrapped.