Image via WikipediaHow? By adding our details to your listing!
Why? Because it helps sell bulky and awkward items easier, oh and we give you a referral bonus or discount as well.
If you have an antique, awkward, fragile or bulky item to sell on ebay, then just add the following piece of code to your listing, by cutting and pasting.
<a href="mailto:sarah@arrowlighthaulage.co.uk?subject=Chelmsford Courier from Ebay listings!">Email for a free no obligation delivery quote by clicking here</a>
People are more likely to buy an item if delivery isn't going to be a problem, and it isn't a problem when you use Arrow Light Haulage, we'll help you sell more of your large, bulky or awkward items on ebay!
Image via WikipediaOnce upon a time, Byte and Bit Server manufacturers needed to have one of their servers delivered to a customer. They had decided wisely that a courier should deliver the server units, as with the credit crunch and economic downturn, they would save money by no longer having their own delivery vans and drivers. They were saving a small fortune until they employed Breakit & Bashit couriers, the cheapest company in town.
They rubbed their hands with glee, they were certainly going to save money here! They called B&B in, and they had the wrong size vehicle booked, the booking clerk didn't take the correct details, not to worry, they will send a new correctly sized vehicle. They did 4 hours later, but that was ok, they would still just get it to their important new customer on time.
The server had to be laid down, and the van didn't have carpet on the floor, so it had to be pushed onto the van carefully or the outer casing of the unit would get damaged through the packaging. B&B also had some furniture on the van and shoddily wrapped pallet of ball bearings. The driver didn't seem to bothered about this, so Byte and Bit and didn't worry after all, they were in the hands of the professionals.
The driver took the paperwork and set off on his journey. On the M25 he did a lot of violent braking and fast accelerating, and the pallet of ball bearings burst through the poor packaging and spilled all over the interior of the van.
After the customer had waited 2 hours past their business closing time, the delivery was finally made, and the server delivered just to the kerbside. The client of Byte and Bit wasn't very happy, and didn't have a good impression of Byte and Bit.
They installed their server, but it didn't work, several ball bearings had got into the casing. Engineers had to be sent at Byte and Bits expense, and then a replacement unit was delivered.
This is a fairy tale right? Sadly no, only the names have been changed to protect the not so innocent!
By using Arrow Light Haulage to deliver their server units Byte and But wouldn't have been late, they wouldn't have created the wrong impression and they wouldn't have had to redeliver a perfect item to their customer to replace the damaged server.
You get what you pay for when it comes to delivering your goods, and if you want to create the right impression then you need to use the right courier from the start.
Just give a call to discuss your delivery needs on 07816 528421, we will even wrap and pack for you as part of our premium services.
Make sure your deliveries end with 'happily ever after' by using the Chelmsford, Essex based courier company that delivers safely, nationwide :-)
Kevin Arrow
Image via WikipediaWith space at a premium, and the loft overflowing, more and more people are putting items into long term storage.
If you have established what type of access you need at your storage place, you will need to pack the things that you are most likely to need, last. This means they are at the front of the unit when you need them
Put a dust sheet on the floor before you unload your items onto it.
Image by nemone via Flickr Are you a student looking to move closer to Uni, in the term time?
Well, you have some options and the most popular seems to be hire a van, and do it yourself.
Alternatively you can hire a courier company, like Arrow Light Haulage to do it for you. A courier is usually paid on the distance moved and not the amount of stuff that needs moving. They have different insurance from a removal company, so it can be a cheaper option to use a courier for your light removal, than to use a removal company. Using a courier may not suit your circumstances, so it's best to check first and see what you get for your quote.
Arrow light Haulage are happy to collect at several destinations, so it may suit you to split the cost between two or three people, that way everyone saves money!
So, if you are looking to go back to halls of residence or rooms closer to Uni, have a look at the alternative student movers too. You may well pick up a bargain.
So you have just sold some great items on Ebay or manufactured something fragile and precious, you now need to get it to your customer as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Think carefully, a parcel could get thrown around as its loaded, it can bump about on conveyor belts and it can even get heavy items placed on top of it.
With that in mind, bubble wrap fragile parts, and consider putting shredded papered or paper scrunched up in balls around your item. Secure any lids with tape. Secure any loose parts with tape. Brown tape, parcel tape, or even tape branded with fragile. Just make sure it's secure. Lift the box and gently shake it, if it sounds loose then you need to add more paper around the item. When you are happy that its safe and secure, seal up all the edges with tape.
When addressing your package, write directly onto the box in large clear letters, if you place a label there is the possibility it may get ripped off and your package gets 'lost' in the system.
Don't forget to put your return address on the back.
Then weigh your item, remember a courier is bound by HSE regulations that say they must not lift over 25kgs, so even if you can lift it, you still need to check its weight!
Then give us a call on 07816 528421 we deliver throughout the UK from Essex, Kent and East London from just £9.99 plus VAT for items up to 20kgs.
Got a bike to send by post? Bought one as a gift and now need to ship it to another destination in the UK? Bought one at a Chelmsford retail park or on Ebay? Read on, and we will help make your delivery, smoother and help ensure you item arrives in one piece.
If the bike is already assembled, remove pedals and handle bars. Wrap the paintwork with bubble wrap. Wrap the pedals and handle bars with bubble wrap and attach them with tape to the frame.
If you have a box to hand, great place the bike in the box and secure it, its ready for transportation.
If you don't have a box, then wrap in recycled brown paper, and tape securely with duct tape.
You can mark the paper with Fragile, so the parcel carriers are aware its fragile.
Of course, if you don't want to pack it and wrap it, we can do it as part of our premium courier services.
Regards
Kevin
Image via WikipediaIf you deliver your own goods and decide not to outsource your Chelmsford, Witham, Maldon courier work to us at Arrow Light Haulage, then read on for greener driving to help you save some money.
Driving greener has the much welcomed benefit of saving you money. If you have to drive, following our tips and tricks will allow you to maximise the usage of your vehicle and your fuel.
:-)On your marks....
* Avoid overfilling the tank when refuelling. Spilled fuel evaporates and releases harmful emissions into the atmosphere and just plain wastes money. * Make sure that your tyres are inflated to the correct pressure. Under inflation by 7psi will waste half a gallon of fuel in every tank. Inflating to the vehicle manufacturer's guidelines -which are based on cold tyres, so use the petrol station nearest your start point to avoid your tyres warming up and being inflated to the incorrect psi. * Service your car at least every year. Get the engine tuned, the wheels aligned and catalytic converter checked, and the air con regassed if you insist on using it. * Reduce weight, and fuel consumption, by removing unnecessary items from your vehicle that do not need to be there for a particular journey. This can include buggies, golf clubs, tools, footwear and all those things you keep 'just in case' * Check your windows, screenwash and lights – ensuring that your windows are clean and your lights are working will make your journey safer. nothing more environmentally unfriendly than an accident.
:-)Get set....
* Take off roof racks and trailers if they’re not use. * 61% percent of journeys are under two miles and arguably a waste of fuel and money. short journeys – walk or cycle them instead. * Engines will be colder on short journeys, and this can double fuel consumption. Do you really need to complete that short journey? * Planning - as many jobs as possible in one trip saves you money. Aim to get as much as you can out of the journey. Three jobs in one trip is better for the environment than three individual trips! * Sitting in queues costs money and wastes fuel. Avoid congestion by checking the local news or trafficmaster for delays before you set off. If you hear of delays and jams, route around them. * Only travel in the rush hour if you absolutely have to, this is more for your sanity as well as fuel conservation. * Do you know where you are going????. Motorists waste 350,000 tonnes of fuel per year getting lost! You can plan your route on the AA website, it's free too. Alternatively, buy a Sat Nav system, worth their weight in gold and safer than a map. * Idle your engine during its initial start for no more than 30 seconds. An idling engine produces 80 percent more pollution than when the vehicle is moving. Modern car engines warm up faster when they are in motion.
:-) Go....
* Drive smoothly – pulling away fast can use 60 percent more fuel. * Slow down. Drive at the speed limit. Driving at 70mph can use up to 30 percent more petrol than driving at 50mph. * Think ahead to avoid sharp braking - it just throws away energy and money. * Avoid using the air conditioning, open the air vents instead! Air con uses 15 percent more fuel than the air vents. All on board electronics are also using extra fuel, the rear screen heater for example adds 5 percent to the fuel consumption. Switch them off if you don't need them. * Change gear between 1,500 and 2,500 rpm – this can save up to 30 percent of fuel. Listen to your engine. * It's better to switch your engine off when in stationary traffic. You use more fuel with the engine idling for 60 seconds than if you switched off and restarted 60 seconds later. * Did you know..... traffic lights are programmed to change according to the speed limit. If you are stopped at one red light but then drive on at the correct speed you will usually find that by the time you reach the next few sets of lights, they will be turning green for you. Try it and see. * Careful motorway driving will improve safety and traffic flow. The concertina effect caused by one motorist breaking sharply often results in traffic slowing to a near stop due to the delayed reaction of drivers behind. If we drive pro-actively, and try to observe the car three or four ahead. Then we can give ourselves some distance from the car in front. We can anticipate and judge the necessary speed. When you see a car up ahead start to brake, simply remove your foot off the accelerator. By the time you get close to the car in front the chances are that they will have accelerated and moved further on.
Image via WikipediaNeed to send items using our Chelmsford / Witham /Maldon based parcel network? parcel carrier? or post?
When you book your courier or parcel delivery services, you need to bear a few things in mind, to ensure safe delivery of you items.
* Choose the size of the packaging according to its content. Overloaded boxes may burst; under-filled boxes are likely to collapse.
* Whenever possible use high quality materials for your shipments. Things to consider with your wrapping supplies are strength, cushioning, and of course durability.
* If you can choose boxes made with corrugated cardboard, and good quality outer lining. Use heavy-duty double-layered board for your most valuable items.
* Make good use of cushioning materials, these can stop your items from moving.
* Put fragile goods in the centre of a package; ensuring they don't touch the sides. If your item is well cushioned on all sides it has more chance of arriving in one piece.
* Liquids must be stored in leak-free containers, packed with a lightweight, strong, internal material- Styrofoam is a good choice, and sealed with a plastic bag. Remember that bad packaging may cause damage to surrounding items.
It's fast approaching the time of year where companies think about gifts to send their customers and suppliers.
At Arrow Light Haulage, we are happy to undertake the delivery of such hampers. Our smart, uniformed drivers take care to ensure they arrive safely and unbroken. There is nothing more likely to give the wrong impression than a bottle of wine or Port, smashed and soaking into all the other goodies. It really puts a dampener on a nice gesture.
If hampers are out of your companies range this year, we are happy to deliver fine wines and other wines and spirits through our parcel network.
Again these are delivered by smart, uniformed drivers and a signature obtained on delivery, so you can be sure the right person has got their gift.
This service is also ideal for Chelmsford Ebayers and Chelmsford shoppers who have to send Christmas presents throughout the UK, and it's only £9.99 plus VAT for up to 20kgs (volumetric weight).
So, if it's important enough to send, it's important enough to do it right the first time, so use Arrow Light Haulage for all your delivery and distribution needs.
Moving a piano is something for a specialist piano removal company.
If they are to expensive for you, and you feel that you can work around getting it re-tuned etc, then a courier may be a possible solution.
What type of piano are you trying to move? Moving upright piano's is more common than being asked to move a grand piano.
One person on their own should not try this, and it's not uncommon to use 4 or 5 people to lift and maneuver it.
Starting with four 'helpers' place two at each end of the piano. You do not need any other assistance - don't let anyone other than your movers touch the piano (ie mums, dads, children or granny).
Cover the piano with a protective plastic sheet and make sure the lid is down and locked.
Most of the weight of an upright piano is located toward its back. It does tip over very easily. When moving it away from a wall, be absolutely certain no one is standing behind it.
Lift the piano on a heavy-duty dolly. Carefully. This will preserve tuning. It will also help keep movers from damaging the piano or your home. Remember to lift and roll the piano endways NOT sideways. Be careful of not exerting to much pressure on the front legs.
Keep hold of the handle behind the piano all the time it is moving. Watch out when rolling the dolly over thresholds/doorways and steps.
Move slowly so the piano won't tip over by being pushed too fast. It's easier to move over obstacles if moved slowly.
It helps if the vehicle you are loading it onto has a tail-lift, and then see that the piano is blanket wrapped and strapped to the van.
When moving a grand you must make sure to lift slightly to take some vertical pressure off the legs. If you don't the legs could get damaged or even break under the extreme pressure through lifting onto a dolly.
Most grand piano's have casters, but very few would roll on carpet, this makes it important to lift some of the weight off the legs when moving. Upright piano's also have castor's and again, it's very difficult to move them across carpet.
Whilst there are no specific requirements when moving an engine, it helps to prepare the engine first. In theory you could remove it from a vehicle and 'throw' it in the back of a van and it would get to it's destination in one piece.
It's advisable to remove all liquids, prior to engine removal. That includes all coolants and oils. When it's removed, using soft rags plug the holes left by the hoses and pipes - this prevents residues leaking in the van and staining / damaging the van floor.
Where possible place the engine onto a plastic pallet, this is so that it if there is any spillage it can be easily removed and the pallet used again. A wooden pallet in this instance isn't re-usuable.
It may be worth wrapping the engine in recycled plastic sheeting for it's journey.
Secure the engine to the pallet using metal or plastic straps.
Be very careful if you are looking to co-load an engine with food, cardboard, any porous materials as it can contaminate and damage other items in transit.
This Month we have had some amazing success! Our ebooks are winging there way around the internet!
We have been able to upload the sample Complete Courier Guide ebook instead of just the contents pages!
Hope this makes it easier for our potential customers to make a decision, and if it doesn't and you want to speak to me, then please feel free to call my on 0844 884 3331.
Regards
Kevin PS, I almost forgot - For more information, and a downloadable sample of Linda's superb book 'Calling all Couriers- Win Keep and Grow Customers, please visit Sales Success at the Courier Shop.co.uk
We often collect large items of furniture from the warehouses in the Chelmsford retail parks, often beds. Because we are flexible on our delivery times, we can collect and then deliver when you are home from work.
So, back to delivering the bed.... Unless a bed is flatpacked and only a single or double, a two man team is required. There are many types of mattress, and the memory foam kind is popular but it needs to people to lift on, and lift off the vehicle as it's so heavy.
The beds we collect are often wrapped in plastic sheeting, which we are happy to recycle if you give it back to the driver.
As part of our premium services we can even install the bed for you, please order this service at the time of booking, it is very popular.
So, if you have bought a new bed or even a bed from Ebay, we can help deliver it for you when it's convenient, we can recycle the wrapping and we can fit it together if it comes flatpacked or needs installing.
Give me a call on 07816 528421 if you have any questions.
Image via WikipediaSeeking open minded delivery specialists?
Look no further than Arrow Light Haulage, we love ugly freight /pallets.
Ugly freight (sometimes called non-compatible or obscure loads) means your freight is not suitable to be delivered in a standard pallet or parcel network.
It could be because it’s too late, too precious, too urgent, too fragile, or even two man. ;-) .
It could need some assembly or installation on delivery. We are happy to do that.
As our customer you may like us to break a pallet for you, and re-wrap into smaller individual consignments then dispatch through our parcel network (we have had 100% success rate in our first year, this year). We are happy to do that for our customers.
You may like us to store it and then deliver it at a later date. You've guessed it, we are happy to do that too.
If it’s a problem for pallet networks and other couriers, it’s no hassle for us.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and your ugly freight is beautiful to us.
I recently conducted two pieces of market research independently of each other, about how people source their couriers. The idea being from the results, I would determine where to focus the advertising budget for the business this year.
The first piece I surveyed a cross section of the business community about how they sourced a courier. In the second piece I asked new customers how they found our services.
The results I think are quite interesting.
92% of people in the first survey said they would use the Yellow Pages to source a courier should they need one. They would ask around for recommendations second, after they had used the Yellow Pages.
In the second survey 75% of our customers found us through a search engine on the Internet. The rest came from a mixture of leaflets and recommendations. Not one mention of a telephone directory, on line or offline.
This confirms my belief that advertising should be a mix of mediums and not focus on just one specific area.
What was also interesting was the business community clearly stated they did not buy on price alone, every customer who used us in the second survey stated we had the best value for money service. The whole package that we offered was better than just getting a price, the care in delivery was exceptional.
Quoting one customer.... 'You delivered a glass display cabinet over 300 miles without breakages. Upon collection your driver dismantled it, wrapped it and then at my delivery address, carefully unwrapped it and re-assembled it. It looks perfect. No-one else would do the job as the cabinet was made of glass and not easily transportable without breakage. I really liked the way you worked on transporting the cabinet rather than telling me how hard, how difficult and it couldn't be done. I will definitely use you again. I don't know why more retailers don't use you, you certainly are a well kept secret.'
Are you a Chelmsford or Witham business looking to save money?
Are you a Chelmsford or Witham based company looking to outsource your transport to make big time and money savings?
Then look no further than your local Chelmsford courier company, Arrow Light Haulage.
Did you know the average delivery driver earns between 15-18k per year? Plus holidays and pensions, add in the cost of your van, whether you buy or lease, you are looking in the regions of another 5k a year when you add in servicing, insurances etc.
Do you really think you need all the drivers you have? As a company you can make significant savings but cutting back on your own transport and outsourcing the remainder.
Example, you have two delivery drivers that cost your company £40k a year. By having one and outsourcing the other you could save 7k by using Arrow Light Haulage to deliver on your behalf.
Find you are using a lot of agency staff?
Quite often its cheaper to use a courier as you don’t have to train the driver, induct them, or show them how to use your paperwork/trucks/equipment. An Agency driver can cost you as much as £220 (inc VAT) a day, then they don’t get as much done as a regular courier would.
Just because you have a vehicle sitting their doing nothing, it doesn’t mean you are saving money by getting in a temp.
If you are a business based in Essex, Kent, Herts or London who wants to make significant savings on their costs, then give us a call now on 07816 528421
Image via Wikipedia"When you buy a Motorbike, Scooter or Quad bike online, delivery is one aspect that isn't often covered. A courier can help arrange safe collection and delivery if your online retailer doesnt provide this, or you have nabbed a bargain on ebay. "Sarah & Kevin Arrow, West Thurrock & Dartford Courier and parcel services, Aug 2008You can click the link to read the whole article.
How often do people think about the delivery, after they have bought something on an online auction?
Not surprisingly, most people find the delivery aspect of their purchase, the most awkward.
If you are considering buying something, large, bulky and/or awkward, give us a call and we can advise how you can get your item home, and supply you with a no obligation quote as well, but only if you want one.
The maximum length is 2.1 metres for a parcel, if its longer/bigger then it would need to go by our express courier services.
Weight restrictions apply to the parcels, it can be no heavier than 30kgs as thats what H&S regulations deem the heaviest a person can safely carry on their own.
We collect and deliver based on cubic weights, this is a fair system that gives us the volume of a package.
If you don't know how to work this out, just give us a call on 0844 884 3331.
We are happy to advise you and offer a no obligation quote.
We collect from local towns such as Chelmsford, Witham, Maldon, South Woodham Ferrers as well as towns in London, Kent and Hertfordshire.
We are part the UKs biggest transport network, so even though we are based in Essex we have the resources to collect from anywhere within 60 minutes or 30 minutes (premium service).
Our drivers are polite and well trained, they know your reputation is in their hands.
We do the job right the first time, so the need for re-deliveries at your own expense comes with using a cowboy not a professional courier.
You get what you pay for - next time you get a cheap quote for a courier you need to ask why its so cheap...
Do they pay their drivers at the least minimum wage?
Are they insured?
Do they have the correct equipment to complete your delivery?
Are their drivers helpful, clean and polite?
What happens if something doesn't go according to plan?
Quite often you won't find out until something has gone wrong and then its too late.
" I thought I would go cheaper after all it was only delivering clothes to a deadline, how hard could that be? I went with another courier and in a month I was billed £30,000 in fines from missed deadlines and port fines. I learned my lesson, professional couriers make the difference and are worth every penny and are not that much more expensive..." Paul - Lightning Despatch
"It got there in one piece with Arrow Light Haulage, for the first time in months we don't have customers complaining about late deliveries or breakages,
Brenda, LCS
We also collect and deliver for private customers. Items such as rare guitars bought from Ebay, the new owner didn't want to entrust it to a parcel company, he didn't want to take the chance it would be broken in the warehouse or in-transit.
We have even offered the government the use of our services, they certainly wouldn't lose valuable data when they used our services.
Our parcel and delivery services for packages up to 15kgs is £9.99 plus Vat for our blog readers, thats 5kg more than Interlink or DHL give you! (throughout the UK, certain parts of Scotland are exempted but can be covered by our Express Delivery Services)
If its just Essex to Essex, we can do your parcels overnight for £7.99 plus Vat up to 15kgs, again more than the other local parcel companies offer. With NO Fuel surcharges, no hidden extras!
The Essex & Kent based courier and parcel delivery services. We have been successfully trading since 2002 :-). About us, well we love films, enjoy reading books and going to the cinema. We are passionate about our work and Kevin is part time Eco-Warrior (he is a full time courier ;-)) Sarah is a working mum, and they enjoy working together.
Turn choices into direction
-
Is the way you live your life a bit too 'random' ?
We all live such busy lives - and make choices about all sorts of things
every day - but are the choices...
-
Take a look at this post and tell me... how would you answer the salad
question??? http://jobmob.co.il/blog/tricky-job-interview-questions-answers/
Job...
Deliveries to and from Tilbury Port and the Docks?
-
Delivering into ports and docks is something that we enjoy doing here at
Arrow Light Haulage, when delivering or collecting from a port it is
something th...
Image via Wikipedia How?![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=391f1832-49ab-40a5-b9cb-b58cb16456e6)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=162098c4-3814-4c6e-b7db-35a01785ff70)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=4191da34-8aba-4e74-a69f-238e19b3567a)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=11981fe1-9b2b-4f31-9fe5-8f3c7064a6f4)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=56d590f9-952f-4333-ae20-c8c592c8ebef)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=379e8bc9-449d-41bc-90c7-086aeae9de25)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=bc2daee7-06a5-4f75-a1c4-c45d4492b7cd)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=86c87c0f-7bff-4949-b1ce-d3e2467005e7)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=59b2d7e5-3bb0-466b-aae4-f034bf2dc256)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=eeb7c66b-f6d9-4c7b-a7c2-6ea8502c5a17)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=e8bd5662-9830-40bb-aa16-a94dbd59e9ff)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=ce0e0124-229b-461b-896c-77ec32cbbe1d)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=97e9802d-8be1-4c82-9906-3f7a4709f6bf)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=4109521a-0596-4bdc-ae1c-5ddcc44d3ca2)
