Fragile & high value
For goods where a second chance does not exist: dedicated transport, minimal handling, and a named person answerable at every stage.
- SVCFHV-15
- HANDLINGTwo touches — on and off
- LOADDedicated, never co-loaded
- COVERGIT £25,000 standard
- HANDOVERNamed contact, signed
01
What it is
Most transit damage is not dramatic. It is a box compressed under heavier freight, a corner clipped on a cage, a vibration working a joint loose over two hundred miles of co-loaded jostling. The way to prevent it is not more bubble wrap — it is fewer events. This service is engineered around that idea: your consignment is loaded once by someone who knows what it is, travels on a vehicle carrying nothing else, and is unloaded once at its destination.
Everything between those two touches is deliberate. The load is secured against the specific risks of the item — a framed artwork rides differently from a ceramic kiln load, which rides differently from a rack of servers. The route avoids unnecessary handling by avoiding unnecessary stops. The driver knows what is behind them and drives accordingly.
High value adds a custody dimension on top of the physical one. We record who released the goods, who carried them and who received them, with photographs at each end where wanted. Handover can be restricted to a named individual, and discretion is part of the service — unmarked handling, no descriptions of contents on paperwork left in view.
Declare the value honestly when you enquire. It changes how we plan the job and it is the only way the insurance position can be stated accurately for your consignment.
02
Who it suits
Business use
IT teams moving servers and networking hardware between sites. Galleries, framers and dealers shipping artwork. Manufacturers of instruments, optics and calibrated equipment. Labs and clinics relocating sensitive devices. Jewellers and audiologists — anyone whose stock-to-size ratio makes a standard courier a false economy.
Private use
The inherited clock. The instrument that is both luggage and livelihood. Collections — vinyl, ceramics, models — built over decades and moved once. Wedding dresses, artworks bought at auction, the telescope that must arrive collimated. If losing it would hurt more than the delivery costs, it belongs on this service.
03
What we need from you
- What the item is — specifically, so handling can be planned around it
- Declared value — in confidence, for insurance and planning
- Both postcodes, and any named-contact handover requirement
- Packaging state — professionally packed, boxed, or bare and needing wrap
- Orientation and environment needs — this way up, keep dry, do not stack
04
How it works
-
Describe and declare
Item, value and both addresses via the movement brief. We reply with the handling plan and the written cover position for the job.
-
Plan the handling
Vehicle, securing method, any extra padding or crating advice, and the handover protocol — agreed before collection, not improvised at the kerb.
-
Single custody run
Collected, photographed, secured and driven direct by one driver. No co-loading, no depots, no second vehicle.
-
Documented handover
Delivered to the named contact, condition confirmed together, signed, photographed and closed under your MNA reference.
FHV-15 — Specification
- Vehicle class
- Dedicated SWB, LWB or Luton — selected for the item, not the price band
- GIT insurance
- £25,000 per consignment as standard; higher values arranged before booking
- Coverage
- Mainland UK, direct only
- Included
- Dedicated vehicle · condition photos · named-contact handover · discreet paperwork
- Not included
- Professional crating (arranged with notice) · valuation services · storage
05
Fragile & high-value questions
What insurance cover applies to my consignment?
Goods-in-transit cover of £25,000 per consignment applies as standard, alongside £2 million public liability. If your consignment is worth more than £25,000, say so when you enquire — additional cover is arranged before the job is booked, never assumed. The exact position for your job is always restated in writing on your quote.
Should I pack the item myself or leave it to you?
The maker's original packaging is usually best; a professional crate is best for genuinely delicate items and can be arranged with notice. If you pack it yourself, we advise on method when you enquire — and the driver will say so at collection if packaging looks unequal to the journey.
Can delivery be restricted to one named person?
Yes. Name them in the brief; the driver hands over to that person only, records their name, and contacts us for instruction if they are unavailable rather than leaving the goods with anyone else.
Do you photograph condition at both ends?
On request, yes — at collection and at delivery, shared with you. For artwork, antiques and dispute-prone handovers we recommend it as standard practice.
Will the driver know what they are carrying?
The driver knows what is needed to carry it safely — weight, fragility, orientation. Where discretion matters, paperwork and conversation stay generic; tell us the sensitivity level and we match it.