By following some of these Helpful Tips you will greatly assist maintain impeccable services:
1. Adequate Packaging is paramount
Packaging your goods appropriately for safe transport is probably your most important responsibility, especially when using our service anywhere in Australia. When packaging your goods, please ensure the packaging is strong enough to cope with the weight and density of the goods you are placing inside. It also needs to be robust enough to handle the rigours of normal freight distribution systems. Use void fill if the goods move around inside and as much packing tape as possible to make the packaging strong and sturdy. On the carton, apply the packing tape around every side and also along the seams. This will prevent the carton splitting open whilst in transit
If your item is especially fragile, let us know! Write the word FRAGILE on the outside of the item in big bold letters, then highlight with a highlighter. We will treat your consignment with the utmost care but please recognise it will be stacked into a line haul vehicle, often in a cage or on a pallet along with all other freight. Our driver will not collect your goods unless they are correctly packaged.
2. Address labelling is absolutely critical
Labelling is a very important factor when it comes to your deliveries. Please ensure that your goods are correctly labelled. We cannot deliver something if it has no address. To ensure speedy and accurate delivery of your goods simply follow the hints below:
- Make sure the name and address are completed correctly on the consignment note. The correct postcode is also vital. There are many suburbs across Australia that share the same name, therefore it is extremely important to include the postcode. The postcode assists us to sort your goods accurately.
- Double check that the delivery address is a valid one.
- We do not deliver to post office boxes. We need a valid street address.
- The delivery address must also be a daytime delivery address. We prefer to deliver to business addresses as someone will usually be there to accept delivery. Don’t forget that even if your receiver is a private individual, its quite OK to address your goods to them care of their place of work. Just type in the receiver’s name, along with the business name and address in the booking.
- Be sure to CLEARLY hand write the delivery address, as well as the consignment note number and the item count (1 of 3 , 2 of 3, 3 of 3 etc) on your goods, before the driver collects them. The consignment note number appears on the form you have printed and is pertinent to Road Express bookings only. This number is the one you will need to quote if you wish to use our track and trace service. By hand writing the delivery address and consignment note number, you will protect your goods in the unlikely event of the paperwork accidentally coming off the goods. Even if the paperwork does come off the goods whilst in transit, we will still know to whom the goods belong and where they need to be delivered. This is an extremely important measure and will provide you peace of mind that your goods will arrive at the intended location on time. If the paperwork is detached from your goods and there is nothing else for us to go on in terms of a delivery address, we will not be able to deliver. We simply cannot deliver unaddressed freight. So if you follow these simple instructions, all will go smoothly.
- Ensure that the carton or packaging you use does not display any old address labels, bar codes, old consignment note numbers or the like. It is VITAL that there is only one address on the goods. We use electronic sortation technology that is sensitive to expedite delivery. Conflicting address information prevents us from efficiently looking after your needs.
3. There are some types of goods that we do not carry
- Furniture or white goods such as washers, dryers and refrigerators
- Chemicals
- Hazardous or dangerous goods such as flammables, toxins, acid, aerosols, oils, fuels, asbestos
- Foodstuffs requiring refrigeration or any food liable to deteriorate if exposed
- Animals, pets or livestock
- Legal tender including cash, gold and precious gems
- Anything without adequate packaging
- Any single item without a registered consignment note/bar code and/or address label attached
- Precious artworks or artworks with glass, ceramics or pottery
Please note we reserve the right to refuse collection and/or delivery of any item if it is unsuitable to carry. In the event of our driver not collecting your goods because they are not something we carry, you will forfeit the amount charged to your credit card. Don’t hesitate to read the info page for additional tips, or send us an email with any questions or queries on the packaging you may need.
4. Double check you have declared the correct dead weight and dimensions for freight bookings
Please note all your consignments will be check weighed and cubed using the latest scanning technology to ensure accuracy. You will be charged the greater of either the dead or the cubic weight. When entering the dimensions of your goods in the booking process, be sure to include the packaging in your measurements. All dimensions need to be declared in centimetres and dead weights in whole kilograms. In the event of any consignment being under-declared, additional charges will be automatically applied to your credit card, along with a $5.50 administration fee. If this occurs you will be informed in writing by email. If you are unsure of what to do, please read the section on how to measure your freight correctly on this website or send us an email with any queries.
5. Support our Workers Health and Safety Standards
The maximum dead weight of any item should be no more than 25 kilograms. Please consider the safety of our staff and break down items in excess of this weight into separate pieces. If you are operating from a business, we recommend the use of skids for heavy items so they may be forked on and off instead of hand loaded.
6. Transit times are expressed in working days
Any estimated transit days quoted will be exclusive of public holidays and weekends. After hours or weekend delivery tariffs are not included in our basic on line prices, however they will be supplied by special request. Please email your requirements and we will issue a quotation along with instructions.
7. Let us know if the receiver of your delivery has special requirements
On the odd occasion, you may have special delivery requirements as stipulated by the receiver of your goods. These might include timeslot bookings (eg commercial delivery centres such as Coles), after hours, call on approach, special instructions, etc. If so, we will do our best to accommodate you. Please email us your special requirements and we will issue a quotation along with instructions.
8. If in doubt, just ask!
We offer direct contact with our operationms department who can help you with any and all of your enquiry.