Aberdeen
courier & haulage.

Urgent business consignments

Documents, engineering parts, samples, tools, print, boxed stock and IT equipment can all need a dedicated courier. The smallest suitable vehicle depends on the packaged goods, not the label “parcel”. Send the quantity, dimensions and weights.

A server, delicate prototype or finished component needs packaging that protects it during loading and travel. Tell us if it must stay upright, cannot be stacked or needs a named recipient.

Pallets and bulky items

Courier work can include a suitable pallet or bulky consignment. We check the vehicle aperture, usable space, payload and unloading method. A pallet does not automatically fit a van just because it fits on the floor.

For heavier loads, several pallets or specialised unloading, see the haulage guidance. You can enquire without choosing the lorry first.

Energy and marine supply

Parts, technical crates and project equipment

Port of Aberdeen supports energy, cargo and marine activity, with the completed South Harbour providing additional operational space. Supplier movements can range from a packaged component to heavier assemblies that require a planned handling method.

For an urgent part, give the supplier’s release time and the named receiver. For an assembly, send its packaged footprint, weight, centre of gravity where relevant, fork access or lifting points, and protection needs. A delivery to a shoreside store is a different job from a vessel handover.

Dyce and airport businesses

Time-critical equipment and landside handovers

Airport-related businesses and suppliers can need replacement equipment, boxed parts and technical cases. Aberdeen Airport distinguishes the responsibilities of airlines, handling agents and other organisations, so the receiving operator matters as much as the airport postcode.

Identify the precise landside building or gate, contact, booking reference and release time. If security permissions or a controlled area are involved, agree the authorised handover first. A courier booking does not by itself provide airside access or arrange air carriage.

Harbour and island connections

Road delivery to the correct receiving point

Aberdeen is a departure point for NorthLink’s Northern Isles connections. Freight can require a mainland collection, terminal delivery and a separately agreed onward movement. Each stage has its own receiver and deadline.

Send the operator, booked service, terminal reference and actual receiving instructions. State whether the job ends at the mainland handover or includes another leg. Confirm freight acceptance, sailing capacity and current check-in requirements before committing to an island deadline.

City businesses and commercial stock

Retail, fittings and repeat deliveries

A city-centre stock delivery, an office equipment movement and a supplier load to an industrial unit require different vehicle access and unloading arrangements. Restricted streets and the final distance from the vehicle to the handover point can change the plan.

For regular work, send the usual quantities, item weights, opening hours and delivery frequency. For bulky fittings, tell us about steps, lifts, protected finishes and final placement. Agreed two-person handling can be assessed; assembly or installation needs its own scope.

Bucksburn and event movements

Equipment in, empty cases out

Exhibition and event work can involve display materials, equipment cases, print and return collections. Around the Dyce and Bucksburn area, give the venue or business receiving point rather than relying on a general visitor postcode.

Send the organiser’s delivery slot, build-up or breakdown window, access instructions and equipment list. Agree who unloads and where cases are held. Event refrigeration hire and temperature-controlled transport are different arrangements, with power, positioning and collection agreed for the job.

Westhill, wider Aberdeen area

Underwater and defence engineering enquiries

James Fisher Defence publishes underwater engineering and support activity, with current roles based in Westhill, Aberdeenshire. This is a specific supply-chain context outside the city, rather than a reason to treat every Aberdeen engineering business as a defence manufacturer.

For ordinary components, tooling or technical equipment, describe the goods precisely and provide packaging, individual weights and an authorised receiving contact. Identify controlled-goods or security conditions before acceptance so the required arrangements can be assessed.

City-centre LEZ and delivery access

Aberdeen has a city-centre Low Emission Zone. Check the current boundary and the actual vehicle’s eligibility before planning a delivery inside it. Scotland’s LEZ system is enforced by penalties; there is no option to prepay for a non-compliant entry.

Bus gates, loading restrictions and temporary works are separate checks. Do not assume that delivering goods gives unrestricted access. Send the shop or building’s goods entrance and legal loading instructions, then confirm current signs and the permitted approach.

Harbour gates and receiving operators

North Harbour and South Harbour are distinct receiving areas. Confirm the terminal, quay or shoreside store, authorised contact and vehicle entrance. A harbour office address or map centre does not identify where freight will be accepted.

The receiving operator may require advance booking, a reference, PPE or security arrangements. Send its instructions before dispatch and confirm the unloading method. Crane work, quayside handling or a vessel transfer must be agreed specifically.

Dyce, Altens and the last approach

Give the industrial unit, yard and approach for collections around Dyce, Tullos, Altens and Bridge of Don. Describe turning space, low entrances, parked vehicles, gradients and any access limit. A truck that fits the load may still be unsuitable for the site.

Check live road conditions for the A90, A96 and connecting roads, especially before a timed handover. A bypass route does not remove local restrictions or loading time. Future road improvement plans are not a basis for today’s journey estimate.

Ferry-linked work needs a separate plan

NorthLink requires commercial vans to be booked through its freight department. If the movement includes a crossing, provide the full vehicle and load details and confirm operator acceptance, capacity and the applicable check-in arrangements.

Agree ferry booking responsibility, the mainland and island handovers, waiting and the effect of a delayed or cancelled sailing. A road collection estimate cannot guarantee a sailing connection or island delivery time. Tell us about any regulated goods before acceptance.