Mon-Fri 6 AM - 7 PM
Birkenhead's working docks have handled freight for over a century, and the port operator's ongoing investment in expanded warehousing and cargo-handling infrastructure confirms the town's continued role as a logistics gateway on the river. For businesses with operations in or around the peninsula, road haulage in Birkenhead connects port-side freight directly with destinations across the UK and Europe.
The loads moving through this area are heavyweight and varied: steel coils and plate from stockholders, timber cargoes arriving by sea, offshore wind components heading to installation sites and project cargo that demands specialist handling. This is not parcel logistics – it is industrial lorry transport for consignments that typically fill a curtain-side lorry or a dedicated rigid HGV.
zipmend serves this freight profile with part-load and full-load options. You specify the load dimensions and weight, select the vehicle type and receive a confirmed fixed price online – before any lorry is dispatched. No negotiation, no waiting for spot-market quotes. For full loads, the vehicle is exclusively allocated to your consignment; for part loads, the freight shares the lorry – a standard, cost-effective arrangement that avoids the delays of traditional consolidation networks.
Port-adjacent haulage carries its own timing pressures. Vessel schedules shift, berth availability changes and customs clearance windows are finite. zipmend's proactive coordination model is built for this environment: status updates at key milestones, a dedicated contact managing your order and the ability to adjust collection windows when port-side timelines move. This is haulage that responds to the freight, not the other way around.
The small van is ideal for transporting packages or documents. It has space for up to 2 Europallets. The vehicle can only be loaded from the rear, has no dock height, and no tail lift.
The small van is ideal for transporting packages or documents. It has space for up to 2 Euro pallets. The vehicle can only be loaded from the rear, has no dock height, and no tail lift.
Capacity
Max. shipment weight
up to 400 kg
The medium van is suitable for up to 4 Europallets. The vehicle can only be loaded from the rear, has no dock height, and no tail lift.
The medium van is suitable for up to 4 Euro pallets. The vehicle can only be loaded from the rear, has no dock height, and no tail lift.
Capacity
Max. shipment weight
up to 800 kg
The large van can carry up to 5 euro pallets. The vehicle can only be loaded from the rear and has no dock-height access and no tail lift.
The large van can carry up to 5 euro pallets. The vehicle can only be loaded from the rear and has no dock-height access and no tail lift.
Capacity:
Maximum shipment weight:
up to 1,200 kg
The curtain-side van is suitable for heavy shipments and can carry up to 8 euro pallets. The vehicle can be loaded from the side and from the rear and has no dock-height access and no tail lift.
The curtain-side van can carry up to 8 euro pallets. The vehicle can be loaded from the side and from the rear. The vehicle has no dock-height access and no tail lift.
Capacity:
Maximum shipment weight:
up to 1,000 kg
The van with lifting platform is suitable for heavy shipments and can carry up to 8 Europallets. The vehicle can be loaded from the rear, it has no dock height.
The van with tail lift is suitable for heavy shipments and can load up to 8 Europallets. The vehicle can be loaded from the rear, it has no dock height.
Capacity:
per package up to 200 x 150 x 200 cm
Max. shipment weight:
per package up to 500 kg
up to 800kg in total
The 3t partial load is suitable for up to 14 pallets. The tarpaulin truck can be loaded from the rear and the side and is at dock height. A tail lift is available as an additional service.
The 3t partial load is suitable for up to 14 Europallets. The tarpaulin truck can be loaded from the rear and the side and is at dock height. A tail lift is available as an additional service.
Fits inside
Max. shipment weight
up to 3,000 kg
The 5t partial load is suitable for up to 14 pallets. The tarpaulin truck can be loaded from the rear and the side and is at dock height. A tail lift is available as an additional service.
The 5t partial load is suitable for up to 14 Europallets. The tarpaulin truck can be loaded from the rear and the side and is at dock height. A tail lift is available as an additional service.
Fits inside
Max. shipment weight
up to 5,000 kg
The 12t partial load is suitable for up to 18 pallets. The tarpaulin truck can be loaded from the rear and the side and is at dock height. The vehicle does not have a tail lift.
The 12t partial load is suitable for up to 18 Europallets. The tarpaulin truck can be loaded from the rear and the side and is at dock height. The vehicle does not have a tail lift.
Fits inside
Max. shipment weight
up to 12,000 kg
Our standard truck can carry up to 33 pallets. The tarpaulin truck can be loaded from the rear and the side and is at dock height. The vehicle does not have a tail lift.
Our standard truck can carry up to 33 Europallets. The tarpaulin truck can be loaded from the rear and the side and is at dock height. The vehicle does not have a tail lift.
Max. shipment weight
up to 24,000 kg
The prices for our freight forwarding services include 120 minutes for loading, unloading, and other waiting times. Each additional started hour costs 60 € net. No loading or unloading assistance from the driver. We do not conduct pallet exchanges. Island transports are generally only possible on request. Invoicing is done via email.
| Vehicle | Price | Dimensions | Payload |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small van | from 49 € | 2 Europallets 160 x 120 x 120 cm |
Max. 400 kg |
| Mid-Sized van | from 69 € |
4 Europallets 320 x 130 x 160 cm |
Max. 800 kg |
| Large van | from 119 € |
5 Europallets 420 x 135 x 180 cm |
Max. 1,200 kg |
| Curtainside van | from 149 € |
8 Europallets 420 x 210 x 210 cm |
Max. 1,000 kg |
| Tail lift and pallet truck | from 179 € | 8 Europallets 420 x 210 x 210 cm (200 x 150 x 200 cm per package) |
Max. 800 kg (500 kg per package) |
| Vehicle | Price | Dimensions | Payload |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3t Partial load | from 159 € | 14 Europallets 600 x 240 x 230 cm |
Max. 3,000 kg |
| 5t Partial load | from 189 € |
14 Europallets 600 x 240 x 230 cm |
Max. 5,000kg |
| 12t Partial load | from 249 € |
18 Europallets 720 x 240 x 270 cm |
Max. 12,000 kg |
| Standard-Truck | from 279 € | 33 Europallets 1,360 x 245 x 270 cm |
Max. 24,000kg |
The prices for our freight forwarding services include 120 minutes for loading, unloading, and other waiting times. Each additional started hour costs 60 € net. No loading or unloading assistance from the driver. We do not conduct pallet exchanges. Island transports are generally only possible on request. Invoicing is done via email.
The port infrastructure in the area processes substantial freight volumes year-round, and the haulage demand this generates extends well into the surrounding region. zipmend's transport network covers Birkenhead and the wider area with capacity that can be mobilised at short notice – whether your load originates dockside or from one of the peninsula's industrial estates.
For freight operators and manufacturers relying on port-side logistics, the advantage is a fixed price confirmed at booking and a guaranteed collection window. You know what the transport costs before the lorry is dispatched, and a named coordinator manages the order from pick-up through to delivery.
When a consignment clears port-side inspection and must reach an inland fabrication workshop before the production shift starts, or when project cargo is released from the docks and needs to be at an installation staging area by morning, the transport needs to be arranged quickly, priced transparently and executed without detours. These are typical road haulage scenarios from Birkenhead – freight that is heavy, often oversized and almost always operating against a fixed deadline.
Liverpool, directly across the Mersey, represents the most immediate freight connection. The city's manufacturing base, its role as a distribution gateway and the commercial activity along the waterfront generate continuous two-way haulage demand between the two sides of the river. Businesses in Birkenhead can reach logistics hubs, warehousing facilities and onward transport links without extended lead times.
Further inland, Chester's mix of food manufacturing, pharmaceutical operations and engineering firms creates regular demand for lorry transport from the Wirral. The route is short and well-established, making it a frequent origin-destination pair for part loads and full loads alike. To the east, Manchester's industrial and distribution infrastructure – one of the largest in the North West – connects Birkenhead's port-side freight with a broader network of end users and assembly facilities.
zipmend handles each of these transport corridors with the same transparent process. You book online, confirm the price and receive a fixed collection window. The lorry arrives at the agreed time, collects the freight and delivers it to the specified address – no intermediate stops for full loads, no consolidation delays for part loads. For consignments heading overseas, the port's own sea connections provide one route, while road-based crossings via ferry ports to Ireland offer alternatives depending on the destination.
Port schedules are rarely static. A vessel that was expected at midday berths in the early morning; a customs release that was due tomorrow comes through this afternoon. The haulage response needs to flex accordingly. zipmend's coordination model is built for exactly this unpredictability – your named contact adjusts the collection window, confirms any changes to the price and keeps you informed as the schedule evolves. When port-side timelines shift at short notice, the lorry adapts rather than defaulting to the next available slot.
A full truck is too big for what you want to send? No problem, because we also offer express journeys with smaller vehicles and a maximum payload of 1200kg.
