Speedy Freight celebrates its 15th birthday today
Founded in a spare bedroom in 2006, here’s how the national courier company has grown over the last decade and a half, increasing its volume of jobs by 1,150%
Today (19th May 2021), national courier company Speedy Freight celebrates its 15th birthday. Founded by entrepreneurs Mike Le-Gallez and Ian Southworth in Ian’s spare bedroom in 2006, the company was born from a desire to make logistics solutions simple.
Over the last 15 years the company has grown from just a single regional office in 2009 to over 60 branches in 2021, providing specialist same day courier services to every postcode in the UK. And, since 2011, following Speedy Freight’s transition to a franchise business model, the volume of jobs undertaken by the business each year has surged – from 16,000 in 2011 to over 16,000 a month in 2020.
In 2017, transport giants Eddie Stobart bought a stake in the business, and Speedy Freight became a member of the RHA (Road Haulage Association), welcoming their current Managing Director Mike Smith the summer prior in 2016. Shortly after, in 2018 the brand celebrated its first £2M turnover month (May 2018).
At present, Speedy Freight has nearly 8,500 customers across the UK – with major contracts in multiple industries.
Mike Smith, Managing Director of Speedy Freight said: “Despite starting with quite humble roots, Speedy Freight was founded on the promise of making logistics solutions quick and easy for all. 15 years on, that principle remains at the heart of everything we do – except now we’re working on a truly national scale.
“Our branches deliver to every corner of the UK, and we’ve gone above and beyond what is expected of a courier brand by supporting local communities across the country. Our colleagues fundraise for foodbanks, support care homes, and provide financial support to local charities year-round.
Given the massive disruption caused by COVID-19 over the last year, Speedy Freight has acted as an invaluable asset for many businesses and organisations, bridging gaps in the supply chain and supporting local communities across the country.
As well as delivering vital shipments of PPE over the last year – Speedy Freight has also seen a massive uptake in contracts in industries severely affected by the pandemic.
Following the disruption caused by multiple stop/start lockdowns, the food and beverage industry in particular saw a huge uptake, with a 195% increase in contracts over the last year. Similarly, retail trade contracts increased by 321% in the same time period, with Speedy Freight helping major retailers to keep stock moving and deliveries arriving amongst the disruption.
What’s more, at the beginning of 2021 the UK haulage industry suffered widespread disruption due to Brexit. The end of the withdrawal period in January caused chaos at multiple ports as drivers found themselves buried in reems of new customs paperwork.
Where some brands waited for clarity from the government, Speedy Freight took a front foot approach to Brexit, putting together a specialist team in 2020 led by Network Services Manager Shona Brown.
The team, under Shona’s leadership released the definitive Brexit Checklist to help brands prepare for the end of the transition period. In the new post Brexit environment, Speedy Freight are in constant communication with clients, customs agents and both UK and EU governments – constantly looking for additional ways to streamline the process at the border.
