Dedicated fleet
A tractor unit and driver committed to your operation on agreed lanes and schedules, at a stable rate.
- Trunking between hubs, airports and DCs
- Relief drivers and replacement units arranged by us
- Extra units for seasonal peaks
UK delivery partner for European hauliers
You bring it to Calais. We deliver the UK.
Your trailer crosses unaccompanied to Dover. Our UK driver collects it, delivers it to your customer on time and brings it back to Dover for your next run. Your truck and driver stay in Europe, earning.
- SimplerWe know the UK market and take its complexity off your hands.
- CheaperNo UK round trip, no second driver, no empty run home.
- FasterA fresh UK driver from Dover gets your trailer there hours sooner.
Trailers relayed from
- Italy
- Germany
- Spain
- France
- Netherlands
- Belgium
- Austria
- Poland
- and across Europe
- TAPA TSR 2 compliant
- Fully insured
- GMR & transit docs
- Ops desk 24/7
How the relay works
Who does what, step by step
You keep the customer and the trailer. We take over at Dover, deliver in the UK, and hand the trailer back for the return sailing.
Your company
24-seven
Ferry operator
01Drop at Calais
Drops the loaded trailer, takes a returning one
02Unaccompanied crossing
Books crossing and customs, or leaves it to us
Optional Books crossing, GMR and transit docs
Sails the trailer to Dover
03Collect at Dover
Checks seal and papers, sends photos, collects
Releases the trailer
04Deliver in the UK
Gets live ETA and POD
Delivers, changes driver if needed. Optional Slot management
05Return to Dover
Collects it at Calais on the next run
Returns it and checks in for the sailing
Sails it back to Calais
Your responsibilityuntil the trailer is released at Dover
24-seven responsibilityfrom collection at Dover until check-in for the return sailing
Included in every relay
- Seal, trailer and document checks with photos at Dover
- UK delivery by a fully qualified UK driver
- Live tracking and ETA updates, 24/7
- Signed POD and delivery photos
- Trailer returned to Dover and checked in
Optional extras
- Final delivery slot management
- Booking the unaccompanied ferry crossings
- GMR and transit documents prepared by us
- Driver change en route for time-definite loads
Ask for any of these in your quote request.
Why European hauliers use us
Simpler, cheaper and faster than sending your own driver
From Italy, Spain or southern Germany, one driver cannot reach a UK customer in a single run. EU rules allow 9 hours of driving a day, or 10 twice a week, then at least 9 to 11 hours of rest.
Watch the same trailer travel both ways, from Milan to a distribution centre near Manchester.
DeliveredDay 3, about 02:45
- Driver needs UK entry
- Hours run out after Dover
- Empty run home
DeliveredDay 2, about 19:15
- No UK entry for your driver
- Fresh UK driver from Dover
- Your truck back on EU work
Simpler1 partnerfor the whole UK leg: rules, customs, sites, delivery and return
Cheaper0 kmempty UK miles, with no second driver and one rest fewer. Your truck is back on EU work on Day 2
Faster~7.5 hsooner at your customer, on the same day instead of overnight
Approx. road distance to Calais
Madrid 1,550 kmMilan 1,050 kmMunich 950 kmLyon 750 kmRotterdam 300 km
Example: Milan area to a distribution centre near Manchester, about 1,050 km to Calais and 470 km from Dover. Simplified, with breaks included in the driving blocks. Real times depend on route, traffic and sailings. Driving and rest limits are from EU Regulation 561/2006, summarised by the European Commission.
Your driver crosses24-seven relay
UK entryVisa or ETA, border checksOnly the trailer crosses
Driving hoursRun out after DoverFresh UK driver, full shift
After deliveryEmpty run homeBack on EU work same day
Customs & ferriesYour team, from abroadOptional: we handle GMR and transit
UK delivery pointsUnknown sites, calls from abroadWe know UK sites, rules and routes
SecurityDepends where the driver parksTAPA TSR 2, seal photos, 24/7 tracking
UK know-how in every relay
- London HGV Safety Permit (Direct Vision Standard)
- London LEZ and city Clean Air Zones
- Dartford Crossing charge
- Operation Brock on the M20
- Sevington inland border checks
- GMR and border status before collection
- DC booking portals and slot rules
- Low bridges and weight limits
The market in numbers
The UK leg has never been more complex
Official and industry figures show the same picture. European hauliers carry most UK freight, but drivers are scarce, border rules are tighter, and loads home are hard to find. We make the UK leg simple.
1.87mtrucks a year come into Great Britain from Europe84% of them use the Dover Strait, the busiest freight corridor between the EU and the UK.Source: DfT 2024. DfT counts trucks leaving GB and stopped counting arrivals because flows are similar both ways.
81%of trucks coming into the UK from Europe are foreign-registeredUK-registered trucks make only 13% of EU–UK trips. European hauliers already carry most of the freight coming into the UK.Source: DfT, 2024
2×the UK imports about twice as much from the EU as it exports to itAugust 2026: £26.7bn in, £14.1bn out. October 2025 showed the same pattern: £29.5bn in, £15.1bn out. Trucks that cross into the UK struggle to find a load back.Sources: HMRC, Overseas trade in goods, Aug 2026 and Oct 2025
502ktruck driver positions unfilled across EuropeA 13% shortage in 2025, up from 12%. Every driver-day spent on a UK round trip is a day you cannot fill.Source: IRU, Global Driver Shortage Report 2025
9hmaximum daily driving for one driver, or 10 h twice a weekThen at least 9 to 11 h of rest. From Italy, Spain or southern Germany, a UK delivery means two driving days or a second driver.Source: European Commission, driving time and rest periods
ETA+EESnew UK and EU border checks for driversEU drivers need a UK ETA, and drivers from countries such as Ukraine, Moldova or India need a full UK visa. The EU Entry/Exit System began checks for freight at Dover in October 2025.Sources: TIMOCOM, UK visa list, Trans.info
3,424freight crimes against HGVs in the UK in 2025About nine a day, with £65m in reported losses. 54% happened at unsecured parking such as laybys and industrial estates.Source: NaVCIS via Fleet News
80+ferry crossings a day between Calais and DoverThree operators, DFDS, P&O and Irish Ferries, mean frequent sailings for unaccompanied trailers on the shortest sea route.Source: Port Boulogne Calais
Figures are taken from the sources linked under each number and were correct at the time of publication. The 1.87m figure is the official count of powered HGV trips in 2024, measured as they leave Great Britain. The trade figures are monthly values published by HMRC.
UK coverage
Anywhere in Great Britain from Dover
London and the South East are reached in a few hours, and the Midlands distribution centres in one shift. For Scotland and other long runs, we change drivers on the way so your trailer keeps moving.
- Up to 4 h
- 4 to 6 h
- 6 to 9 h
- 9 h or more, with a driver change
Approximate HGV driving time from Dover, before breaks. Real times depend on traffic and the delivery point.
Security & commitments
Watched from Dover to the door
You always know where your trailer is, and when to expect each update.
- <1 hCollection photos
- 2 hSigned POD
- 1 dayRelay plan and rate
- 24/7Ops desk
- TAPA TSR 2 compliant
- Fully insured
- Planned secure stops
24-seven opsTrailer TR-4821 · Calais → Manchester
- Collected at DoverSeal intact · 4 photos
- On the wayETA 19:05
- DeliveredSigned POD attached
- Back at DoverReady for return sailing
Also in the UK
Dedicated capacity for UK freight
Alongside the Channel relay, we run trucks, trailers and drivers for UK forwarders and retailers.
Round trips & UK trailer swaps
Collection, delivery and return planned as one loop, or two trucks meeting midway to swap trailers so drivers get home.
- Fewer empty miles, predictable daily slots
- Overnight trunking within drivers' hours
- Live tracking and fast PODs
We're hiring
Drive for 24-seven
We're looking for Class 1 (C+E) drivers living within reach of Dover and the M20 / M25 corridor for full-time Channel relay and UK trunking work. Modern trucks, planned shifts, and home at the end of your shift.
- Licence
- Category C+E
- Qualifications
- Driver CPC and digital tacho card
- Work
- Dover relays and UK trunking
- Shifts
- Days and nights available
- Security
- TAPA procedures, training given
- Contract
- Full-time, permanent
Apply in two minutes
No CV? No problem. Leave your details and we'll call you back.
Plan a relay
Tell us about your UK flows
Find out how much simpler, cheaper and faster your UK deliveries can be. Send us your typical volumes and UK delivery areas. We'll come back with a relay plan and a per-trailer rate, usually within one working day.
- 01Send your flows
Origins, UK delivery areas, trailers per week.
- 02Trial relay
We run one trailer so you can see the service in practice.
- 03Weekly plan
A regular relay plan with an agreed per-trailer rate.
Relay or quote request
The more detail you give, the more accurate the first quote.
- 24/7 urgent ops
- 07826 850504
- Operations
- ops@24-seven.co.uk
- Sales & quotes
- sales@24-seven.co.uk
- Languages
- English · Polish
- Office
- 24/7 Transportation Ltd
268 Bath Road (Regus)
Slough SL1 4DX
England - Company
- Company reg. no. 07571709
VAT no. GB 320 9833 09
www.24-seven.co.uk