Inter-Company Despatch

Life started in 1984 when Europe’s oldest and largest consular agent, Blair Consular Services, decided to set up its own in-house courier service to deliver documents to consulates around the world.

Starting with just one man and a car, ICD, as it is popularly known, rapidly expanded. Today it manages a number of other specialities, including exhibition logistics, hanging garments, and warehouse and storage.

While delivering documents to consulates and to their agents at airports is a mainstay of the business, the company ships anything from single envelopes to helicopter blades, and can move loads of up to 10 tonnes in weight.

Whatever we do is based on trust, and with Courier Exchange we can trust the members. That’s important.

The company provides the highest levels of training, and drivers have Aviation Security Level 4 (Air Cargo Agents) that enables them to deliver directly to an aircraft’s steps if necessary.

Their first driver, Guy Dodds, has risen to become Managing Director of the company, and is in charge of logistics for its fleet of four vehicles and pool of around 25 sub-contractors. ICD joined CX after he recognised its potential to help find sub-contractors for individual jobs.

Guy said: “We use the Live Availability Map to look for carriers. If we have a job, say, in Liverpool, we’ll look at the map and see where all the carriers who are in Liverpool are, then ring them and ask if they’re available, and get quotes.

“I put work on the Exchange that I can’t cover. It gives us an extended field. The majority of our work is in London, but we cover the whole of the UK.”