First 4 Sameday: Building a courier network that delivers every time

In 2022, after 20 years in the same-day industry, Sally Golding decided to start her own business. Together with her business partners, who owned Pallex and APC depots on the south coast, she launched First 4 Sameday to complete their full end-to-end logistics offering. 

“Sameday was really the only missing piece of the puzzle,” Sally explains. 

Sally wanted to offer a flexible logistics service without the overheads of managing her own fleet. To make this happen, she turned to Courier Exchange (CX), giving her access to thousands of reliable couriers. 

Without the couriers, I don’t have a business,

Sally Golding, Co-founder and Director, First 4 Sameday

Now, two years on, First 4 Sameday is thriving. With CX at the core of their operations, Sally and her team deliver everything from wedding cakes to scaffolding —always ensuring the right courier is on the right job. 

Here’s how they did it

From the beginning, First 4 Sameday made CX the backbone of their operations. “We use the Exchange to cover all of our client’s loads,” says Sally. “About 90% of the work we handle for our clients goes through the Exchange.” 

CX makes it easy for Sally to match the right courier to each job, maintaining the high standards her customers expect. It also streamlines operations, enabling the team to track live courier jobs and invoice directly through the platform—a one-stop shop for managing their business. 

For Sally, the flexibility CX offers is crucial to her business model. “I’ve got no intention of having my own fleet of drivers,” Sally explains. “I purely use the couriers on CX because that means that I don’t have to sell in any specific area. Geography, vehicle type specification is not a problem for any of my clients.” 

Sally also highlights the importance of building relationships with couriers: 

“I think what sets us apart from many members on the Exchange is the way that we treat our couriers. A lot of people don’t give work to suppliers that have no feedback. When actually, some of our best suppliers that we have relationships with – and now give work to daily – are ones we gave an opportunity to in the very beginning.” 

Victoria, a key member of the customer service team, echoes this approach:

I love seeing new drivers learn and develop – they go from no feedback at all… to a few months later, suddenly loads of people are using them and they’ve got great feedback. It’s nice to be a part of that journey.

Victoria Adams, Customer Service , First 4 Sameday

Results

The flexibility of CX has allowed First 4 Sameday to deliver exceptional service without owning a fleet of courier vans or haulage vehicles. The platform allows Sally’s team to find the perfect courier for every job, ensuring reliability and flexibility for their clients. 

“They’re so important to our business,” Sally says of the couriers. “They’re representing our brand, and we need to have the right courier on the right job.” 

It’s not just about the price—it’s about treating drivers well and making sure everything works for everyone.

Sally Golding, Co-founder and Director, First 4 Sameday

“We’re adding 10 to 15 new couriers to our trusted list every single day,” Sally says. 

Sally adds though, “It’s not just about price, it’s about doing the right thing morally. If we have a load that is long distance, we’ll always try and get a courier home without them even bidding on work. We’ll phone up and offer the load to them because it’s the right thing to do.” 

There are many benefits to having a local courier, so there is logic behind what we’re doing also, but ultimately, we respect our couriers the same way that we do our clients because without them, I don’t have a business”. Sally says. 

It’s clear this approach has led to incredible results. In just two years, First 4 Sameday has received 2,449 positive feedback comments, reflecting the trust and reliability they’ve fostered across their network. 

By using CX, Sally and her team can focus on what matters most—delivering great service to customers and working closely with couriers to support their growth. The result is a business built on trust, reliability, and strong relationships. 

Conclusion

For Sally and her team, CX is integral to their operations. It enables them to find the right courier for every job, no matter how complex or specific. 

By fostering strong relationships, supporting new drivers, and prioritising reliability, First 4 Sameday continues to grow, delivering top-notch service to customers while helping couriers build their businesses. 

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