About The Despatch Association

The Despatch Association was formed in 1985, when it lobbied the Radiocommunications Division of the DTI (now the Radiocommunications Agency) to continue to issue frequencies to courier companies.

That campaign was successful, and since then, the Association has been at the forefront in arguing the case for the courier and despatch industry. We have had many successes on behalf of individual members and for the industry as a whole, including supporting a courier in a test case that established the legality of the exemption for delivery and collection on most roads. Our many achievements have given us the strengths of standing and credibility as an authority in the industry.

We have built contacts with the Department for Transport, local government agencies, other transport organisations and all major political parties, in order to lobby on behalf of our industry. Other influencing occurs through membership of relevant committees and organisations, including the National Motorcycle Council which The Despatch Association currently chairs, the Occupational Road Safety Alliance and Skills for Logistics.

We are also working in other ways to improve our industry. For example,

• we developed a model ‘Terms of Business’ which has been registered with the Office of Fair Trading.
• we devised a ‘Health & Safety at Work’ policy and we retain other standard employment policies, all of which are available free to members.
• The Association has, together with the Road Haulage and Distribution Training Council, drawn up the first NVQ at Level II for couriers.
• we have developed perhaps the first motor insurance deal exclusively for couriers, exclusively for DA members.

To continue to be a strong Association we need to represent a substantial majority of courier and despatch firms in the U.K., and while membership is growing, there are still many more firms that would benefit from belonging. That is why we need you to join us and help give this Association the loudest voice possible.

Cost
Corporate membership [with a standing order] is £293.75 in the first year, dropping to £235.00 p.a. thereafter.
Owner riders and drivers pay £58.75 membership to Riders and Drivers Associates, a branch of the Despatch Association.

So why not belong to the organisation that is doing more for the courier and despatch industry and join The Despatch Association now?

http://www.despatch.co.uk