Delivery boss slams Evri after pay dispute and redundancies

Daniel Sheehy, the owner of Old Windsor Logistics, has spoken out about why he terminated his business’ relationship with the parcel giant last month.

In April, Old Windsor announced it would no longer deliver parcels in Abingdon or Oxford with its 25 on-site drivers all being let go.

The firm, which has its Oxford base at the Horspath Trading Estate in Cowley, had delivered parcels for Evri for seven years.

READ MORE: Evri statement as UK delivery firm contractor shuts with drivers fired

In the immediate aftermath, Evri worked to ensure there was no disruption to its parcel service and has since offered jobs to the drivers fired by Old Windsor.

Now, Mr Sheehy has reiterated his criticism and his belief that it wasn’t possible for the relationship to continue.

He said: “It’s not possible for third parties to be profitable and that’s why I’ve given up my business of 11 years.”

Daniel Sheehy, owner of Old Windsor Logistics (Image: Daniel Sheehy)

One of the most important reasons for this, he said, was that profitability at the firm was undermined by Evri raising the share of ‘postable’ and ‘small’ delivery bands from virtually nothing to two thirds of total volume.

This was combined with a reduction of standard parcel volume from 42 per cent to 15 per cent between November 2019 and March 2026.

‘Postable’ or ‘small’ pay bands earn £0.73 and £0.83 per parcel respectively, significantly less than the standard parcel pay bracket, which is around £1.20 per parcel and was itself reduced according to Mr Sheehy.

Although the smaller bands should, in theory, be easier to fit into a delivery vehicle and be quicker to deliver, he added that the parcels were being mislabelled undermining the system.

Old Windsor Logistics has a base at the Horspath Industrial Estate (Image: Google Maps)

As such, Mr Sheehy says this meant a collapse in both the profitability of his business and of the ability of his drivers to earn a fair living wage.

In addition, more than £50,000 in fines and over £11,000 in insurance charges had also hurt the business.

In response a spokesperson for Evri said it routinely reviews arrangements with partners and is committed to working with them and supporting them in their service.

The spokesperson added: “We routinely review our delivery model and third party relationships to offer continued service improvements and the best delivery choices for our customers.”

However, Mr Sheehy believes that if the trend continues others may also be forced to end their relationship with Evri.

He said: “I think everyone knows what’s going on but they’ve all been indoctrinated and been doing it for so long.”

An Evri employee delivering a parcel (Image: NQ)

“People are at wits’ end,” he added, referring to other contractors, “and people have said to me, fair play, there’ll be others that will do it”.

He added that he thought he was being used as a test case to lower prices.

“We survived these lower rates because I made it work and I was running a very professional shop,” he said.

Mr Sheehy continued: “And so they continued lowering it for other people and then they’ve tried it again this year.

“And that’s where I’ve said enough is enough.

READ MORE: Evri parcel delivery disruption after Oxford firm collapses

“I know what they’re going to do. They’re going to try it with me being the most professional and proper setup and then they’re going to go to others.”

A spokesperson for Evri said: “Independent data has recognised us as having the highest on-time delivery rate of all carriers and our dedicated community couriers are at the heart of our business.

“As we continue to grow, we continue to welcome new community couriers who our customers tell us provide a high standard of service.

“Keen applicants can express their interest on our website.”