Expo Hire sends a live GPS tracking link on the morning of every delivery. Track your driver in real time. The same system runs on collection day.
On the morning of your delivery, before the driver leaves the depot, Expo Hire sends a live tracking link to the mobile number on your order. The link opens a map showing the driver's current position and a continuously updated estimated arrival time. An SMS notification arrives approximately 30 minutes before the driver reaches your venue.
The link stays active from the moment the driver sets off until the delivery is completed. There are no calls from the driver. The tracking system is the notification channel — share the link with whoever is responsible for meeting the van and they will have everything they need without waiting for a call that never comes.
The exact same process runs on collection day. A separate tracking link and SMS arrive on the morning of collection.
Event logistics coordination involves a lot of people who need to be in the right place at the right time. A venue manager at a hotel needs to open the loading bay. A site manager at a festival needs to clear the delivery route. A caterer at a marquee event needs to stop what they are doing and meet the driver at the vehicle. Getting all of them to the right place at the right time, without spending the morning on the phone, is what tracking solves.
Without tracking, the alternative is a combination of estimated delivery windows and phone calls — which means either people spending time waiting unnecessarily, or missing the driver and triggering a redelivery charge. With a live link, the venue contact monitors the van approach from wherever they are and moves to the unloading point when the driver is five minutes away.
Live tracking is particularly useful for venues with access restrictions. Hotel loading bays with time windows, city centre venues where the driver cannot wait on the street, festival sites with gates that need staffing, and stadium delivery docks that require the client to be present — all of these scenarios become easier when the venue contact can see exactly when the van will arrive.
For city centre deliveries, the 15-minute delivery window is tight. If the unloading point is not cleared and ready when the driver arrives, that window starts counting. Access delays beyond the standard window are charged at £120 per hour or part thereof. Tracking gives you the information to make sure that does not happen.
Forward the SMS link to anyone who needs to know when the van arrives. It works on any smartphone browser — no app, no account, no login. Common recipients include:
If the venue has a loading bay manager or security desk that controls access, give them the tracking link the day before so they know to expect it on delivery morning. That removes the phone call to reception that would otherwise precede every hire delivery.
For events with more than one delivery — a roadshow, a multi-day conference, or a venue with separate delivery and collection addresses — you receive a tracking link for each journey. Keep the links separate so the right person on each site receives the right notification.
Check your spam or blocked messages folder first — the SMS arrives from an automated number that some networks flag. If neither the email nor the SMS has arrived by 9am on delivery day, contact us via live chat or call 0800 910 1100 and the team will resend the link immediately.
The tracking link activates on delivery morning when the driver departs the depot. It is not available before that point. Your order confirmation shows the delivery date and the morning or afternoon window you selected at checkout.
The system updates the ETA continuously as the route progresses. Traffic, access delays and loading time at earlier stops on the route can all shift the arrival time. If a delay is significant enough to affect your setup schedule, contact us and the team can check the driver's status directly.
Yes. You receive a separate tracking link and SMS on collection morning. The same 30-minute advance notification applies.
The tracking link itself is always accessible — if you saved or forwarded it, you can check the driver's position at any point. If you did not receive the original link, contact us and the team will resend it.
All Expo Hire deliveries include live tracking — standard, timed slot, and two-person carriage deliveries. Tracking is not an add-on; it is standard on every order.