Here's an uncomfortable truth about this trade: most jobs don't go to the best driver, or even the cheapest. They go to whoever replied first with a firm number. If you're the one saying "let me work it out and get back to you", you've often already lost.

The good news is that quoting fast doesn't mean quoting badly. It means doing the thinking once, up front.

Sort your rates out once

The reason quoting feels slow is you're doing the maths from scratch every time. Decide, once and for all:

• Your hourly rate for you and the van.
• Your per-mile rate — and remember to count the drive back.
• Your call-out minimum.
• Your extras — second person, stairs, weekend, waiting.

Write them down. Now every quote is just plugging in numbers, not inventing them.

Ask the three questions that matter

You can price most jobs off three quick answers: what are we moving, from where to where, and any stairs or lift? That's usually enough to give a confident price. Don't get dragged into a twenty-message back-and-forth — get the basics and quote.

Send a firm number, not a range

"Somewhere between £120 and £180" makes you sound unsure and invites haggling. "£150, and I can do Saturday morning" sounds like someone who knows their business. Commit to a number.

Let a tool do the sum

If you want to be genuinely quick, use something that adds up hours, miles and extras for you and hands you a price. That's the whole idea behind Vanzy's quoting — you answer the couple of questions, it suggests the number, you tweak and send. On the roadside, in under a minute, while the other driver's still typing.

Speed is a skill you can build. The driver who quotes in sixty seconds books more work than the one with slightly lower prices and a slow thumb.