info.nospam@nortonshiabservices.co.uk 0161 205 8363 WhatsApp
Nortons Hiab Services Ltd NortonsHiab Services
For businesses that use us regularly

Trade credit account

One account, one invoice, one set of terms. Download the form, fill it in, send it back to the accounts team.

A trade account means you book work and get invoiced for it, rather than settling job by job. Payment is 30 days from the date of invoice. Applications are made on the form below and decided on your bank and trade references.

It is worth saying plainly that you do not need one to use us. Quoting and account opening are separate: send us a load today and we will price it whether or not you ever fill this in. An account is for businesses that use us often enough that a transaction every time becomes a nuisance.

Download the Form (PDF) Ask a Question

Two pages. Print it, complete it and return it to the accounts department.

Two Nortons hiab lorries standing together with their cranes stowed
Before you start

What the form asks for

Have these to hand and it takes ten minutes.

About the business

Who you are

  • Business name and trading address
  • Legal status — sole trader, partnership, limited company or other
  • Company registration number, if you have one
  • VAT registration number
  • Telephone and website
  • A named contact, their job title, phone and email
About the money

How you will pay

  • Cheque, BACS or another method
  • Whether you run a purchase order system
  • Your bank’s name and branch address
  • Account number and sort code
Two suppliers

Trade references

  • Two companies you already buy from on account
  • How long you have traded with each
  • A contact name at each one
  • Address, phone and email for both

Pick suppliers who will recognise your name and answer an email.

The terms, in plain words

What you are agreeing to

The authorisation section at the end of the form is short, and it is worth reading rather than signing. It says four things.

You may sign it

The signatory confirms they are authorised to sign on behalf of the business.

It is all correct

Straightforward, and the reason the references get checked.

We may ask about you

Nortons may obtain your financial information from the bank and the two trade referees you name. That is the permission the whole application rests on.

Published conditions apply

Business with Nortons Hiab Services Ltd is subject to the Freight Transport Association Conditions For The Carriage Of Goods By Road In The United Kingdom 2002, and payment terms are strictly 30 days from date of invoice.

The first job is always payable before loading. That applies whether or not a trade account has been opened, and the 30 day terms run from the jobs after it.

Our conditions of carriage are published in full on this site rather than only in the small print of a form — read them before you sign, not after.

Conditions of carriage in full  ·  The same thing as a PDF

Nortons lorries with cranes at work outside a hangar
Sending it back

Where the completed form goes

Completed forms go to the accounts department. The form itself gives a fax number, 0161 205 5585, and the address accounts.nospam@nortonsservices.co.uk.

Nortons Hiab Services Ltd, Norton Street, off Hulme Hall Lane, Miles Platting, Manchester M40 8HD. The postal address is on the contact page with a map.

Common questions

Trade accounts, answered

Who can open a trade account?

Businesses — sole traders, partnerships and limited companies all apply on the same form. If you are a private individual moving something once, you do not need an account at all; we will simply quote you and you pay for the job.

What do you need from me?

Your business details and legal status, the company registration and VAT numbers if you have them, a named contact, your bank details, and two trade references from suppliers you already buy from. The form asks how long you have traded with each of them, so pick suppliers who will recognise your name.

Why do you want bank and trade references?

Because the form authorises us to ask them about you, and that is how the decision gets made. It is the standard way credit is granted in haulage and it is quicker than it sounds — most of the delay in opening an account is waiting for a reference to be returned, not waiting for us.

What are the payment terms?

Payment is strictly 30 days from the date of invoice. That is on the form above the signature and it is not a starting position for a negotiation. The first job is always payable before loading, whether or not an account has been opened.

What conditions does the work run under?

Signing the form confirms that business with Nortons Hiab Services Ltd is subject to the Freight Transport Association Conditions For The Carriage Of Goods By Road In The United Kingdom 2002. Our own conditions of carriage are published in full on this site so you can read them before you sign rather than after.

How long does it take?

It depends almost entirely on how quickly your references come back. Send the form in complete — the commonest hold-up by a distance is a missing reference contact or a blank VAT box.

Can I get a price before I have an account?

Yes, and most people do. Quoting and account opening are separate things. Send us the load and the postcodes and we will price it whether or not you ever open an account.

Do I have to have an account to use you?

No. An account suits businesses that use us regularly and want one invoice and one set of terms rather than a transaction each time. If you use us twice a year it is probably not worth the paperwork.

Looking for a job rather than an account? The vacancies page has the current roles and the employment application form.

Want a price before you open an account?

You do not need one to get quoted. Tell us what needs lifting or moving and we will price it today.

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