Trade plate vehicle movements in Whitby and the Esk Valley

Reaching Whitby on the A171, the A169 and the coast road

There is no motorway anywhere near Whitby, so every drive finishes on an A road. The A171 is the main route, running to Guisborough in one direction and Scarborough in the other, while the A169 crosses the high moor from Pickering and the A174 follows the coast towards Sandsend and Loftus. Fog on the moor, caravans in the summer and the swing bridge opening for boats all play their part, so we agree a realistic collection date rather than promising a same day slot.

The harbour streets, Church Street and the West Cliff grid are narrow, and the 199 steps are no place for a car. If your vehicle is in a compound towards Stainsacre or on the industrial land off Fairfield Way, tell us about any barrier, and if it is a house on the Abbey side, let us know where the driver can stop legally.

Short hops are as welcome as long runs. Collecting in Sleights and delivering in Whitby is one job, and so is collecting in Whitby and delivering to Glasgow. Ruswarp, Sandsend, Robin Hood's Bay, Guisborough and Scarborough are all close by. Whitby station sits at the end of the Esk Valley line from Middlesbrough, which gives our driver a way home after a one way delivery.

Collecting Whitby buyers' lots from BCA Leeds and Manheim Leeds

Whitby has no auction site of its own, so most local buyers bid at BCA Leeds or Manheim Leeds and need the car brought back over the moors once it is released. If you buy further north, Manheim Washington, Wilsons Auctions Birtley and BCA Newcastle upon Tyne are all within reach up the A19.

We confirm release with the auction before a driver sets off, so nobody arrives at a closed gate. Read more about collecting auction lots after release. Salvage vehicles cannot be driven on trade plates and need a transporter instead.

Harbour dealers moving stock to Middlesbrough, Scarborough and York

A typical Whitby booking is an independent sending a car to a group site in Middlesbrough or Scarborough, a part exchange heading to Leeds once it is legal to drive, or a fleet van leaving a unit towards Stainsacre. Because we move one vehicle at a time, none of them has to wait for a transporter on the A171.

Retail customers get the same care. If you have promised a buyer on West Cliff a delivery to the door, our driver arrives in the car itself and hands it over in person. See how we handle site transfers and retail handovers, and add a named contact so the driver knows who to ask for.

If the other end of the move is in Leeds, our page on vehicle movements in Leeds covers that side of the run.

Sandsend, Sleights and Robin Hood's Bay: give us the right village

Many cars booked as Whitby are really sitting in Sandsend, Sleights or Robin Hood's Bay, and East Cliff and West Cliff are on opposite sides of the swing bridge. An exact postcode, the village name and any barrier code send the driver straight to the right door instead of round the harbour twice.

Winter weather on the A169 and closures on the A171 can slow a run, so choose a date you can keep and we will plan around it. A short hop from Sleights gets exactly the same paperwork as a long drive south: condition and photos at collection, a signature on delivery and one report by email.

What we need to book your Whitby move

Every car or van must be roadworthy and legal to drive, with a valid MOT where one is required. Light vans are fine, but we do not move HGVs or non runners. We supply the trade plates, and our motor trade road risk insurance covers the vehicle from collection until it is signed for.

Read more about how a driven trade plate movement works and how OVM covers the UK from Glasgow. For a price, enter the registration, both postcodes and your dates for an instant quote with no account needed, or call 0141 459 1302.