Devon Vehicle Transport: The Routes I Drive Every Week

I am based in Devon and I drive the South West's roads most days of the week. When someone books a collection or delivery, the route matters as much as the car. A sat nav will get you there, but it will not tell you which lane to avoid at rush hour or where the potholes have opened up since last month.

This page runs through the main routes I use for Devon vehicle transport, the back lanes that catch drivers out, and why knowing the ground makes a real difference to how quickly and safely your car arrives.

The main roads: M5, A38, A30 and A380

The M5 is the spine of it. It runs north to south past Exeter, between junctions 29 and 31, and links Devon to Bristol, the Midlands and the rest of the country. Anything heading up country or coming down from there uses this road. The stretch between Cullompton and Exeter queues up in summer and on Friday afternoons, so I time collections around it where I can.

The A38 runs from Exeter down to Plymouth, past Newton Abbot and Ivybridge. It is a fast dual carriageway for the most part, though the climb past Haldon Hill and the lane drops near Chudleigh catch drivers out. The A30 takes you west to Okehampton and on into Cornwall, the main route for anything heading towards Bodmin or further. The A380 is the short but busy link from the A38 up to Torquay and the English Riviera, and it tightens quickly once the dual carriageway ends.

Exeter as the hub

Exeter sits where the M5, A30 and A38 meet, which makes it the natural hub for vehicle transport in the South West. Almost every long-distance job through Devon starts, ends or passes through the city. A car going from Plymouth to Bristol runs through Exeter. The same goes for most movements into Cornwall or up towards Taunton.

It has its own pinch points too. Junction 30 on the M5 and the A30 and A38 merge at the bottom of the hill slow right down at peak times. County Hall and Countess Wear roundabouts on the A379 clog up as well. I know the quiet ways around the city edge, which saves time when a collection is running late or a delivery has to land somewhere on time.

The rural lanes to be careful on

Devon is mostly lanes once you step off the trunk roads. Single-track lanes with high hedges, passing places, mud on the road from farm traffic and junctions you cannot see until you are right on top of them. They are fine if you know them and slow down. They bite if you treat them like a main road.

Driving a customer's car down these lanes is different to driving my own. I am more careful, because I do not know how that car behaves and I do not want to ding a wing mirror on a hedge. The North Devon lanes around Barnstaple and the deep valleys on the way to Exmoor, plus the South Hams lanes between Totnes and Kingsbridge, are the ones I take most slowly. Sat navs send people down them at full speed. Local drivers know better.

Why local knowledge matters

A sat nav gives you a route. It does not tell you that the A38 floods near Buckfastleigh after heavy rain, or that a certain lane is blocked by a tractor at eight in the morning. Local knowledge means I plan around the weather, the school run, the markets and the roadworks that never quite seem to leave the M5.

It also means realistic times. When I quote a collection in Plymouth for 9am, I know what the traffic is actually doing on the A38 that morning, not what the map says it should be doing. That is the difference between a car turning up when I said it would and one that arrives an hour late with excuses.

For a customer it is the same reason you would rather use a local tradesman than someone driving down from London. I have driven these roads hundreds of times, and I know which ones to use and which to leave alone.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the main roads used for Devon vehicle transport?

The M5, A38, A30 and A380 carry most of the traffic. The M5 links Devon to the rest of the country, the A38 runs to Plymouth, the A30 heads west into Cornwall, and the A380 feeds Torquay and the English Riviera.

Where is the best hub for collections and deliveries in Devon?

Exeter. The M5, A30 and A38 all meet there, so nearly every long-distance job through the South West passes the city. It also has good rail links back, which helps when I drop a car off and need to make my own way home.

Can you collect from rural areas on single-track lanes?

Yes. Most of Devon is lanes rather than main roads, so rural collections are common. I take them slowly and know which ones have passing places and which are best avoided in winter.

Do you only operate in Devon?

I am based in Devon and know it best, but I collect and deliver across the whole UK. The South West is home ground, and most jobs either start or finish here.

How do you price a job between two Devon towns?

By the direct miles between pickup and drop-off, plus a fixed base fee. Because I know the roads, the price reflects the route I would actually drive rather than a straight-line guess.