Ship bulky goods – when a parcel is no longer enough

Calculating girth: how the parcel services measure

Girth is the length plus twice the width plus twice the height – in other words, the circumference at the thickest point plus the longest side. DHL and GLS calculate it this way, and DPD also states a girth limit for its XL class. Hermes measures differently: there, the sum of the longest and the shortest side decides the size class.

Measure the item once it is fully packed, at its outermost points, including handles, feet or overhanging film. Round up to whole centimetres; a box that only just fits is often recorded as larger at acceptance than you calculated.

An example: a box of 150 × 50 × 40 cm has a girth of 150 + 2 × 50 + 2 × 40 = 330 cm. At DHL it counts as bulky goods because it is longer than 120 cm, but stays below the bulky-goods limit of 360 cm. GLS and DPD stop at 300 cm. At Hermes, 150 + 40 = 190 cm puts it in the XXL class, whose third side may measure no more than 50 cm – a precise fit.

Whatever the size, the weight limit applies: 31.5 kg at DHL, Hermes and DPD, 40 kg at GLS. The current limits and surcharges of the four carriers are in the comparison table on this page.

When does an item count as bulky goods?

Bulky goods are not a question of weight but of shape and handling. DHL lists five reasons: the parcel exceeds the maximum size of 120 × 60 × 60 cm in at least one direction, it is neither box- nor roll-shaped, it has protruding parts, it is not packed in cardboard or paper, or it is unpacked luggage such as a suitcase. Hermes likewise counts all non-cuboid items and items with protruding parts.

Rolls are a special case. DHL accepts them as bulky goods up to 200 cm long, 60 cm in diameter and 5 kg; a heavier carpet roll is therefore ruled out. Hermes carries parcel rolls up to 100 cm long and 20 cm in diameter without a bulky-goods surcharge.

In everyday shipping, these are the items that most often end up as bulky goods: bike boxes, carpet and fabric rolls, lamps and garden furniture with protruding parts, wooden crates and unpacked suitcases. Anything that is also heavier than 31.5 kg (40 kg at GLS) or longer than 2 m is not accepted by any of the big parcel services. It then travels by van as a direct drive or, packed on a pallet, as a pallet shipment.

Packing bulky goods: the parcel network and a direct drive need different things

In the parcel network, bulky goods also travel over conveyor belts, chutes and roll cages. That is why DHL requires bulky items to be packed securely and completely. Plan for double-wall cartons, filled voids and edge protectors – film on its own does not protect against a fall from a belt.

On a direct drive, the item is loaded once and unloaded once. Here the aim is protection against pressure and scratches rather than shocks in a sorting centre: protect edges and corners with edge protectors or cardboard, cover and label glass and high-gloss surfaces, and fix moving parts such as doors, drawers or wheels.

If furniture or equipment can be dismantled, dismantle it. Put screws and fittings in a labelled bag taped firmly to the main part. That saves space in the load area and protects delicate joints while carrying.

Legally, packing is the sender's responsibility (Section 411 of the German Commercial Code, HGB). If damage results from inadequate packaging, the carrier is not liable for it (Section 427 HGB) – which means the carrier's liability insurance does not pay either. Good padding is therefore also a question of liability.

Parcel service, direct drive or freight forwarder: where the line is

The choice comes down to four questions: size, weight, time and who carries on site.

Parcel service: the item can be packed, weighs no more than 31.5 kg (40 kg at GLS) and stays within the size limits. Then the parcel service is almost always the cheapest option, with a transit time of a few working days and the risk that comes with sorting.

Direct drive by van: the item is longer than 2 m, heavier than the parcel limit, fragile or has to arrive today. One vehicle carries only your shipment, with up to around 4.3 m of load length and 1,200 kg in the 3.5 t box van, or about 6 m and up to 3,000 kg in the 7.5 t truck. You can add help with carrying right into the home.

Freight forwarder with groupage: the goods can be packed on a pallet, are robust and are not in a hurry. They then travel in consolidated freight via a depot, usually with a forklift or tail lift at both ends and delivery to the kerb or loading dock.

Special transport: anything over 3,000 kg, needing a crane or not fitting into a closed load area runs as a special transport on request.

Rule of thumb: the bulkier and more fragile the item and the shorter the route, the more a direct drive makes sense.

Long items and narrow stairwells: preparing the pickup

With bulky goods, a pickup rarely fails because of the vehicle – it fails on the way to it. So measure not only the item but also the route: door width, stairwell including the landing, lift car depth and diagonal, and the passage to the courtyard.

Long items such as door leaves, worktops or aluminium profiles travel in a closed load area. The van offers around 2.6 m of load length, the Sprinter L2 around 3.2 m and the 3.5 t box truck around 4.3 m. Anything longer would have to stick out at the back. German road traffic rules (Section 22 StVO) generally allow up to 1.50 m of rear overhang, and from 1 m beyond the rear reflectors only with marking such as a bright red flag – in a closed panel van that is not an option. Such items can run as a special transport on request.

When you book, enter the floor, whether there is a lift and the weight of the heaviest single item. If one person cannot carry it safely alone, add help with carrying. If one of the addresses is in a tight inner-city location, such as Cologne-Ehrenfeld or Düsseldorf's old town, add notes on the loading zone in the notes field.