Buy the DHL Paket XL for the transport of very heavy goods.

There are different parcel sizes for shipping goods, which are adapted to the size and weight and are subject to uniform regulations. To ship very heavy goods, there is the DHL Paket XL, suitable for a weight of up to 31.5 kilograms. Anything weighing more than this is considered bulky goods and requires compliance with extended shipping conditions. This includes, for example, shipments that are longer than 120 centimetres and are characterised by protruding parts or unpackaged areas.

The high-quality XL carton is usually made of corrugated board and is particularly stable and tear-resistant due to the FEFCO design. This makes it ideal for such conditions to ensure safe shipping. It is not only available from Deutsche Post and other shipping services, but can also be ordered conveniently and more cheaply from a packaging retailer on the Internet.

What is a DHL XL Paket and what does it look like?

Companies that ship a lot of goods every day often need a larger quantity of cartons that are immediately available and tailored to the weight of the products. Private households also send not only small parcels, but can also have heavy contents transported with a DHL Carton XL, e.g. construction and car parts or furniture. A well-chosen corrugated cardboard box that fits a larger quantity makes postage costs cheaper if the shipping package is selected according to the appropriate weight class. You could buy the DHL Paket XL at parcel acceptance points such as post stations, Packstations and no parcel service branches if you know that your freight does not exceed the weight class. The heavyweight DHL Paket XL is always shipped with tracking and liability, can be delivered quickly, tracked via the individual shipping status or prepared for collection.

The materials and construction of the DHL Karton XL make it ideal for heavy products. The carton quality contributes significantly to how secure the shipment is. So it's not so much the contents themselves that are at fault as the poor quality of the carton materials if goods arrive damaged or show tears, holes and deformations in the packaging.

Shipping service providers such as Deutsche Post have set a precise upper limit for permissible shipping types, for example the Deutsche Post carton size XL, while conventional cartons and packaging are not always designed for this. The carton quality and dimensions must withstand correspondingly high loads and also make it possible to stack rows of parcels. The DHL XL parcel is designed for this or a cardboard box that meets similar requirements.

Suitable cardboard boxes as DHL Paket Karton XL usually consist of a double-wall folding box and have a solid stability due to the format. They are robust and optimally designed for shipping and logistics due to their high load-bearing capacity. A pre-glued cardboard box simplifies use and assembly, as the Paket XL DHL only needs to be unfolded for use and can be variably filled and padded. Particularly large boxes with heavy contents require the appropriate filling material to prevent the contents from shifting awkwardly or being damaged, e.g. packing paper, bubble wrap or rice chips.

The decisive factor for heavy-weight shipments is therefore always to choose sturdy cartons that best meet the FEFCO standard. This refers to an internationally valid standardisation of various shipping packages, which are precisely defined in terms of material type, intended use and dimensions with a FEFCO code and apply to all types of cartons, corrugated board and solid board.

The exact design is a good indication to better plan the shipment and to avoid damage to the goods. Each FEFCO code is developed independently and assigns a four-digit number to the respective design, while the basic carton types range from 01 to 09. The last two digits then identify the cut and fold of the packages.

What are the dimensions of Packset & Post boxes and how much do they cost?

At DHL.com, all boxes and parcels are classified into several sizes and are suitable for one-off or regular shipping. They come in sizes S to XL, with the XL Paket DHL designed for weights up to 31.5 kg and the DHL Paket XL measuring 120x60x60 cm. These are also practical when goods and items are the length but not as high. They can be easily fixed with filling material.

The postage costs for a DHL XL box are currently 16.49 euros, with a cuboid shape of at least 15x11x1 cm. This allows for much cheaper shipping than with a conventional shipping box or by dividing the goods into several packages. The smaller cartons at the shipping service vary from S, M and L in weight between 2 kg, 5 kg and 10 kg. As folding cartons, they are subject to FEFCO Standard 02 and thus guarantee the required stability and folding.

The stable material of DHL Parcels XL at a glance

For the DHL service provider, all shipments must be securely and completely packed according to their contents and size. Unshaped and unpackaged items or boxes and objects that do not retain their shape fall outside the standard and must be sent separately. For the XL parcel, a suitable cardboard box or folding box is the perfect solution, made of robust corrugated cardboard. The double wall version is ideal for heavyweight shipments in the prescribed weight class and offers sufficient security and stability for the contents.

The corrugated board consists of a smooth central web covered by two fluted surfaces. There are different types of flutes that further increase the stability of the cardboard, e.g. as coarse or fine flutes or in a combination of several flute types. Corrugations are created during production by moistening the paper web, which then runs through heated corrugating rolls, thus acquiring the corrugated structure. Corrugated board offers an efficient design with layers on top of each other, which is ideal for heavy loads, absorbs moisture and also ensures air circulation due to its resistant design, which also has an insulating effect as a current through the flutes. This also makes the XL DHL box resistant to temperature fluctuations.

Corrugated board for the DHL Packset XL has many other advantages and can also increase the visibility of a supply chain or simplify product identification, as the paper can be printed or coloured. Beyond stability, corrugated board has a high load capacity, is environmentally friendly and recyclable, easy to assemble as a folding carton and so efficient to handle and available in all packaging sizes.

At Deutsche Postdienst, the boxes are usually yellow in colour, but can also be selected as grey, brown or white cardboard if the dimensions match. Heavy goods can be shipped in a cardboard box with a reinforced base, while the sturdy material also allows the boxes to be stacked. With the DHL carton size XL, however, it is often sufficient to cushion the contents sufficiently and secure them with filling material to prevent damage.

Deutsche Post carton size 120x60x60 - use and advantages

When shipping heavy goods, e.g. furniture, construction and car parts, it is important to know the exact maximum dimensions of the DHL XL box so that you can send it to the parcel service provider as a DHL XL parcel and do not have to send it as a forwarding order. If the German post box is XL in size, the maximum size is always 120x60x60 cm.

This already offers a high savings potential, while the shipment with liability and tracking ensures additional security. There is an extended shipping system for business customers, while the permissible weight and maximum dimensions must be observed. Parcels that exceed the specified dimensions are considered bulky goods, as they pose a greater challenge for the parcel service. The dimensions are exactly prescribed by the shipping service providers, while exceptions exist as an extra service and unpacked luggage can also be sent, which then also falls under the bulky goods category.

Shipping up to 31.5 kg involves relatively low postage costs with DHL-GmbH, while delivery is also faster, requiring only 1 to 2 working days within Germany. Bulky goods and parcels weighing more than 31.5 kilograms can be sent by DHL Express to shorten the somewhat longer shipping time. This service is primarily available to business people in order to save on shipping costs.

The DHL parcel shipping process

Parcels that meet the weight and size specifications from the shipping manager are shipped on all working days and delivered within 1 to 2 days. DHL GmbH works with a shipment tracking system, which makes it possible for customers to view the status of their parcel at any time and thus better estimate the time of arrival. This also applies to parcels and bulky goods for collection, whereby a shipping time of between 4 and 6 days must be planned for the latter. This is because bulky goods are handled by hand and cannot be sorted automatically.

In order to keep track of the transport time, it is crucial when the shipping box is processed in the parcel centre and forwarded to reach the respective destination region. This is referred to as the cut-off time, which usually extends until 9 pm. If the shipment has not yet been registered at the parcel centre at this time, it will usually not be forwarded until the next day and will then take 2 working days.

Once the parcel has been posted at the post office, it is located at the region's starting parcel centre, sorted there and assigned to the destination postcode. Then loading and transport to the destination parcel centre takes place. The tracking status is updated with each process, but can take up to 24 hours under certain circumstances. Some patience is therefore necessary to obtain all the data.

The XL Paket can be used in the weight classes that are valid with DHL-GmbH. Online franking is possible for some parcels, while there are other extras that can be booked, including for bulky goods, for C.O.D. shipping, for the order for collection, for the shipment of roll-shaped boxes or for parcels that are to be insured beyond liability. Anyone wishing to book a collection can do so on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. for a maximum of 10 items per day and address.

As a general rule, the yellow shipping service provider always offers climate-neutral shipping and the shipment is offered with liability even without transport insurance. For a 2 to 5 kg shipping box and also for the DHL Paket size XL box with 31.5 kg, the liability is up to 500 euros. If you are sending valuable goods, you should consider additional insurance, especially for valuables and electrical items that are worth more than the liability limit in case they are lost, damaged or stolen. Transport insurance is cheap and offered with options up to 2,500 euros and up to 25,000 euros. Costs are from 6 euros or from 18 euros.

What has to be considered when shipping bulky goods?

Nowadays, shipping is excellent, reliable and fast. Transport has become cheaper, while the format always plays a role for logistical services. While cuboid packages can be sorted and shipped by machine, this is not feasible for unusual formats. Accordingly, not only the size and weight but also other characteristics count for parcels to be accepted for bulky goods shipment.

The prescribed dimensions and weight classes provide a good general classification, but not all goods fit into the usual cuboid boxes prescribed by the shipping service provider, in which case even the XL DHL parcel is no longer sufficient. Shipments that are correspondingly too large or too heavy, cannot be adequately packed, have to be sent as a roll or have a shape instability are considered bulky goods. This also includes parcel shipments that have loose strapping or protruding parts.

Due to the separate shape, there is no automatic sorting in sorting facilities; instead, parcel service providers have to sort bulky goods by hand, which increases the additional workload. This includes construction and car parts, car tyres without cardboard boxes, sacks, cupboards, sofas and similar furniture, ladders, boxes, musical instruments, fitness equipment and comparable items. Bulky goods may have a maximum length of 200 cm for shipment as a cuboid box. As a rule, additional freight charges apply as a surcharge for bulky goods.

Calculating the size of bulky goods

For bulky goods, the girth dimension is important, which represents the maximum permissible overall size and can be determined by a formula. The girth is the sum of the longest side added with twice the width and twice the height (length + 2 x (width + height). For dimensions of 120x60x60 cm, this results in a belt dimension of 360 cm. For bulky goods with pallets, it is important to include them.

With DHL-GmbH, bulky goods are posted with a completed parcel slip at the Deutsche Post branch if they have the characteristics mentioned, e.g. are larger than 120x60x60 cm or have protruding parts. Shipping costs 16 euros, with a bulky goods surcharge of 22.50 euros. Collection costs an additional 3 euros. Here it is worth buying suitable repackaging material to protect the bulky goods from damage.

Packing the shipping package correctly - this is how it works:

One characteristic of bulky goods is that they are bulky and misshapen and, above all, require robust packaging and repackaging. An excellent solution is to use a large XL cardboard box, which can also be cut to the right shape if necessary. Bulky goods can be wrapped very well with packaging film and tape, with bubble wrap providing a good insulating layer. Filler material is always helpful to prevent slipping and to fix and stabilise the heavyweight goods. In the DHL XL Paket box, rice crisps or packing paper that can be crumpled are suitable for this.

Companies often use additional pallets for packing bulky goods to simplify shipping, with the goods being secured with tension straps. There are alternatives for private households. If unpacked bulky goods are to be shipped, a pick-up is a good choice to reduce the effort. It is important to provide edge protection for large and heavy goods and to provide additional protection for sensitive areas or moving parts. Tape, cushioning material and film are good choices for this.