What packaging material does transportami recommend?

transportami recommends impact-resistant, load-bearing material that suits the weight and contents of your shipment: a box or crate of the right size, bubble wrap or foam to fill gaps, edge protectors for sensitive corners, and stretch film and strapping to fix the shipment firmly to the pallet.

Bulky goods & large parcels

Shipping bulky goods: book large and heavy parcels online

For private and business customers, we calculate the price of a bulky goods transport in real time, whether for a sofa, a washing machine or a heavy machine part. You do not have to call or wait.

Calculate bulky goods shipping price

Registered: save 5%*

What would you like to ship?

IBC

Mesh pallet box

Machinery & equipment

Packaged consumer goods

Building materials

Furniture & furnishings

Sports & leisure goods

Bicycles & e-bikes (without battery)

Electronics & technology

Industrial & spare parts

Other palletised goods

From: postcode / city

To: postcode / city

Pickup date

Simple and secure payment

Calculate prices

One more quick question

Are you shipping for business or privately?

Then we will show you the right prices straight away.

You can change this at any time during the booking.

Digital freight forwarding

When the parcel service can't help any more

The classic parcel service isn't made for an exercise bike that has to go to its new owner after a sale, any more than for a washing machine bound for a holiday flat or a heavy spare part needed in the workshop. From an edge length of around 120 cm or roughly 31.5 kg, most parcel services refuse to accept them or charge high surcharges. Your shipment then counts as bulky goods, and shipping by freight forwarder is the right solution.

With transportami you can ship bulky goods and heavy parcels without having to call a freight forwarder or wait for a quote. You enter the pickup and destination locations, dimensions and weight online and see your price instantly. Then you choose the pickup date, pay online and your booking is complete. The transport is carried out by vetted forwarding partners from our network.

For transport by freight forwarder, your bulky goods stand on a pallet so that they can be loaded with a pallet truck or forklift.

You can read how to prepare a pallet properly in our guide to pallet shipping.
You'll find tips on padding, film and edge protectors in the guide Packing properly.
Shipping a piece of furniture or an entire machine? There's a guide for that too: Shipping furniture and transporting machines.

No phone call, no waiting for a quote Instant online price Vetted forwarding partners

Reviewed by Marco Schoenen, Member of the Executive Board Published: February 2024 Updated: October 2026

What we ship

Bulky goods you can ship with us

A selection of typical bulky goods shipments. They all travel on a pallet; you choose the goods category directly in the calculator.

Sofas & armchairs

Washing machines & dryers

Fridges & freezers

Mattresses & bed frames

Other palletised goods Bicycles & e-bikes (without battery)

Calculate price now

Definition

What are bulky goods and what is a heavy parcel?

Both terms often describe the same problem: the shipment no longer fits through the normal parcel acceptance. The difference is whether it's the size or the weight that breaks the limit.

Bulky goods

Large, but not necessarily heavy

Bulky goods are shipments that fall outside the normal parcel service because of their dimensions or shape, usually from an edge length of approx. 120 cm.

Sofas, wardrobes, mattresses
Bicycles and e-bikes without battery
Bulky components and structures

OR Heavy parcel

Too heavy for the parcel service

A heavy parcel exceeds the parcel services' weight limit, usually approx. 31.5 kg. By freight forwarder, up to 1,250 kg per package is possible, so a parcel over 40 kg or over 50 kg is no problem either.

Washing machines, fridges
Machine parts and tools
Boxes over the weight limit, grouped on a pallet

How it works

Ship bulky goods in six steps

Choose route & customer type

Enter the pickup and destination locations and state whether you are shipping as a private or business customer.

Enter your bulky goods

Enter the dimensions and weight of your shipment including the pallet.

See your price

The available rates appear instantly with their price and expected delivery date.

Choose a pickup date

If you book by 11:30 am, pickup is possible as early as the next working day.

Enter addresses & pay

Enter the contact details for pickup and delivery and pay online.

Track your shipment

Check the status of your bulky goods at any time with your order number and order date.

Calculate price now

Preparation

Packing bulky goods properly

Four points matter when packing bulky goods so that your shipment arrives undamaged.

Pack to absorb impacts

Protect edges and delicate parts with padding, edge protectors or film.

Fix it to the pallet

Fasten the bulky goods firmly to the pallet with strapping or stretch film so that nothing slips.

Secure moving parts

Secure or remove doors, drawers and flaps before transport.

State dimensions and weight realistically

If the dimensions or weight differ at pickup, the difference may be charged afterwards.

Possible without a loading dock: The lorries have a tail lift, which lifts the pallet from the ground onto the loading area, and a pallet truck. Pickup and delivery are kerbside, that is up to the front of the building, not inside. The pallet must therefore be accessible at ground level and liftable from below with the pallet truck, meaning the forks must fit underneath it.

Typical shipments

Bulky goods examples at a glance

For rough guidance, without the pallet. You enter the exact values including the pallet in the calculator yourself.

Item	Approx. weight	Approx. dimensions	Transit time
Sofa / couch (2-seater)	40–80 kg	approx. 200 × 90 × 90 cm	from 1 working day
Washing machine	60–90 kg	approx. 60 × 60 × 85 cm	from 1 working day
Fridge	50–80 kg	approx. 60 × 60 × 180 cm	from 1 working day
Mattress	15–35 kg	depending on size	from 1 working day
Machine part	up to 1,250 kg incl. pallet	up to 240 × 240 × 230 cm incl. pallet	from 1 working day

Calculate price now

Price examples

What shipping bulky goods costs

The price depends on the route, dimensions and weight. We worked out these starting prices for business customers with our calculator.

Example route	Item	Net price*
Cologne → Munich	Sofa (2-seater) on a disposable pallet, 180 × 90 × 90 cm, 50 kg	from €123*
Berlin → Hamburg	Washing machine on a disposable pallet, 80 × 60 × 100 cm, 100 kg	from €90*
Frankfurt am Main → Stuttgart	Boxes on a disposable pallet, 120 × 80 × 120 cm, 200 kg	from €94*
Düsseldorf → Leipzig	Fridge on a disposable pallet, 80 × 80 × 190 cm, 100 kg	from €84*
Dortmund → Dresden	Machine part on a disposable pallet, 120 × 80 × 80 cm, 200 kg	from €94*

* Prices determined on 30/10/2026. Starting prices for business customers, net plus 19% VAT, without transport insurance. The example prices are non-binding and may change at any time. Private customers pay gross prices including VAT. The calculator works out your current price for your route, dimensions and weight.

Calculate price now

At a glance

Why transportami for bulky goods

No phone call needed Instant online price Vetted forwarding partners Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the pickup day For private & business customers Shipment tracking included Insured up to €15,000 value of goods 400+ freight forwarders, 54,000+ lorries

For business customers

Shipping bulky goods regularly

Recurring shipments take time when each one has to be organised separately. With your transportami customer account, you keep bookings, shipment status and invoices together in one place. If you ship bulky goods regularly, ask us about a personal discount.

Calculate business price Request a consultation

Pay by invoice As a business customer, you can conveniently pay for your bulky goods transports by invoice.

All orders in your customer account Orders, shipment status and shipping labels in your customer account, available at any time.

Keep track of your orders The dashboard shows your order trend, shipment status and open invoices.

Personal customer service Our customer service team is available to you directly by phone and email.

Frequently asked questions about shipping bulky goods

What counts as bulky goods?

A shipment counts as bulky goods if its size or shape means it no longer fits through the normal parcel acceptance, usually from an edge length of around 120 cm. ‘Heavy parcel’ often describes the same problem in terms of weight, usually from around 31.5 kg. With transportami, you ship both on a pallet by freight forwarder.

How do I pack bulky goods properly?

When packing bulky goods, what matters most is: pack them so they are protected against impacts, fix them on a pallet, secure moving parts and state the dimensions and weight including the pallet correctly. If the details differ at pickup, we can charge the difference plus a €30 handling fee (terms and conditions). Suitable materials are bubble wrap or foam to fill gaps, edge protectors for sensitive corners, and stretch film and strapping to fix the shipment firmly to the pallet.

How much does it cost to ship bulky goods?

The price depends on the route, dimensions and weight of your shipment including the pallet. You see your price instantly in the online calculator, without a phone call or waiting for a quote. You will find example prices in the guide Shipping bulky goods or further up the page.

Is pickup possible without a loading dock?

Yes. The lorries are equipped with a tail lift and a pallet truck. Pickup and delivery are kerbside: your pallet must be accessible at ground level and it must be possible to lift it from below with a pallet truck. We do not carry goods into your home or to another floor.

Does my shipment have to be on a pallet?

Yes. For transport by freight forwarder, your goods stand on a pallet, in a mesh pallet box or in an IBC, so that they can be loaded with a pallet truck or forklift. Simply secure single items such as a sofa or a washing machine on a disposable pallet. Our guide to pallet shipping explains how.

What happens if I need to cancel?

Send transportami an email quoting the order number to storno@transportami.com. If your cancellation arrives no later than 24 hours before the start of the planned pickup day, it is free of charge. If you cancel later, a cancellation fee of 100% of the transport costs applies.

At what weight is a parcel considered a "heavy parcel"?

With most parcel services the limit is around 31.5 kg. They usually refuse heavier parcels or charge high surcharges. At transportami, vetted forwarding partners carry out the transport, on a pallet up to 1,250 kg per package. You see the price for your weight instantly in the calculator.

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