If you are looking to send car parts for less, then our courier comparison tool is perfect for helping you find the most affordable way to have your parts delivered.
Car spares come in all different shapes, sizes, and materials. Some can be tricky to pack while many are on couriers prohibited items lists if they are not prepared properly. We give you the full lowdown on posting car spares and with our help, your parts will be safely motoring to their recipient in no time at all.
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We offer a wide range of courier services who will be able to handle large and heavy items including Parcelforce and DX Freight. Parcelforce can cater for car parts that weigh up to 30kg and you can have them collected from your home or work address.
You can also opt for a Next Day service if you book Parcelforce 24 Large or use the slightly cheaper Parcelforce 48 Large option. Parcelforce Large is available to book from £29.99 + VAT.
For those items that exceed the Parcelforce dimensions or weight limit, then DX Freight can cater for items that need to be sent on a pallet or that are awkwardly shaped. You can send car parts for less with these specialist couriers from as little as £19.29 + VAT with DX Freight. It is worth noting that these services are not two-man so you must be able and willing to potentially help the driver load and unload your heavy goods into the collection vehicle. You can also use Parcel Monkey to send longer parcels too.
Parcel Monkey has great value large parcel delivery services for sending big or heavy goods, as long as you package your items correctly. Over the years we have helped many of our customers send;
Remember your car part will be transported through a courier network which will involve being put in a van or lorry with other heavy items, processed through central depot points and the automated machinery involved there and then again back out.
Problems occur if your item is not correctly packaged, with sharp edges showing or liquids still present or if the details you have provided on the booking form are wrong. You must make sure you provide the correct dimensions and weight of your item as car parts that are too long or too heavy may be refused by the courier on collection. When you get a quote from our courier comparison site, be sure your measurements are accurate.
You will not be able to send anything that contains any form of liquid. If you are to send a gearbox or engine it is imperative that no oil or fuel is left in it and that the part is cleaned and packaged correctly.
Batteries are also prohibited, so do not try and send these or they will simply be returned or held. Tyres can be sent via a courier but they must be deflated and not attached to the alloy as anything that is pressurised is prohibited including airbags.
Anything containing glass is also prohibited, as the glass is not suitable to send via a courier network, so windscreens are not suitable or doors with glass in. You can send car lights, however, these will be sent on a non-compensation basis.
Car parts come in all different shapes and sizes, which means there are many ways to pack them. You might want to consider sending them on a pallet, as this could prove to be a more secure way to transport your goods. The following guidelines are for the most common car parts posted that require certain packaging techniques. Other parts can be packaged just like anything else, see our packaging guide for more details.
One of the most commonly sent motor spares we see is wiper blades. Lightweight but long, you can send these with almost any of our UK courier services, or internationally as even when they are boxed up there is no great weight to them.
If you want to ship restricted items such as headlights or instrument displays, you will need to pack them very carefully. We recommend using a solid box. Then add further protection by covering the fragile sides with more cardboard. Wrap the part in bubble wrap and make sure it is firmly secured in the box. Remember glass items are restricted so we offer no extended liability on these goods.
Bodywork is another part you have to pack extremely well. You can’t simply cover it in bubble wrap, as you have to protect the structure; bumpers, grilles, and trim, for instance, can be damaged by bending them. Therefore a reinforced box is the best solution here. If you can’t find a suitable box, use a lot of soft packaging then cardboard and pay particular attention to the edges and corners, as these can poke through.
Some couriers such as DX will accept really heavy items such as engines, gearboxes, and axles. For such items, you will need to source a heavy-duty crate or wooden pallet, as these are not provided by the courier. If your item is over a certain weight, we will ask in the booking process if the goods are to be moved on a pallet and if so this will be noted on the order and the courier will provide a pump truck to load the vehicle. Obviously, a specialist courier service is needed for this kind of delivery, and there will be specific requirements for packaging and collection – so bear this in mind when ordering.
We recommend you post wheels in separate boxes. They can be quite heavy, so packaging four together is not suitable and it is likely they could end up damaged. Use separate sturdy boxes and plenty of internal packaging in order to prevent any scratches or dents. Tyres can be sent using the couriers available on the Parcel Monkey quote engine but they must be deflated.
If you are sending a car component that contains fluids, it is vital that you make sure all the liquid is drained from it. This is not only to ensure nothing will leak out, but also because the fluids may be classified as hazardous. If fluids are detected in your goods and it is already on its way to the recipient, the courier will not only refuse to post the item but also refuse to return the package to you. As a precaution, it is worth putting absorbent material of some kind around the part, just in case there´s any residual liquid. Components that contain fluids include the following:
Parcel Monkey offer protection cover for free, up to a certain value on some of our services and you can opt-in for this at the time of booking. However, for expensive items we recommend you extend the cover, when you place an order, just in case the item is damaged or lost in transit with the courier. Remember that your packaging must be adequate and your item must not be on the prohibited or restricted items list.
We are often asked if our courier services are suitable for online marketplaces such as eBay and the answer is of course yes. Many of our repeat customers are eBay sellers or sell elsewhere online and they make use of our full tracking, signed for courier services, large item delivery options and the protection cover where required. eCommerce consumers expect to be able to know when the car parts are set to arrive and you can share the PM tracking number with the recipient so they too can keep tabs on the delivery.
Car parts get posted all around the world and generally, you can send them cheaply, easily and safely, without any problems at all. However, there are a few rules and limitations you should know about for posting car components, and it is important to make sure you package parts carefully, according to the type of part it is.
When it comes to sending car components overseas there are a number of services you may be able to use including DHL and Parcel Monkey’s own brand courier services Europe by Road and Air Express. If sending into Europe the best value services are ones that go by road, either DHL via Road or Parcel Monkey Europe by Road. The same rules apply as sending in the UK, no batteries or liquids and glass is restricted. Before sending a parcel abroad, check out our tips.
If you require Customs Documents, these will be provided to you in the booking process, but be clear in why you are shipping the spare part and describe in detail exactly what it is and always provide a recipient contact number. You can generally use Parcel Monkey to send car parts internationally that weigh up to 69kg but after this, it is only DHL who have the capability of doing this who are available via our quote engine.
Importing car spares to the UK is now achievable as we have a range of courier services such as DHL who can help you get your desired automotive bits and bobs brought into the country, whilst you can also use our new global shipping marketplace, to send car spares cross border to and from anywhere in the world.
Have your item collected and delivered the same day by express courier in the UK. Learn more.
Compare, book and send parcels using discounted parcel delivery services. Save time & money with Parcel Monkey.
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