Edited to add: DPD Statement
Please read statement from DPD available here
Many small businesses may be panicking on the news of the new peak sizing specifications from DPD – which we now know are 60cm x 60cm x 60cm. Some retailers have been given just two weeks to find an alternative solution if they’re sending items over 60cm in length or anything that not is wrapped neatly in a box.
The best recommendation that we can give you if you have parcels which don’t fit your courier’s preferred profile isn’t necessarily to change courier, but simply to divert oversized parcels to an alternative before you’re forced to. This could save your courier account which may well be attractively priced for the bulk of your shipments and you’ll only pay for alternative services for the non-standard items.
This isn’t the first time in 2015 we’ve heard of couriers changing their acceptable parcel profile with little notice given to retailers, prompting David Grimes, MD at My Parcel Delivery to emphasise “It’s important to have access to multiple carrier options anyway, as carriers can always change specifications, as Parcelforce did back in June, so investigate the alternatives now to avoid getting stuck“.
David explains that last month 30% of My Parcel Delivery bookings were over 60cm in length, all delivered by various carriers who should not be changing their sizing policies during peak. As a starting point, he has pulled together some of the best alternative services that can be found on My Parcel Delivery, but there are plenty more on offer if these don’t quite suit your needs.
Alternative My Parcel Delivery services for oversize parcels
Parcelforce
Small parcel prices start from £9.99 +VAT
Max parcel length and weight permitted – 130cm & 25kg. Every parcel must be boxed.
UPS
Small parcel prices start from £7.50 +VAT
Max parcel length and weight permitted – 170cm & 30kg. Every parcel must be boxed.
DX
Small parcel prices start from £7.99 +VAT
Max parcel length and weight permitted – 100cm & 20kg.
Hermes
Small parcel prices start from £2.79 +VAT
Max parcel length and weight permitted – 120cm & 15kg.
For international shipping, you can also use the MPD carrier service
Small parcel prices start from £9.99 +VAT
Max parcel length and weight permitted – 170cm & 30kg.
Peak season is a daunting time for many and announcements like this don’t help. But it’s important to remember that there are options available for smaller retailers that enable them to adapt to changes easily, without harming their sales or reputations.
If you haven’t received a letter of warning from DPD yet but think you may be at risk, courier comparison sites can help you out. If you plan to use My Parcel Delivery regularly, they can offer additional discounts with a business account, plus plenty more benefits.
The last two years have been a turbulent time for the courier industry. Yodel stopped collecting for a few days last winter, City Link went bust on Christmas day, then Parcelforce and now DPD have enforced stricter parcel guidelines. Even if you open an account on a courier comparison site and send just one parcel now, you then have a lifeline should you need an alternative in an emergency.
One Response
Hi Chris
I work for Parcelforce and I can confirm that this is happening. I can also confirm that Yodel is restricting collection numbers, telling senders that they are only entitled to send x number of parcels per day with them to prevent them falling over as they did last year when they had to suspend all collections for almost a week
Ultimate reason for my contact is to confirm that in your post you noted that parcelforce’s Express48L is up to 25kg – it is actually up to 30kg and that goes for all of our UK services