The best way to ship a heavy item from Hannover abroad: where the parcel ends and the pallet begins.
Up to about 70 kg per piece a heavy item still travels as an express parcel, in 1 to 3 working days, as long as it is packed so a belt and a handler can take it. Above that it goes on a pallet or in a crate as air freight door to door, which is slower by a few days but much cheaper per kilogram, or by sea freight when time does not matter. We collect the item in northwest Germany, build the pallet or crate in our workshop in Hannover, prepare the export documents and book the right service for your destination and your deadline.
The short version.
Up to about 70 kg per piece and about 120 cm on the longest side with DHL Express, UPS or FedEx. 1 to 3 working days to most countries. Heavy items need a crate or a double wall carton with a base that a handler can grip.
Pallets and crates of any weight, door to door typically within one to two weeks including customs, quoted individually. Priced per chargeable weight; cheaper per kilogram than express from roughly 70 kg upwards.
On request for heavy, non-urgent crates and pallets, as less-than-container load through a freight partner. Several weeks depending on the destination, quoted individually.
Pallets to the UK, Switzerland and Norway by road on request, with export documents, quoted individually.
Items up to a few hundred kilograms per piece that fit on a pallet or in a crate. Heavier machines and anything that needs a crane go to a specialist forwarder; we say so up front.
Commercial invoice, packing list with per-piece dimensions and weights, EU export declaration, origin statement where it applies.
Checked October 2026. Customs rules and carrier limits change; your quote states what applies on the day.
Choosing between express, air freight and sea freight for a heavy item.
When express still makes sense
A 60 kg pump or a 50 kg control cabinet travels by express if it is crated so that one or two handlers and a belt can move it. The advantage is speed: 1 to 3 working days with customs cleared by the carrier's broker. The disadvantage is cost per kilogram, which rises steeply above about 30 kg. For urgent spare parts express is almost always right; for a heavy item that is not urgent it usually is not.
Air freight on a pallet or in a crate
From about 70 kg, or for anything that does not fit the parcel size limits, air freight door to door is the normal choice. The shipment is picked up as a pallet or crate, flown as cargo and delivered by a truck with a tail lift. Transit is typically one to two weeks including customs and depends on the destination and the flight; your quote states it. The price follows chargeable weight, so a dense heavy item is cheap and a large light one is not; we tell you which applies.
Sea freight when time does not matter
For heavy items to the USA, Canada, South Africa, Australia, India or Southeast Asia that can wait a month or two, sea freight as a less-than-container load costs a fraction of air freight. The crate has to be built for a long, humid journey, with a moisture barrier and desiccant, and the documents have to be complete before the vessel sails. Sea freight is arranged on request through a freight partner and quoted individually; ask us which charges at the destination port are included before you decide.
Packing a heavy item so it arrives
Heavy items damage themselves and everything around them when they move. We bolt or block the item to the crate base, keep the centre of gravity low, mark the heavy side and build a base that a forklift can take from two sides. Oil and coolant have to be drained before handover; sharp edges are protected, and the crate number, dimensions and weight match the packing list so customs and the carrier handle it correctly.
Four steps from Hannover to your door.
- You write to us
Supplier and order number, or where the goods are, plus your delivery address. We reply within one working day with a quote that covers collection, packing, export documents and transport.
- We collect
At the supplier, the plant or the fairground, with your authorisation where needed, across northwest Germany. Items are photographed on arrival in Hannover.
- We pack and declare
Made-to-measure packing or a wooden crate, export declaration with EU exit confirmation, commercial invoice with the right HS codes for the destination country's customs. You pay our invoice after packing, by card or PayPal.
- Delivery to your door
DHL Express, UPS or FedEx with tracking, insured on request for the value you name. Import duty and tax are collected by the carrier on arrival; our country pages tell you what to expect.
Frequently asked questions.
What is the maximum weight for an express parcel?
About 70 kg per piece and about 120 cm on the longest side with DHL Express, UPS and FedEx. Heavier or larger items go as air freight on a pallet or in a crate.
Is air freight much slower than express?
Yes, by days rather than weeks: typically one to two weeks door to door including customs, compared with 1 to 3 working days for express. Your quote states the transit for your destination. Per kilogram it is much cheaper for heavy items.
Can you ship a small machine to India or South Africa?
Yes, up to a few hundred kilograms per piece, crated in our workshop and shipped as air freight door to door, sea freight on request. Both countries need the right import documents and sometimes an inspection certificate for used machines; we tell you before packing.
Do you ship pallets to the UAE or Saudi Arabia?
Yes, as air freight door to door with export documents and the certificate of conformity information your importer needs; see our UAE and Saudi Arabia country pages for duty and VAT.
What if my item is too heavy for you?
We tell you in advance and name a specialist forwarder. We do not take on machines that need a crane or dismantling, because we only ship what we can collect and pack ourselves.
How is the price calculated?
By actual or volumetric weight, destination, service and packing, as one figure in a quote within one working day. There is no price list.
Question not listed?
Ask us directlyRelated guides
More answers for companies buying in Germany.
Destinations
Import duties, VAT, thresholds and transit times for the countries we ship to most.
One shipment or regular orders?
Tell us what needs shipping, where it is now and where it is going. A photo or a catalogue link helps. You receive a personal quote by email from the person who will handle your shipment.
Thank you, we have your request.
We will reply by email within one working day.
Or message us directly on Telegram:
BFF Logistics is the international shipping service of BFF Business Services GmbH (HRB 209217, Amtsgericht Hannover). We run Mail Boxes Etc. centre 0051 in Hannover, which is why our email address ends in @mbe.de.
Your contact: Michael Leikine, Managing Director. We reply within one working day, in your language: write to us in English, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Chinese or Arabic.
Günther-Wagner-Allee 13-17, 30177 Hannover, Germany.