Pallet vs Parcels: Which shipping method is best for you?

If you haven't used our services before and would like to know what makes us different from our competitors, you are in the right place! One of the most important advantages when choosing our services is the guidance we aim to offer to all our customers before they book a consignment with us.

What service should I use, the pallet service or the parcel service? This is one of the most common questions we receive from our customers. If you need to make sure you are choosing the right services for your consignment and also the most cost effective one, please keep reading!

In this article you will find the key differences between pallets and parcels, and you will then be able to decide which shipping option would suit your freight the most.

Parcel services

If your consignment is small and lighter than 50 kg, you can ship it as a parcel. Our website offers you instant quotes to/from almost any destination in the world, and all you need to do is to input the collection and delivery details followed by the weight and dimensions of your package.

When shipping your parcel internationally, you can choose between the road freight and the air freight services, depending on the destination, budget and urgency of your consignment.

One of the most important details for both ourselves and our customers, is the safety of the package. We work with only the most trust-worthy transporters in the industry to make sure your parcel is in the best hands, but you as the customer need to play your part too. What do we mean by that? The packing process! Please make sure you use a new box, made of heavy-duty cardboard, large enough to fit your item(s). We also recommend that you use bubble-wrap or other protective materials to ensure the goods will not move inside the box. The last step is to seal the box with tape. After you have completed the packing process, please weigh and measure your parcel, and provide the accurate details at the time of the booking. For more information about our parcel services, please click here.

Due to the lower weight and smaller size of parcels, they go through more manual handling which is both an advantage and disadvantage. Compared to pallets, parcels are handled manually into and out of both vehicles and depots which can increase the risk of damage or loss. On a positive note, the fact that the parcels are being transferred frequently offers better tracking visibility for you to monitor your package for any location updates.

Regarding the tracking system, all of our parcel services offer this option, and you can have the peace of mind that you can always monitor your goods. Depending on the nature of your goods, we recommend you to consider the insurance option for extra safety.

Pallet services

At the moment you know the weight of your goods, you will know what services suits you the most. Usually a consignment heavier than 50 kg needs to be shipped through a pallet service. One of the most important things you need to know once you've decided on a pallet service is that your goods must be placed on a pallet. Please be advised that the carrier is not responsible to provide the pallet base, nor help with the packing process.

If you have multiple items to be shipped, please place them in heavy duty cardboard boxes, and secure them inside using bubble-wrap. Once you have placed everything in boxes, please arrange them on the pallet, and secure them with shrink-wrap and potentially straps too, especially in the case of tall and heavy goods. If you want to learn more about the packing process, please click here.

The pallet service would represent a very cost-effective solution for your cargo, if you have multiple heavy items to ship. We offer you instant quotes on our website, and depending on the destination, budget and urgency of your delivery, you can choose between road freight, sea freight and air freight options. Most of our pallet services are trackable, so you can monitor your shipment online using your mobile phone or computer.

Due to their packing process and also to the fact that they are being handled with a forklift and pump truck, pallets are a generally safer than parcels during transit time. However, we still encourage our customers to select the insurance option available at the time of the booking.

If you intent to ship multiple pallets, we invite you to check our FTL&LTL or FCL&LCL dedicated pages.

Key differences between parcel and pallets

Now, that we have explained how each services works, we would like to point out a few of the most important aspects when it comes to parcel and pallet shipping:

1. Cost: It is usually cheaper to send a parcel compared to a pallet based on the smaller size and lower weight. However, if you have multiple items to be sent, and you have the possibility to condense them on a pallet, it will definitely be a more cost-effective solution compared to sending your goods as individual parcels.
2. Sea freight service: This service can only handle pallets, not parcels. If you have multiple parcels to ship outside Europe, the sea freight service would not be an option for you unless your place them onto a pallet. Your only solution is the air freight service, however it is more expensive than sea freight.
3. Safety: Due to pallets being handled with loading facilities such as forklifts and pump trucks, they are generally a safer way to transport your goods than parcels.
4. Transit time: From our experience, a parcel is generally delivered faster than a pallet. There are a few reasons for that: usually, parcels are being transported by smaller vehicles which means greater speed and more availability. Also, it is easier to load and unload smaller, heavier packages than handling pallets.