Too big for a parcel, yet too small to have your own logistics operations?

There comes a point in a company’s growth that few are prepared for: The order is too large or too heavy to fit into a few boxes. The goods are on a pallet, but the regular parcel delivery service refuses to take them. The shipments are too big for parcels, but the total volume does not warrant an in-house logistics department. This article reveals how you can successfully ship pallets across Europe without any freight experience – and why DHL Freight is the perfect partner for the job.

Key points at a glance

• DHL Freight specializes in road freight, transporting everything from single pallets to full truckloads across more than 40 European countries.
• Small businesses can ship goods without having an in-house logistics team: simply request a quote and DHL Freight will handle the rest, providing a door-to-door service with real-time tracking and proof of delivery within 24 hours.
• Three solutions (DHL Road Freight Standard, Priority, and Direct) adjust to your volume – more reliably than local forwarders, freight marketplaces, or in-house solutions.

When is shipping by parcel insufficient?

Parcel services reach their limits when shipments become bulky, exceed certain size or weight limits, are placed on pallets, or require full truckload shipment. Many people know DHL primarily as a parcel service. However, DHL is actually a group of different business units – and a different division than you might guess is responsible for shipments that go beyond parcels.

Simply put: individual shipments weighing up to 31.4 kg are handled by DHL Parcel – or DHL Express for those who need faster service. However, when it comes to B2B business, pallets, or entire truckloads, land transport enters the picture – and DHL Freight provides that service.

The difference is more than a matter of mere formality. Parcel and express services are optimized for small, standardized shipments, whereas DHL Freight bundles goods onto pallets and transports them by truck via a network of terminals, often crossing borders. Those who persist in shipping growing pallet volumes via parcel services end up paying more and quickly reach limits in terms of weight, size, and handling. Therefore, switching to pallet shipping is the natural next step.

What exactly does DHL Freight offer?

DHL Freight transports goods by road throughout Europe, ranging from single pallets to full truckloads. To help you through the technical jargon, here are three basic terms explained:

• LTL (Less-than-Truckload): This is for shipments on individual pallets. Your goods will share a truck with shipments from other companies or shippers – and you will only pay for the space that you actually use.
• PTL (Partial Truckload): For medium-sized shipments that are too large for LTL but do not occupy an entire truck. More space, fewer stops.
• FTL (Full Truckload): When a shipment takes up an entire truck. The goods are transported directly from pickup to delivery – the fastest and most direct option.

DHL Freight translates these categories into three clearly defined solutions, which you can choose from based on your needs:

Solution	Core feature	Best suited for
DHL Road Freight Standard	Cost-effective road freight with daily departures and door-to-door delivery	The standard case: predictable shipments at the best price
DHL Road Freight Priority	Priority processing with guaranteed transit times and a money-back guarantee	Time-sensitive goods for which a fixed deadline must be met
DHL Road Freight Direct	Dedicated truck from A to B (partial or full load)	Large, fragile, or direct-delivery shipments

It is worth noting that you can book your shipment digitally at any time without speaking with a representative or sales team. Through the myDHLFreight.com portal, you can create your shipment, select the right solution, and place your order in just a few minutes, 24/7, whenever it fits your schedule. For detailed explanations of logistics terms, refer to our Logistics Dictionary.

What does this mean for small businesses?

For small businesses, DHL Freight is all about one thing: making it easy to ship freight without requiring you to become a logistics expert. Specifically, DHL Freight takes care of the following:

• No need for your own logistics team – digital by default: With myDHLFreight, you can handle quotes, bookings and shipment tracking yourself, 24/7. The digital tools will guide you through the process step by step, while DHL Freight takes care of everything else behind the scenes.
• Adaptation instead of switching providers: Whether it is just one pallet a month, regular shipments or full truckloads, our services can handle your volume without you having to switch providers.
• Predictability: Reliable transit times and, for time-sensitive shipments, a money-back guarantee.
• Full overview: Real-time shipment tracking and electronic proof of delivery within 24 hours – great for invoicing and bookkeeping.
• Digital tools come as standard: With the myDHLFreight.com portal, you can calculate rates, book and track your shipments at any time of day or night, with no waiting time.
• Local contact persons whenever needed: Plus, if you ever need any personal assistance, our local freight specialists will be on hand to help.

For a growing company, this means you can focus entirely on your business, safe in the knowledge that reliable transport is running smoothly behind the scenes.

Why choose DHL Freight over the alternatives?

There are different ways to ship a pallet. Three options are typically available to small businesses, each of which has its drawbacks.

Why not just stick with a local forwarder?

A local freight forwarder may be perfectly suited for a single route. However, as soon as multiple countries, various destinations or increased volumes are involved, the advantages of a single partner diminish, and you end up with a patchwork of different partners, standards, and contact persons. A Europe-wide network with daily departures from multiple terminals, on the other hand, offers consistent standards and accessibility in over 40 countries, providing a level of reliability that only a large network can offer.

Why not a freight marketplace?

Online marketplaces attract customers with fast quotes, but they often outsource shipments to a rotating cast of subcontractors. This usually works out fine, but when problems arise, it is unclear who is actually responsible. Having a direct partner who takes full responsibility for the shipment – from pickup to delivery – provides clear accountability, rather than having an anonymous chain of providers and responsibilities. This makes all the difference if something unexpected happens.

Why not an in-house solution?

Doing the driving yourself and handling logistics on your own may seem cost-effective – until you do the math. Empty runs, time spent on scheduling, lack of backup capacity in case of breakdowns, no professional tracking, and liability issues all add up to costs not appearing on any invoice, yet they are very real. Every hour you spend on logistics is time taken away from your core business. A specialized partner consolidates exactly these tasks – and on terms that a small company could hardly achieve.

How do I get started with DHL Freight?

You can get started online in just a few minutes – no shipping experience required and no waiting time:

1. Calculate the Price: On myDHLFreight, simply enter your shipment details under “Get a Quote” and you will immediately get a binding price – no need to wait for someone to provide you with a quote.
2. Book directly – no account required: With “Ship Now”, you can make a booking in a single step without having to register. This feature allows you to go directly from the displayed price to the booking.
3. Send: DHL Freight handles pickup, transport, and delivery from start to finish.

Do you ship regularly? If so, the “Frequent Shipper” solution might be worth considering. Once you have set up recurring shipments, you can book them again with just a few clicks – and enjoy centralized management and tracking all in one place. You can also integrate freight shipping directly into your own systems via an API connection, if desired. This makes it easy to get started and scale up as your volume grows.

Conclusion: Why is DHL Freight the best choice for small businesses?

Transitioning from parcels to pallets does not have to be a leap into the unknown. With DHL Freight, small and growing businesses can ship freight without needing their own logistics expertise and enjoy reliable delivery across Europe with a scalable service – backed by a network and brand you can count on.

The easiest next step is to request a non-binding proposal. Tell us about your shipment, and a freight specialist will contact you with a solution tailored to your business.

FAQs on pallet shipping for small businesses