Packing with Care

Parcels can travel many thousands of miles through DHL's sophisticated global network to reach their destinations. DHL does everything we can to ensure packages are always delivered on time and in great condition.

Packing your parcels with proper materials and care help ensure your shipments arrive safely and intact.

Assess

Choose

Pack

Seal

Ship

What's Best for What You're Shipping?

Quality packaging is key when it comes to preventing damage. Assessing your packing needs is an essential step to determine what’s best for the type of goods you wish to transport.

Weight

Cost

Regulations

Fragility

Packaging Protects Your Shipment

Good quality packaging is critical to protecting your shipment during transportation. DHL provides a range of packaging supplies that are tried and tested. However, if you prefer to use your own materials, the following provides some general guidelines.

Material

Always use high quality corrugated cardboard boxes for parcels. For fragile or heavy items, double-wall or tri-wall constructions are recommended.
Avoid reusing old boxes as they may have lost some of their rigidity.

Strength

Look out for the manufacturer stamp which tells you information about the construction type and strength of a box. Ask your box supplier for more information as required.
Refer to the box specifications below to select suitable packaging for the weight of your shipment.

Size

Under-filled boxes may collapse and over-filled boxes may burst. Prevent this by choosing a box with the right size for the content being shipped.

Apply Packing Techniques

Here are some important principles applicable for packing your shipment contents.

Illustration emphasising importance of not having empty space in boxes

Leave No Empty Space

It is important to completely fill empty space within the box to avoid contents moving during transit which can cause damage to both contents and box.

6 cm Distance

Always place items being shipped in the centre of the box with at least 6cm of separation from any external walls or corners.

Illustration of padding around an item in a box

Wrap Items Individually and Use Dividers

When shipping multiple items in a single package, always wrap each item individually and separate with corrugated inserts or other divider materials as appropriate.

Protect with a Good Seal

Both the adhesive tapes you choose and how you seal the shipment together makes a difference in protecting your shipment contents from being exposed or damaged during transit.

Use Pressure Sensitive Tape

Polypropylene tape (brown plastic tape)
Vinyl adhesive tape (electrical tape)
Fiber-reinforced paper tape (duct tape)

Avoid Using

Kraft Paper Tape
Cellophane Tape
String

H-Taping

Ensure all seams are sealed using the H-taping method:

Step One

Apply 1 strip of tape along the centre seam

Step Two

Apply 2 strips of tape across both edge seams

Step Three

Ensure all tape is secure around the edges

Applying Shipment Label

Displaying the shipment labels clearly is important in ensuring that your shipment moves swiftly through DHL's network.

Label Shipment

Fix the shipment label securely on the top surface of the shipment box.

This will help us keep your shipment in an upright position as much as possible during transit!

	Ensure the label is wholly visible on one surface and that the label does not cover any seams.
	Do not let other labels, tapes or paperwork cover the shipment label.
	We never recommend using an old box but if you do, ensure all outdated shipment labels are removed prior to use.
	Placing a spare label inside the package will help us identify your shipment if the original label becomes detached or damaged.
	If you need to apply other labels on your shipment, please avoid placing them on the same surface as the shipment label.
	Use a plastic self-adhesive clear window pouch to hold any loose documents that are required to be placed outside of the box.