The parcel networks are built for cartons that fit on a conveyor. Once an item is too long, too heavy or too awkward, they refuse it, surcharge it or lose it. Our network is set up for exactly this oversized freight. Here is how large parcel delivery works and how to get it right.
What counts as a large or oversize parcel
Each carrier sets its own limits, but an item is usually treated as oversize when it is:
- longer than about 1.2 to 1.5 metres, such as pipe, timber, extrusions, blinds, curtain rods, surfboards or signage;
- heavier than 25 to 30 kg, which is the point where one person can no longer lift it safely;
- bulky but light, such as flat-pack furniture, mattresses, bike boxes, panels, doors and large cartons; or
- awkward in shape, such as machinery parts, exhausts, wheels and tyres, or anything that will not sit square on a conveyor.
These items need a van or truck with a driver who handles them by hand or with a trolley, pallet jack or forklift, rather than a sorting machine.
How oversize freight is charged
- Cubic weight. Large, light items are charged on the space they take up, not what they weigh. A 2 m long carton that weighs 8 kg can have a cubic weight of 40 kg or more. Use the cubic weight calculator to see the chargeable weight before you book.
- Per item or per pallet. Very large items are often cheaper on a pallet or skid, charged as a pallet space, than as a parcel. Ask which works out better.
- Handling. Items that need two people, a tailgate or a forklift may carry a handling charge. Tell us up front so the right vehicle is sent the first time.
How to pack large and long items
- Bundle long lengths together and tape or strap them every 50 cm or so, with the ends capped or padded.
- Put flat items such as panels, doors and glass on edge between sheets of cardboard or foam, never flat on the floor of a vehicle.
- Strap heavy items to a pallet or skid, with corner boards under the straps.
- Put the delivery label on the item itself as well as on any wrapping, and write the receiver’s phone number on it.
- Declare the real length, width, height and weight. Oversize freight is measured at the depot, and under-declared items are re-charged at the actual size.
Read the full packaging guide for more.
Delivering large items to homes and sites
Many oversize items go to homes, holiday rentals and building sites, where there is no forklift and often nobody to help lift. Tell us when you book whether the item can be carried by one person, whether a tailgate is needed, and whether someone will be there to receive it. See tailgate delivery and business versus residential delivery.
Where we deliver oversize freight
We collect large, long and awkward items anywhere in Brisbane and across the Sunshine Coast, and deliver them throughout the Sunshine Coast, Noosa, the Hinterland, Gympie and northern Moreton Bay on our own vans and trucks. Items for the rest of Australia leave our Yandina depot with our national linehaul partners. Get a quote for a large item.
Published by All Freight Carrying, Yandina, Sunshine Coast · 21 October 2026 · Last updated 25 October 2026
