Sending long tubes - any good carriers

[paulears]

I'm using parcelforce at the moment to send tubes 130cm long, 8cm diameter, like drainpipe (well actually, it is drainpipe, but ideal for sending fragile antennas inside. UPS have just introduced length limits (90cm I think) at my local drop off location, so I can't use UPS - ironically the day after I double checked with them that it was OK to still send 130cm long tubes.

That leave Parcelforce - and already they have a peculiar rule - you can take them, to the post office to send them, but not if the customer wants to use the collect from a local post office the other end - they're too long for that. Crazy, but the length limit on collection from a post office, not sending. If Parcelforce stop doing it - there must be somebody that will still deliver a tube? value about fifty quid, so not mega expensive items.

How to fishing rod sellers send their post out?

 

[MikeCC]

DX up to 125cm on Parcel2Go, don't know about contract rates

APC will take up to 120cm standard or up to 160cm with an extra cost, not crazy on contract. Also now on Interparcel.

Hermes/Evri up to 120cm.

If you have a few items for UPS the collection charge is £2.40 regardless of how many.

We also send out antennas and for ones that don't come boxed we put a pallet corner protector strip along it and wrap with two layers of corrugated roll. Haven't lost one yet, including sending cheap ones with Hermes/Evri.

 

[paulears]

Mike, the pallet protector is a great idea, thanks. The antennas are a marine product, so they are 129cm, as they have a lump at the bottom, but these options could work. UPS was to be fair, lazy option number one, the pickup point is next door, but the collection would work as he’d not even have to move the van! I will have a look at APC too. Cheers.

 

[DefinitelyMaybeUK]

DHL Express say they'll take items up to 300cm long on domestic shipments - their service guide is a bit misleading as they quote 120 x 80 x 80 but the double asterisks says otherwise. Whether you'd get this without an express account I don't know - the DHL Parcel website (different people!) say 120cm.

 

[DontAsk]

not if the customer wants to use the collect from a local post office the other end - they're too long for that. Crazy, but the length limit on collection from a post office, not sending.

It's not a crazy limit when you consider the space that some small sub post-offices have for storage. Our local one had to stop accepting ANY parcels after Christmas as they simply didn't have the room to cope with the rush of people returning unwanted gifts.

 

[AlanJ1]

It's not a crazy limit when you consider the space that some small sub post-offices have for storage. Our local one had to stop accepting ANY parcels after Christmas as they simply didn't have the room to cope with the rush of people returning unwanted gifts.

It's actually against the post-offices franchise agreement (or whatever agreement they have) to refuse parcels. Royal Mail have been known to go through sits for claiming lack of space and tear up contracts.

 

[Adam Le Grand]

I'd Recommend APC or Parcels2Go.

APCs customer service is not always up to scratch but overall they are pretty good.

 

[stuartm1962]

DHL take up to 175cm, but add a surcharge above 120cm.

 

[Socio South West]

@paulears Suggest you speak to someone in the studio photography supplies trade who sells Colorama / Background paper - that comes in rolls between 1,1 and 2.8m wide with carton profile approx 10-12cm square, Any of them shipping any volume will know the current best carriers to work with for long thin packages.

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

Tuffnels would be able to take these items

 

[delane167]

We ship flagpoles, as Jeremy says Tuffnels take them as would DX Freight. Good packaging is key to ensure they arrive undamaged.