At a Glance
- Length threshold for oversized freight
- usually > 240 cm
- Width threshold
- usually > 120 cm
- Oversized freight surcharge
- approx. 10–30 % on the LDM price
- Tail-lift service
- approx. 50–150 euro surcharge
- Difference from heavy freight
- Oversized = shape, heavy = weight
What counts as oversized freight? Dimension thresholds
A consignment counts as oversized freight if it meets at least one of these criteria: a length over 240 cm (2.4 m), a width over 120 cm, a height over 220 cm, or a weight over 1,000 kg per unit with no forklift or loading dock available. Typical oversized freight: steel pipes, aluminium profiles, stainless steel vessels, radiators, doors and windows, bicycles and motorcycles.
Calculating LDM for oversized freight
Oversized freight is charged not by pallet footprint but by the loading area actually occupied, in LDM. The formula stays the same: LDM = length (m) x width (m) / 2.4. One special feature: if a consignment is wider than 1.2 m it automatically takes up the full vehicle width. Forwarders often add an oversized freight surcharge (around 10–30 % on the LDM price) for the extra effort involved.
Tail-lift service and special unloading
Many recipients of oversized freight have neither a loading dock nor a forklift. Tail-lift service provides a hydraulically lowered platform at the rear of the vehicle. Alternatively, vehicles with a loading crane (Hiab) are used. Both services are chargeable (tail lift: a surcharge of 50–150 euros).
Special packaging, and oversized vs heavy freight
Oversized freight often requires bespoke packaging solutions: wooden crates, stretch film for profiles and edge protection for long bars. The distinction from heavy freight: heavy freight means consignments with a high weight per unit area (steel plate or granite blocks, for example) – compact but very heavy goods. Oversized freight can be light but unwieldy.
