How to pack and label a parcel.

Your consignment is lifted, loaded and carried more than once on its way. Pack it so it arrives in the state it left.

• Use sturdy cartons and boxes in good condition. Use double-walled boxes for heavy items.
• Fill the gaps inside with padding so nothing moves when you shake the box.
• Tape every seam, top and bottom, with strong parcel tape.
• Wrap furniture, and protect corners and edges with card or foam corner guards.
• Remove old labels and barcodes, or cover them completely, so only your new label can be scanned.

Each item can weigh up to 150kg, with the longest side up to 6.5m and the other two sides up to 3m. Pack heavy items so they can be handled safely: a firm base, nothing loose, and somewhere to grip.

Long items such as pipes, timber and rails need a label at each end, so the barcode can be found whichever way round the item is loaded. If one person can't lift the item safely at the delivery address, add two-person delivery when you book.

Every item in a consignment gets its own label. Your label PDF holds one 6 by 4 inch label per piece, so a booking for three boxes prints three labels.

• Print your labels from your booking confirmation (Download your label) or from Labels and manifests in your account, where you can print a whole collection day at once.
• Fix each label to the largest flat side of its item.
• Keep the barcode flat, visible and uncreased. Don't put it over a seam or an edge, and don't put tape over it.
• For long items, print the label twice and fix one at each end.
• Get the labels on before the driver arrives. Your driver scans each item at collection.

• Give the full delivery address and postcode. We deliver to a door, not a PO box.
• Add a contact phone number for the delivery address so the driver can reach the recipient. The booking asks for one.