Dimensions, Weight And Rates
How Dimensions and Weight Affect Your Rates
Shipping rates are influenced by the dimensions and the weight of your shipment. In general, the larger and/or heavier your box or case, the more expensive your shipment will be for any given set of shipping locations and shipping speeds.
You will get the best shipping rates when your shipment length does not exceed 48 inches (122 cm); when your shipment height does not exceed 30 inches (76 cm); and when your shipment size is less than or equal to 130 inches (330 cm). Carriers calculate a shipment's size based on its Length (L), Width (W) and Height (H) where:
The max size package you can ship within the US is 165 inches (419 cm), and your package cannot have a length greater than 108 inches (274 cm). The max size package you can ship internationally is typically 157 inches (399 cm) or less and varies by country.
Weight influences pricing, too, but tends to do so less than size for most bikes, which are relatively light for their size. You'll get the best rates for packages under 50 lb (23 kg).
You can ship bikes, including e-bikes, with a packaged weight of up to 100 lbs (45 kg). Shipments exceeding 100 lbs (45 kg) – up to a max package weight of 150 lbs (68 kg) – are allowed with approval. To request approval prior to shipping, email partners@bikeflights.com with photos documenting your shipment’s weight, dimensions and packaging.
You can NOT ship packages within the US with a shipment size larger than 165 inches (419 cm) or with a length larger than 108 inches (274 cm). You also can NOT ship packages weighing more than 150 lb (68 kg). If you ship a package exceeding any of these limits, you will be charged a carrier penalty of US$1,450, and your shipment may be stopped, delayed or returned to sender. Don't do it!
How to measure dimensions and weight
Your own box
Use a tape measure to determine the following dimensions for your shipment: Length, Width and Height. Measure each dimension at the widest point; a measurement taken at the corners of a box, for example, may not reflect your shipment's true dimensions due to bulging.
Length is always the longest side of the box or case; Height is the second longest; and Width is the dimension that's left over. Always round up any length, width or height measurement to the next unit. For example, you should enter a measurement of 12.25 inches as 13 inches, and you should enter a measurement of 13.7 cm as 14 cm.
Use a scale to measure your shipmen's weight. Always round weight up to the next whole pound or kilogram. For example, you should enter 57.2 lb as 58 lb, and you should enter 33.3 kg as 34 kg.
For your convenience, our rate finder tool automatically rounds up dimensions and weight prior to searching for rates and returning results.
Popular Boxes and Cases
To make it easier to enter accurate dimensions on Bikeflights.com, we've pre-populated popular boxes and cases with which we've had good experiences shipping. If you will be shipping in one of these containers, simply select your box or case from the drop down menu when booking.
Your case may not be listed because 1) we haven't heard of it; 2) we don't have any experience with it; or 3) because it is not suitable for shipping based on our experience. If your case is not listed, please contact our Support Team to verify that it is suitable for shipping, and to request that we add it to our list if so.
Why it matters
Shipments enter the carrier system based on the dimensions and weight that you provided when booking. Once in the system, the carrier does a dimensional weight scan of your shipment. If the information you provided does not match the scan, the carrier will "bump sort" your package for relabeling. Bump sorted packages are more susceptible to damage, delay and additional fees.