London's Trusted International Courier & Parcel Shipping Experts Since 2006

Shipping Car Parts Internationally: The Complete Guide (By Part Type)

Postal Service vs. Courier: Which Should You Use?

Postal services (Royal Mail and other national postal operators) are usually cheapest for small, lightweight parts: sensors, gaskets, trim clips, small electricals. They're slower, offer limited tracking on standard services, and most have strict weight and size caps, which rules them out for wheels, panels and engines entirely.

Couriers (DHL, UPS, FedEx, and freight forwarders for anything palletised) handle the heavy, bulky and high value end of the market. They offer real tracking, insurance options, dimensional weight pricing, and the ability to move genuinely large or heavy freight like engines and gearboxes, which no postal service will touch.

A rough rule of thumb:

• Under 2kg, low value → postal service
• 2 to 30kg, needs tracking and insurance → courier (parcel service)
• Over 30kg, palletised, or high value → courier freight

Because we're an authorised shipping point for DHL, UPS and FedEx as well as offering Royal Mail options, we can compare services for you and recommend whichever is actually cheapest and most reliable for your specific part, rather than pushing one carrier by default.

How to Ship a Car Engine Overseas

Engines are the hardest of all car parts to ship, mainly because of weight, hazardous residue rules, and customs scrutiny.

Before you book anything:

• Drain all fluids. Oil, coolant and fuel residue are classed as hazardous materials by every major carrier and airline. An engine with any measurable fluid left in it can be refused at the depot or held in customs. Drain it, flush where possible, and let it dry.
• Remove loose ancillaries. Alternators, starters, sensors and anything bolted on loosely should come off and ship separately, or be securely fixed. Vibration in transit will shake loose parts into the crate walls.
• Crate it, don't box it. Engines need a purpose built wooden or heavy duty plywood crate, bolted to a base pallet through the engine mounts wherever possible. Foam or timber blocking should immobilise the block completely, with no movement in any direction.
• Weigh and measure accurately. Freight quotes are based on actual weight and dimensional weight, whichever is higher. Get this wrong and you'll get a shipment held for a balance payment.

Shipping method: Engines almost always go by courier freight rather than standard parcel courier. For international moves, we can arrange freight options through our DHL, UPS and FedEx partnerships, or advise on specialist freight forwarders for very large or unusual engines.

Documentation: You'll need a commercial invoice, an HS code (engines typically fall under heading 8407 or 8408 depending on fuel type), and a declaration confirming the engine is drained of fluids and not classified as hazardous waste. Some countries also require an environmental or emissions declaration for used engines. Our team can help you get this paperwork right before you ship, which is often what determines whether a shipment clears customs smoothly or gets held up.

Shipping Alloy Wheels and Tyres Internationally

Wheels and tyres are shipped constantly, but poorly packaged wheels are one of the most common damage claims couriers deal with.

Wheels without tyres:

• Wrap each wheel individually in bubble wrap or foam sheeting, paying particular attention to the face and spokes, which are the most cosmetically sensitive area.
• Use cardboard wheel boxes, or build a box with rigid cardboard discs cut to the wheel diameter, sandwiching the wheel between them.
• Stack no more than two or three wheels per box unless using a purpose built multi wheel crate, and always separate wheels with cardboard or foam dividers to stop rim on rim contact.

Wheels with tyres mounted:

• These are bulkier and heavier, and courier pricing will be dimensional weight based, so don't over box. A snug fitting box keeps costs down.
• Deflate tyres partially if the courier requires it. Some airlines and couriers have rules on shipping inflated tyres, so it's worth checking before booking, particularly for air freight.
• Balance weights should be checked and re secured, as they're a common casualty of rough handling.

Customs note: Alloy wheels are typically classified under HS code 8708.70 (parts and accessories of motor vehicles). Tyres have their own separate HS code (4011). If shipping wheels and tyres together, they may need to be itemised separately on the customs invoice, which some senders miss.

Wheel boxes and the foam or cardboard needed to do this properly are available from our packaging supply store in Kentish Town, and our team can pack wheels for you if you'd rather not do it yourself.

Courier for Car Bumpers and Body Panels

Bumpers, wings, doors and bonnets are awkward because they're large and light, not heavy, and are easily flexed or cracked.

• Never ship a bare panel. Sandwich it between two sheets of stiff cardboard or plywood cut slightly larger than the panel, taped or strapped together, to stop flexing and point impact cracks.
• Protect the edges and mounting points specifically, as these are where stress cracks start. Corner protectors or extra foam padding at brackets and clips prevents the most common damage.
• Use a flat, rigid outer box rather than letting the panel be the only structural element. If a courier can bend the parcel by hand, it will bend, and possibly crack, in transit.
• Painted panels should be wrapped in a soft protective layer before the rigid outer layer, to prevent scuffing against the cardboard.

Because of their size, bumpers and panels often price out on dimensional weight rather than actual weight. A bumper might weigh 8kg but price like a 20kg parcel because of its box size. Getting the packaging as close fitting as possible, without compromising protection, keeps costs sensible. This is exactly the kind of item our professional pack and send service is built for.

Shipping Classic Car Parts: UK to USA

Classic and vintage car parts are a category of their own. They're often irreplaceable, sometimes hard to value, and the customs treatment differs from modern mass produced parts.

• Get an accurate valuation and description. Vague invoice descriptions such as "car part" are a leading cause of customs delays. Be specific, for example "NOS front grille for 1967 MGB, steel, unused," which gives customs a clear basis for classification and duty assessment.
• Check for antique or vintage duty relief. The UK and USA both have provisions that can reduce or waive duty on genuinely antique parts, commonly those over 100 years old under US rules, though most classic car parts from the 1950s to 1980s won't qualify and will be treated as standard automotive parts for duty purposes.
• Insure to actual value, not replacement cost. Rare or discontinued parts should be insured based on realistic market value, since standard declared value defaults massively undervalue rare parts.
• Photograph everything before shipping. For high value classic parts, timestamped photos from multiple angles protect you in an insurance claim and also help substantiate the customs declaration if queried.

Our London to USA shipping service through DHL, UPS and FedEx is well suited to this kind of shipment. We'll help you package rare or fragile parts properly, get the customs paperwork right, and choose a service level that matches how urgently the part is needed.

How to Package Car Parts for Shipping (General Rules)

Across every part type, the same principles hold:

1. Match the box to the part. Don't over box, which raises dimensional weight cost, or under box, which risks damage.
2. Immobilise, don't just cushion. Padding stops scuffs, but it doesn't stop a part shifting and impacting the box wall. Parts should not move when the sealed box is shaken.
3. Double box fragile or high value items. An inner fitted box inside an outer shipping box, with a cushioning gap between them, significantly cuts damage claims.
4. Label orientation and fragility clearly, marking "This Way Up" where it matters, such as for engines or panels with glass or lights attached.
5. Photograph the packed item and the packaging before sealing. This is essential evidence for any damage or loss claim.
6. Remove or isolate hazardous elements, such as fluids, batteries and airbags. These usually need separate handling or removal entirely.

If you'd rather not tackle the packing yourself, our team in Kentish Town packs fragile, valuable and oversized items professionally every day, and we stock the boxes, bubble wrap, foam and tape to do the job properly.

Shipping Motorbike Parts Internationally

Motorbike parts follow the same logic as car parts, scaled down, but a few things are specific to bikes:

• Fuel tanks must be completely drained and, ideally, left open or vented for a period before shipping, since fuel vapour is a hazmat concern even in an "empty" tank.
• Exhausts and pipes are dent prone and should be packed with internal support, such as rolled cardboard or foam inserts, inside the pipe itself, not just wrapped externally.
• Fairings and bodywork follow the same flex and crack risk as car body panels, so use rigid sandwich packaging rather than just bubble wrap.
• Batteries, common in motorbike parts shipments, are restricted or banned by most couriers unless shipped under specific dangerous goods protocols. Check this before booking, as an undeclared battery can get an entire shipment seized.
• Small motorbike parts such as levers, mirrors and small electricals are well suited to postal services if lightweight. Wheels, tanks and bodywork need courier or freight.

Customs Rules for Shipping Vehicle Parts

Customs issues are the single biggest cause of delay for international car parts shipments. Key points:

• HS (Harmonized System) codes. Vehicle parts generally fall under chapter 87 of the HS code system, with 8707 or 8708 for bodies and parts or accessories, but engines, electricals and tyres have their own separate codes. Using the wrong code is one of the most common causes of customs holds and incorrect duty charges.
• Commercial invoice accuracy. Every shipment needs a clear description, quantity, unit value, total value, country of origin, and HS code. Whether the part is used or new matters for duty and, in some countries, for import eligibility.
• Restricted and hazardous items. Fluids such as oil, coolant, brake fluid and fuel, along with lithium and lead acid batteries and airbags, are the three biggest red flags. Airbags in particular are heavily restricted or banned by most carriers due to explosive charge classification. An undeclared airbag can result in shipment seizure and fines. Our dangerous goods guidance covers what can and can't be shipped this way, so it's worth checking before you book.
• Country of origin marking. Some countries require country of origin marking on the part or packaging, particularly for reconditioned or remanufactured parts.
• Import duty and VAT or sales tax. These are charged on the customs value (item value plus shipping plus insurance, in most jurisdictions) and are the recipient's responsibility unless shipped duty paid. For shipments from the UK to the USA specifically, check current thresholds, as low value exemptions change periodically and are frequently misquoted online.

Getting It Right the First Time

The parts that go wrong in shipping are rarely the ones people expect. It's not usually the engine that gets damaged, since engines are heavy and well respected by handlers. It's the "simple" bumper that flexes and cracks, or the wheel that gets stacked wrong, or the shipment held at customs for three weeks because the invoice said "car part" instead of a proper HS coded description.



Get the packaging matched to the part, get the paperwork accurate and specific, and choose postal for the light stuff and courier for anything heavy, bulky or valuable, and international car parts shipping stops being the gamble it feels like the first time you try it.

If you're shipping car or motorbike parts from London, visit us at 58 Chetwynd Road, Kentish Town, NW5 1DJ, or get in touch for a free quote. We'll pack it properly, pick the right courier, and make sure the paperwork is right the first time.