Shipping Options Explained: DHL, Battery-Fed, SAL and EMS
Shipping Options Explained – here is a quick break-down of the shipping options that we offer. Please note that not all of these options will be available in every country. There will be no shipping options present at checkout for some destinations. In that case, we would ask you to contact us and we will reply promptly.
Unfortunately, for battery packs we have to use designated battery-fed when it comes to shipping batteries, or else we cannot ship these.
DHL/Courier Non-Battery Service
This service is our fastest shipping option with wait times of approximately one week.
Though this is described as DHL courier, on occasion it can also be TNT, Fedex or USPS. DHL uses both weight and volumetric density (H*W*L/5,000 with all dimensions being in cm) to calculate the shipping price. For this reason, we separate the rim and hub from the inner motor structure for our Mac motors with wheel builds. This saves our customer on extra shipping costs.
On orders weighing 20kg or over, DHL is often cheaper than SAL. However, the DHL is far quicker than SAL – usually three times quicker and the tracking info is also the best of all the shipping options offered.
Battery-Fed Service
Like DHL, Battery-Fed can be different shipping courier companies such as TNT, Fedex or USPS. Battery-Fed is classes as hazardous cargo containing batteries. This means that there is very rarely any issues with shipping battery packs. However, it does make this service more expensive compared to non-battery shipping.
This is one restriction on battery fed and that is that individual battery packs must be 10kg, or less.
Like DHL, Battery-Fed uses both weight and volumetric density (the same (H*W*L/5,000 formula too) for pricing. The price gets cheaper on a cost-per -g basis once the weight goes above 20kg. Once an order reaches 12kg, or thereabouts, there is no increase in price for an order weighing up to 20 to 21kg to most destinations. This can work out quite well if you are ordering a kit with a battery pack.
Generally, the wait times for Battery-Fed are about one week. Nevertheless, on occasion, it can take a little longer.
Shipping Options Explained: SAL
SAL is one of our cheapest shipping options. It is an international service that is run by the post offices of many different countries. It stands for Surface Air Lifted.
The wait times for SAL are usually about three weeks. The tracking service for SAL is quite poor in comparison to the other shipping options.
SAL calculates packages on a weight basis only. This makes SAL ideal for shipping bulky items, if the extra wait time is not an issue.
Shipping Options Explained: AirMail
AirMail is almost identical to SAL, except that packages are treated with a higher priority. However, in reality the difference between the two is quite small. Wait times are about 2 to 3 weeks for Airmail.
Shipping Options Explained: EMS
EMS (Express Mail Service) is the express version of AirMail and SAL. Shipping takes about 1 week, but can on occasion take a little longer. The tracking service is superior to SAL and AirMail.
Nevertheless, we find that screening is more restrictive and on occasion motors can sometimes be returned because of their magnets which can be classed as hazardous.
We would suggest that EMS is best for customers with small non-battery orders. There is a hefty surcharge if any dimension exceeds 60cm.
We would typically recommend DHL Courier instead of EMS.