Moving to a whole new place is a hectic process. It not only involves packing and unpacking stuff but to ship them overseas as well, which makes it nerve-wracking. For the first time international movers, the main question is how to ship overseas household goods?
Hiring movers is a wise choice when you are shifting locally and not suitable for overseas shipping. Do you know that there are some international shipping companies like Overseas Shipping Inc, who solely specialize in international shipping?
What is the Difference between Movers and Freight Forwarders?
It is a common concept prevailing amongst the individuals that hiring movers makes the wise choice to handle the international transport of their personal items. However, this is not the right way. Why? Movers are not properly versed with international shipping’s different aspects and policies, which international shipping companies and freight forwarders are.
On the other hand, international shipping companies have yearly service contracts with ocean freight carriers and save you money. A moving company does not possess this contract and have to pay the full tariff ocean rate.
How to Hire a Freight Forwarder?
So now you know the difference, here are a few things that you need to consider when looking for an international freight forwarder to help you with this:
1. Does your chosen freight forwarder offer shipping of vehicles and household goods? Most don’t offer such services, so you need to do your research thoroughly.
2. Prepare a packing list and label all your boxes with relevant information. This includes address, furniture type, length, width, weight, height, and value.
3. Get insurance coverage.
4. Determine the type of services you need. Whether you need on-site packing or in-house?
Full Container Load (FCL)– what to expect?
This type of container is delivered on the truck. First, the container is dropped on the ground using special equipment so that the items can be loaded as conveniently as possible. It involves three ways:
1. Live Load:
In this method, an empty container is delivered to your premises. After that, you are provided 2 hours to pack, crate, brace, and seal your goods. If you need packing services, additional charges can apply.
2. Drop and Pick Load:
It involves the same process as above; however, you are required 2-3 days to pack and load your goods with ease. This is an ideal method if your sailing location is near. Inland transportation costs are most of the times higher for long distances.
3. Warehouse Load
In this process, you save costs by delivering your goods at the company warehouse. Once they receive it, they secure the cargo and merge it into the FCL container shipment. Also, this method is the fastest and convenient way.
Less than A Container Load (LCL) Shipments – what to expect?
If you don’t have enough cargo to utilize a container’s full space, you need LCL container shipping. In this, you would be sharing the cost of a full container with other shippers. The cost includes the space you are utilizing and the weight of your shipment. So, this saves a lot of money.
Customs Inspections
When you are dealing with the US and another foreign custom, you have to undergo an inspection process. This process cannot be quoted as they are random and are priced according to the exam performed. So, you need to pay the warehouse representing customs directly.
Moreover, there are some countries that offer a free moving certificate, which helps in speeding up the process of shipment clearance. So this is essential that you always communicate with the agent that is handling customs and deliveries.
Source: www.overseasshippinginc.com/
