Moving Overseas? Simple Steps To Shipping

Moving overseas can be an exciting prospect, however having to move your entire residence might seem a bit daunting when it requires shipping via freightliner. However, this is actually a very efficient and fast way to get your belongings to your overseas destination where you will be able to make your overseas a home with all of your belongings.

This is the most efficient way to ship, but there are some decisions you will need to make before you start the shipping process.

First, you need to evaluate how many items you need to ship and how much space you will need. You have the option of a 20' or 40' container, or else a partial container for smaller items, so whatever you need shipped will be accommodated. A 20' container generally has enough room for a vehicle an some of your smaller household appliances or else the contents of a two bedroom home.

If you need more space than that then you have the option of a 40' container that can accommodate a vehicle and the contents of a two bedroom home or else just the contents of a three to five bedroom home. In the instance that you are only shipping certain items you can ship a partial container as well. Evaluate what you need to ship and the amount of space available and then either upgrade to the larger container if necessary or if you have too many items have a yard sale to get rid of some.

Next, when you begin the packing process there are several things you need to keep in mind regarding things you are allowed to pack and things you are not. Make sure when you are packing that you do not include any kind of food or food product, jewelry, important documents like birth or marriage certificates, seeds or plants, alcohol, open bottles, pressurized cans, and the like. The shipping company will provide you with a list of items not to ship, and if you don't receive one ask before you begin packing.

Now that you are ready to begin the shipping process, you need to know to contact the shipping carrier at least seven to 10 days before the desired departure date if at all possible. Then, you will need to provide them with a full address in the United States as well as the full overseas address in addition to local and foreign phone numbers, your social security number and the like.

Finally, you will need to pay for your shipping costs. Most companies require that you pay a deposit before you begin packing the container and then the balance before the shipment heads out. Regardless, most all shipping companies accept a wide variety of payment options to meet your needs.

Robert Michael is a writer for APJ Shipping
which is an excellent place to find shipping links,
resources and articles. For more information go to:

http://www.apjshipping.com

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What Do You Ship in Shipping Containers?

Let us introduce shipping containers first. Shipping containers are standard sized boxes in which you ship merchandise. These are not small boxes for packing a pair of shoes. Standard shipping containers typically come in 8 feet by 8.5 (or 9.5) feet cross-sections, 20 or 40 or 45 feet long. So they compare best with log cabins than shoeboxes. (In fact, a popular use for empty shipping containers is to convert them into houses.)

Shipping containers transformed the logistics scenario and led to a huge expansion in world trade. You pack your merchandise into shipping containers at the factory, load it into a standard container truck that goes to the nearest railroad station or sea port where the containers are transferred by specialized container handling equipment into a railcar or ocean going ship.

The railcar then travels thousands of miles to a distant city or the nearest seaport. The custom built container ships are designed to accept containers on their open deck, and accommodate a large number of shipping containers without wasting storage space. (Containers stored thus can occasionally tumble down into the sea during a storm while the ship is at sea.)

Merchandise Shipped in Containers

You pack your merchandise packages, say, cartons with shoe boxes inside, into these containers. The merchandise packages are designed to occupy the space inside the shipping containers without wasting any space. You seal the container door securely.

The container typically travels unopened till it reaches its destination. It might get transferred to trucks, railcars, ships or even aircraft during this travel. At the destination seaport or airport, it gets transferred again into railcars or trucks for transport to the destination city.

So what do you transport in containers? Almost everything is the short answer. Most consumer goods are transported in containers from manufacturing factories to the distributor warehouses. Heavy machinery is transported in containers up to the customer site. There are custom built containers to accommodate different kinds of merchandise. A look at these customizations will give some idea of the variety of merchandise that travel in containers.


* DRY VAN containers are designed to accommodate such items cartons, jute bags, bales, pallets and drums

* REEFER containers are temperature controlled in the range of minus 25 degrees centigrade to plus 25 degrees centigrade

* OPEN TOP special bulk containers are for bulk materials and heavy machinery

* OPEN SIDE containers can accommodate large sized pallets

* VENTILATED containers carry organic produce that need to be ventilated during transit

* TANK containers carry bulk liquids

* ROLLING FLOOR containers allow difficult-to-handle cargo to be rolled in and out

* HANGAR BEAM FITTED containers accommodate garments on hangars without further packing



Shipping Container Legalities

Containers need Convention for Safe Containers (CSC) certification (authorized by International Maritime Organization) to prove their "continued safe handling and transportability in the commercial intermodal transport environment". The inspections need to be carried out periodically.

Merchandise in export trade also needs customs inspection and certification before shipment.

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