The Moving Process

Our aim is to provide a better understanding of the basic process and methods used for the International Moving Procedures.

Household Goods - Full Service Moving

Full service moving is where our local agents in any State and Hawaii provide all the services needed to get you packed, loaded and delivered. We use Matson to provide a container to do your move. We can provide full coverage insurance if wanted.

Household Goods - Self Service Moving

Self Service moving is where we provide a Matson container at your residence if the local city permits. There we can drop the container for several days if needed where you can load your shipment directly or hire local movers to do the loading. One issue is that damage is not covered by Matson or us. We can provide a total loss insurance that covers if the container is lost or damaged and your shipment is destroyed.

Normal moving of domestic shipping load dates is simple. You simply pick a day or spread of day’s and you book the shipment to meet the shipper's wishes and needs.

In international moving, there are many factors that play into choosing a loading date.

There are various steps involved in an international move load date planning.

First, you need to understand some terms used in the international moving process.

1. ERD or Earliest Return Date: 

This is the earliest date that you can return your loaded container to the port or rail depot so it can be loaded on the booked steamship.

2. Cutoff/Cut:

This is the last date that a container can be returned to the port or rail depot to make the booked sailing on the steamship.

3. Free Time:

This is the amount of time that a steamship line gives to you to have the container from the port or ramp to load the container. The time normally starts when the container is picked up and returned to the port or rail ramp.  Of course, all the time must be coordinated with the ERD and the Cutoff dates. Normal free time is 4 days for most steamship lines.

4. Detention:

This is the cost that a steamship line charges when you hold a container longer than the allowed free time.  Again, depending on the steamship lines this can cost between $100 to $200 per day.

5. Demurrage:

Demurrage is a cost the steamship line charges when the container is at the port longer than the allowed free time at the port. This normally happens when a  container is arriving at a port but could be charged if a  container is rolled or had a customs exam happen.

6. Roll of Container:

This is where a container is booked for a specific load date and for some reason it cannot be   loaded for that sailing. The container is then “Rolled” to the next sailing. This happens if the documents are not provided in time, a customs exam happen’s or the sailing is  canceled. Charges vary among steamship lines.

7. Title Validation:

This is the requirement that Customs are provided the titles to motorized vehicles at least 72 hours prior to sailing, not including the sail date and the day the documents are delivered to Customs. This really means that you should have the container to the port 6   days before the sailing.

Choosing a Loading Date

So now the question of how to choose a load date that will avoid any costly issues. This can be difficult, especially if your customer wants specific dates and cannot be flexible.   The important thing to explain to your shipper is why they need to have some flexibility if they can.

Scenario 1:

You have a shipper that want to move on  January 15th . The next sailing is on January 26th . The ERD is January 19th and the cutoff is January 24th .  The free time is 5 days. Under this Scenario you can book the container for that specific load date.

Scenario 2:

Your shipper wants to load on January 11th . The next  sailing is January 19th . The cutoff is January 24th . Under this scenario you could end up with quite a few days of demurrage charges.

The point is to make sure you are aware of the free time allowed to  have the container out and when the earliest return date is to avoid accruing additional demurrage and or detention charges.

Auto/Vehicle Shipping

Auto shipping is an important issue to many shippers. The key is the rules of each country and what is needed to both export and import an auto. In certain countries and import permit is required prior to the car arriving at the port. Some countries prohibit specific ages of autos. Others outright ban cars from being imported. Make sure you know the rules of the country   you are shipping the automobile or vehicle to. This applies to   any motorized vehicle including Scooters, ATV’s, Boats and even electric bicycles in some instances.

USA Auto Export  Rules

- U.S. Customs has specific requirements that must be met prior to a vehicle being exported. If the shipper owns the vehicle without a lien on it, Customs requires that the original title along with other documents be presented to the Customs office at least 72 hours prior to the container or vehicle being loaded on the vessel. If there is a lien on the vehicle you will need an original letter from the lender that is signed and   notarized by the lender that permits the vehicle to be exported to the country it is being shipped to. Contact your forwarder for the specifics on this rule.

- If the shipper has a vehicle that has a current lien on it then different rules apply. The lender of record must provide an original notarized letter allowing the shipper to export the vehicle. A certified copy of the title will also be needed. Note, today many states are ELT States which are Electronic Title States. This provide another set of issues.

Call the forwarder to get specific answers as to how they handle this.

If you have any questions, you can feel free to call me personally on my cell, at 1-480-267-0178 or email me and I will be happy to try to answer any questions you may have or provide any ideas that will help the relocation of  your employees to be safe, secure and at the best possible price. 

If you would like to contact us for any international rates feel free to contact  us at art@premiervanlines.net 

As I always say, “Having the Right Information Makes for an Informed Decision."

Art Haddow 

Premier Van Lines International AZ, Inc. 

Email: art@premiervanlines.net