When Shipping Items Overseas, Size Matters…how Small Shipping Companies Can Save Custo

March 29, 2010 - PRLog -- BRAINTREE, MA…

When you’re arranging for a larger shipment overseas—20 boxes, suitcases, computer equipment, or a piece of furniture—size does play an important role in how much it will cost. Yet the size of the shipping company you choose could play an even larger role in the cost--even whether or not your shipment makes it to its final destination.

Typically for ocean shipping, larger international shippers have a minimum of three to five cubic meters; while most small shippers will only send a couple of boxes. So, if you’re only sending over a few larger items that don’t meet the minimum requirements but are too bulky for the smaller shippers or U.S. Postal Service, you can be paying for quite a bit of unused space.

“Boston has a lot of international students and people from abroad working here, many who don’t know there are other options out there like small shippers who can better meet their needs,” said Joe Fell, co-owner of Boston Pack and Ship, a small load shipping specialist for the past two decades.

Boston Pack and Ship offers international ocean shipping to most major cities around the globe. Since Boston Pack and Ship has only a one cubic meter minimum, compared to the three-to-five cubic meter minimum for large shippers, sending your items via ocean freighter can be an affordable option.

Besides smaller minimums and offering pick-up services, Boston Pack and Ship also provides customized package and custom crate building services at its workshop in Braintree, Massachusetts. Most importantly, Boston Pack and Ship is certified by Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association (NeLMA).

NeLMA is a sanctioning body for the International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM). Wood to be used for pallets and crates for overseas shipping must be heat-treated for 30 minutes at 133 degrees to receive the NeLMA stamp. This heat treatment kills any insects and their eggs that may be in the wood. Any crate shipped overseas without the appropriate stamp can be seized by customs authorities. What happens to the contents of an uncertified crate can range from fumigation to permanent destruction of the crate, its contents, or return of the shipment to the U.S.—all at the owner’s expense.

“There are many repercussions from using a shipping company large or small that is not certified. Having your items damaged or destroyed is one. The other is the possibility that the wood used on your pallet or crate is infested. There have been a few cases in the news recently where insects have made their way into the U.S.—and vice versa to other countries--via crates and done significant damage to trees and vegetation,” added Fell.

In addition to paying attention to minimums and only using shippers with the proper ISPM certifications, Boston Pack and Ship offers a number of other special overseas shipping services, including:
●   One page introductory e-mail outlining the entire process – full explanation of all fees
●   Preparation of all export customs documents.
●   Door-to-port service – Boston Pack and Ship will pick up your boxes at your home or office. Delivery is to a bonded warehouse where you can pick up your goods or arrange for final local delivery.
●   Consolidation of your shipment on a pallet – all boxes are stretch-wrapped in plastic and strapped to the pallet.
●   Complete information regarding shipment – name of vessel, voyage number, date of departure and arrival as well as a booking number will be e-mailed to you prior to shipping.
●   Complete contact information of overseas agent (name, address, phone, e-mail) to arrange delivery from port to final destination.
●   $500 worth of insurance for loss on each box is included.

For more information, you can visit the company Web site at www.bostonpackandship.com. For a free quote on an out-of-state or international move or shipment, please call (800) 400-7204.

Small load specialists
Boston Pack and Ship has been a trusted strategic partner of many movers in eastern Massachusetts for more than two decades. Based in Braintree, Massachusetts, Boston Pack and Ship employs custom crates and packaging and foam-in-place solutions to pack and ship everything from artwork to heirlooms, computers to antiques to both out-of-state and international destinations. Known for its fast and efficient customer service, one call is usually all it takes to schedule a pickup for a door-to-door or door-to-port shipment. For more information, visit www.bostonpackandship.com or call (800) 400-7204 for a free quote.