Pack n Send Blog

Pack n send has been following the plight of ships that are attacked by pirates.  Almost like the old wild west but on the open seas.

Unfortunately, pirates have been taking hostages and then holding them for ransom. Shipping companies now have armed men on many ships.. During the last year, the number of hostage taking instances has been on the decrease.

Yahoo news www.yahoonews.com  reported today that one of the highest ranking pirates has announced his retirement. Mohamed Abdi Hassan has decided to retire. If he can persuade others to retire also, the costs to ship inventory via ocean should start to decline.  Weapons and private  security companies does cost the shipping companies money. These charges are passed on to the ultimate consumer.

The fact that shipping lines are better able to protect both personnel and cargo may be one of the reasons that this retirement has been announced.

This is a good sign for the shipping industry as a whole. At pack n send, as a Houston shipping company we try to keep our customers informed about events affecting worldwide shipping. We have listed below the countries that we ship to. For any questions about container loading or international shipping, please feel free to contact us at 713 266 1450.

Albania
Algeria
American Samoa
Andorra
Angola
Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Baruba
Belarus
Belize
Belgium
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bolivia|
Bonaire
Botswana
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brazil
Brittish Virgin Islands
Brunei
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
|Chile
China
Colombia
Congo
Congo Republic of
Cook island
Costa Rica
Croatia
Curaco
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
DPR of Korea Republic
East Timor
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Eritrea
Estonia
Ethiopia |
Faeroe Islands
Falkland Islands
Faroc Islands
Fiji
Finland
France, French Guinana
French Polynesia
Gabon
The Gambia
Germany
Georgia
Ghana
Gibraltar
Ginvea-Bissau
Ginvea-Exquatorial
Greece
Greenland
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guatemala
Guernsey
Guinea
Guinea Republic
GuyanaHaiti
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran-Islamic Republic of Tersey
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Ivory Coast
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan, Kenya
Kiribati
Korpa
Kosovo
Kosrae Island
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Libyan Arab Jamahiriy
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macao
Macedonia
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
MMarshall Islands
Martinique
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mexico
Micronesia
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Morocco
Mozambique
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
Netherlands
Netherlands Antilles
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Nive
Northern Mariana Islands
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
|Palau
Panama
Papa New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Phillipines
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
QatarRepublic of Nevis
Reunion
Romania
Rota
Russia
Rwanda
Saba
Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands)
Samoa
San Marino
Sao Tome and Principe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovak Republic
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
Somalia
Somaliand
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sri Lanka
St. Barthelemy
St. Croix
St. Eustatius
St. John
St. Kitts and Nevis
St. Lucia
St. Maarten
St. Thomas
St. Vincent
Sudan
Suriname
Swaziland
Sweden
Switzerland
Syria
Tadjikistan
Tahiti
Taiwan
Tanzania
Thailand
Tinian
Tonga
Tongo
Tortola
Trinidad and Tobago
Truk
Tunisia
Turkey
Turks and Caicos Islands
Turkmenistan
Tuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States of America
U.S. Virgin Islands
U.S. Virgin Islands(Brittish)
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vatican City
Venezuela
Vietnam
Virgin Gorda
Wallis and Futuna
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwearshall Islands, Albania
Algeria
American Samoa
Andorra
Angola
Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Baruba
Belarus
Belize
Belgium
Benin
Bermuda,Bhutan
Bolivia|
Bonaire
Botswana
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brazil
Brittish Virgin Islands

Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Libyan Arab Jamahiriy
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Tanzania
Thailand
Tinian
Tonga
Tongo
Tortola
Trinidad and Tobago
Truk
Tunisia
Turkey
Turks and Caicos Islands
Turkmenistan
Tuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States of America
U.S. Virgin Islands
U.S. Virgin Islands(Brittish)
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vatican City
Venezuela
Vietnam
Virgin Gorda
Wallis and Futuna
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwearshall Islands

Albania
Algeria
American Samoa
Andorra
Angola
Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Baruba
Belarus
Belize
Belgium
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bolivia|
Bonaire
Botswana
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brazil
Brittish Virgin Islands
Brunei
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
|Chile
China
Colombia
Congo
Congo Republic of
Cook island
Costa Rica
Croatia
Curaco
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
DPR of Korea Republic
East Timor
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Eritrea
Estonia
Ethiopia |
Faeroe Islands
Falkland Islands
Faroc Islands
Fiji
Finland
France, French Guinana
French Polynesia
Gabon
The Gambia
Germany
Georgia
Ghana
Gibraltar
Ginvea-Bissau
Ginvea-Exquatorial
Greece
Greenland
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guatemala
Guernsey
Guinea
Guinea Republic
GuyanaHaiti
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran-Islamic Republic of Tersey
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Ivory Coast
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan, Kenya
Kiribati
Korpa
Kosovo
Kosrae Island
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Libyan Arab Jamahiriy
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macao
Macedonia
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
MMarshall Islands
Martinique
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mexico
Micronesia
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Morocco
Mozambique
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
Netherlands
Netherlands Antilles
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Nive
Northern Mariana Islands
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
|Palau
Panama
Papa New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Phillipines
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
QatarRepublic of Nevis
Reunion
Romania
Rota
Russia
Rwanda
Saba
Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands)
Samoa
San Marino
Sao Tome and Principe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovak Republic
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
Somalia
Somaliand
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sri Lanka
St. Barthelemy
St. Croix
St. Eustatius
St. John
St. Kitts and Nevis
St. Lucia
St. Maarten
St. Thomas
St. Vincent
Sudan
Suriname
Swaziland
Sweden
Switzerland
Syria
Tadjikistan
Tahiti
Taiwan
Tanzania
Thailand
Tinian
Tonga
Tongo
Tortola
Trinidad and Tobago
Truk
Tunisia
Turkey
Turks and Caicos Islands
Turkmenistan
Tuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States of America
U.S. Virgin Islands
U.S. Virgin Islands(Brittish)
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vatican City
Venezuela
Vietnam
Virgin Gorda
Wallis and Futuna
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwearshall Islands, Albania
Algeria
American Samoa

Pack n send usually discusses international news on our blog.  Since we have customers calling in to ask about our international shipping services, we are making a change for this blog and discussing some of our international shipping services.

 We do pack and load household goods for shipping out of the Port of Houston.  We do ship all over the world. We have a network of shippers and do arrange shipments for our customers out of other ports as well. We will determine if you need a twenty foot or a forty foot container for your shipment.

 Besides house hold goods, we also load and pack machinery, airplanes, cars and assorted other items into containers for both individuals and companies.

 We  also freight furniture through out the fifty United States as well as through out the world.  If you do not have enough furniture for a twenty foot container, then we can ship your furniture on a pallet. We ship this by the cubic meters. After you have over ten cubic meters, it becomes more cost effective to order a twenty foot container for you.

 We fill in the paper work for you, as well as prepare the bill of lading for your shipment.

 We will try and answer more questions for you  on our blog or you can call us at  713 266 1450 so that we can help you.

The Port of Houston offers an up close look at cargo shipping. Pack n send is posting the information  taken from the Port of Houston website as a service to our customers.

Get ready for an unforgettably spectacular waterborne tour of one of the busiest ports in the world aboard the Port of Houston Authority's free public tour boat!

Named for the legendary military commander who led the fight for Texas independence from Mexico and later statehood, the M/V Sam Houston offers free leisurely 90-minute round-trip cruises along the Houston Ship Channel.

Embarking from the port's Sam Houston Pavilion, visiting sightseers can enjoy passing views of international cargo vessels, and operations at the port's Turning Basin Terminal. Measuring 95 feet in length and 24 feet in width, the boat carries a maximum capacity of 90 passengers with air-conditioned lounge seating and additional standing room on the boat's rear deck.

The M/V Sam Houston has been operating as the Port Authority's public tour vessel since its inaugural voyage on July. 30, 1958. By 1979, a total of 1 million passengers had taken the tour.

No food or beverages are allowed to be brought aboard the boat or into the pavilion. However, a free beverage is provided on the boat during the trip. We want all of our visitors to enjoy the tour experience in a clean and safe environment, therefore picnics in the pavilion are not allowed.

The tour is free; however reservations are required 24 hours in advance of the planned tour. Enhanced port security measures require government-issued photo identification for passengers ages 18 and older. Examples of acceptable identification are state-issued drivers license, state of Texas Identification card, or passport.

Register online anytime, or call 713-670-2416, Monday through Thursday between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Please note: a maximum of 45 reservations is allowed for any one group. Also, a maximum ratio of one adult per four children under the age of 12 will be enforced.

SECURITY NOTICE

Because of heightened security measures, regularly scheduled tours aboard the M/V Sam Houston may be canceled without advance notice. Before making the trip to the Port of Houston for a tour aboard the Sam Houston, please consult this Web site for information on the status of your tour.

Security regulations also prohibit the carrying of any camera equipment aboard the M/V Sam Houston and the taking of photographs from aboard the ship is strictly prohibited.

Also, large baggage such as backpacks and oversized purses are not allowed on board. Passengers' personal belongings may be subject to searches in accordance with federal regulations. The PHA reserves the right to refuse passage to board the vessel to any person for any reason at any time.

 We advise that you arrive at least 15 minutes, preferably half hour, before your tour launches to assure that you have plenty of time to check in through security and to board the vessel.

For more information on international shipping, please feel free to contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

BOOMING demand from Asia is keeping aircraft manufacturers happy, with the likes of Hong Kong Airlines and China Eastern Airlines ordering freighters at a rapid pace.

China will help the Asia-Pacific region account for a third of global plane deliveries over the next 20 years, Boeing said. Rival Airbus said it expects airlines in Asia to take delivery of 8,560 aircraft in the next 20 years, representing a third of the global total.

In early March, Hong Kong Airlines agreed to buy six 777 freighters from Boeing. Meanwhile, Boeing’s 747-8 freighter version has won 74 orders from customers including Cathay Pacific Airways, an Air China affiliate.

Also this month, China Eastern Airlines, which operates a mix of Airbus and Boeing freighters, has revealed a massive expansion plan of 250 extra aircraft by 2015. In four years the fleet will total 588 units comprising 531 passenger aircraft, 30 freighters and 27 utility aircraft. As of 30 June 2010, the Shanghai-based carrier operated 338 aircraft, comprising 320 passenger aircraft and 18 freighters.

 Pack n send continues to track the increase for freight aircraft orders.  With worldwide ecoconomies struggling to come out of the recession, good news is report worthy.

 The article above came from Cargo Shipping News and is the second time in less than a week that new aircraft orders have been reported.

 For information about shipping freight, cargo and containers from Houston, Texas, please feel free to contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

BOOMING demand from Asia is keeping aircraft manufacturers happy, with the likes of Hong Kong Airlines and China Eastern Airlines ordering freighters at a rapid pace.

China will help the Asia-Pacific region account for a third of global plane deliveries over the next 20 years, Boeing said. Rival Airbus said it expects airlines in Asia to take delivery of 8,560 aircraft in the next 20 years, representing a third of the global total.

In early March, Hong Kong Airlines agreed to buy six 777 freighters from Boeing. Meanwhile, Boeing’s 747-8 freighter version has won 74 orders from customers including Cathay Pacific Airways, an Air China affiliate.

Also this month, China Eastern Airlines, which operates a mix of Airbus and Boeing freighters, has revealed a massive expansion plan of 250 extra aircraft by 2015. In four years the fleet will total 588 units comprising 531 passenger aircraft, 30 freighters and 27 utility aircraft. As of 30 June 2010, the Shanghai-based carrier operated 338 aircraft, comprising 320 passenger aircraft and 18 freighters.

Once again, Cargo Shipping News has reported upbeat news about shipping in the Asian sector. This article taken from Cargo Shipping News does bode well overseas economies. Any increase in demand is felt worldwide. Pack n send continues to scour the web for upbeat information about cargo and freight.

 For packing crating, shipping, freighting or moving services from Houston, TX, feel free to call pack n send at  713 266 1450.

Ships are full, containers are picked over and truck drivers are in demand.

 Houston's trading community is moving more cargo these days as higher oil prices and a rebounding economy have driven up  exports  and  imports.

We're definitely seeing the wheels of the economic engine starting to turn," said Jeff Joachim, president of World Trade Distribution, a Houston company that provides warehousing, trucking and container storage, among other services. "You're starting to see people stock inventory again."

Houston's trade with the world rebounded by 26 percent last year compared with the doldrums of 2009, according to a recent report by WorldCity, which tracks trade data.

But it still hasn't reached the levels of 2008, a banner year for many in the local shipping business.

Last year, Houston traded $211.5 billion in goods with the rest of the world, up from $167.5 billion in 2009, WorldCity reported. That's still less than the record $240.8 billionthe Bayou City traded with world markets in 2008.

Nationwide, trade increased to $3.2 trillion in 2010 from $2.6 trillion in 2009. Last year's numbers were still below the $3.4 trillion in trade during 2008.

Like much of the rest of the U. S..Houston imports more than it exports and had a trade deficit of about $22  billion in 2010.

Pack n send has republished portions of this article written by Houston Chronicle journalist Jenalia Moreno.  We look for positive upswings in the Houston and US economy for both freight and cargo.

 For more information about packing, crating, cargo and freight shipping from Houston, Texas please contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

Pack n send is monitoring freight  and  cargo shipments both within the United State and worldwide. While we specialize in Freight Shipping and loading and shipping cargo, we also like to keep our customers informed of industry trends. This article taken from Handy Shipping   Guide highlights new strengths seen in US shipping markets.

Long Beach, California based  UTI a non asset based 3PL supply chain specialist turned in better than expected results yesterday following a general upward trend for the industry. With over 23 million square feet of warehousing in 23 countries the US company shows a pattern that seems fairly typical for the freight market at the moment. The CEO however offered a customary word of caution in today’s volatile conditions.

 Eric W. Kirchner, chief executive officer, speaking of the second quarter results said in a statement:

"Our improved results were primarily driven by strong volumes and better operating margins. Airfreight and ocean freight volumes continued to grow faster than the market and were higher than volumes recorded in the second quarter two years ago, prior to the financial crisis. Results remain tempered by yield pressure due to continued high transportation rates, and we expect these rates to remain volatile on many trade lanes for the rest of the year. We are also expecting volume growth to moderate during the second half of the year due to a slowing global economy and more difficult comparisons to the prior year.

"We continue to be encouraged by improvements in our contract logistics and distribution business, which reported solid revenue growth and higher operating margins. Client volumes improved in the quarter, particularly in retail and consumer markets, and we continue to manage our operations more efficiently. Our transformation initiatives remain on schedule and we are making good progress in all areas."

UTi saw increased operating costs, up 9% against last year but it seems although traffic volumes were higher, rates were more competitive dragging profits back somewhat. Net revenues were up 12% for the half year against 2009 at $379 million.

 For more information on Houston shipping, freight and cargo shipping, please feel free to contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

 This article from the Wall Street Journal has peaked our interest. While freight and cargo carrriers are consolidating operations and making green choices, the USPS is now taking huge steps for more efficeint and cost effective operations. 

HOLMES MILL, Ky.—The U.S. Postal Service plays two roles in America: an agency that keeps rural areas linked to the rest of the nation, and one that loses a lot of money.

Now, with the red ink showing no sign of stopping, the postal service is hoping to ramp up a cost-cutting program that is already eliciting yelps of pain around the country. Beginning in March, the agency will start the process of closing as many as 2,000 post offices, on top of the 491 it said it would close starting at the end of last year. In addition, it is reviewing another 16,000—half of the nation's existing post offices—that are operating at a deficit, and lobbying Congress to allow it to change the law so it can close the most unprofitable among them. The law currently allows the postal service to close post offices only for maintenance problems, lease expirations or other reasons that don't include profitability.

The news is crushing in many remote communities where the post office is often the heart of the town and the closest link to the rest of the country. Shuttering them, critics say, also puts an enormous burden on people, particularly on the elderly, who find it difficult to travel out of town.

The postal service argues that its network of some 32,000 brick-and-mortar post offices, many built in the horse-and-buggy days, is outmoded in an era when people are more mobile, often pay bills online and text or email rather than put pen to paper. It also wants post offices to be profitable to help it overcome record $8.5 billion in losses in fiscal year 2010.

For information about freight, cargo and furniture shipping, please contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

 Pack n send is reprinting portions of this article  from mfrtech.com as a service to our customers. With manufacturing expected to increase during 2011, both freight and export cargo shipping should also increase.

U.S. manufacturing sector will grow in 2011, with manufacturing revenue increasing by 5.6% according to the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) semi-annual,  forecast released.

The overall forecast projects optimism about the U.S. economy for 2011. The manufacturing sector, overall, is positive about prospects in 2011 with revenues expected to increase in 16 of 18 industries. ISM also predicts that business investment, a major driver in the U.S. economy, will increase substantially in the manufacturing sector.

The 16 manufacturing industries expecting improvement over 2010 — listed in order — are: Primary Metals; Fabricated Metal Products; Petroleum & Coal Products; Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Transportation Equipment; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Furniture & Related Products; Plastics & Rubber Products; Machinery; Textile Mills; Wood Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Printing & Related Support Activities; Chemical Products; and Paper Products.

"Manufacturing purchasing and supply executives have expectations for continued growth and are optimistic about their organizations' prospects as they consider the first half of 2011, and they are even more positive about the second half," said Norbert J. Ore, CPSM, C.P.M., chair of the ISM Manufacturing Business Survey Committee. "While 2010 has been a year of recovery in manufacturing, our forecast sees improvements in both investment and employment in 2011. Respondents expect cost pressures in 2011 to be somewhat greater than in 2010. Manufacturing growth is now in its 16th consecutive month as measured by and reported in the monthly Manufacturing ISM Report On Business®."

In the manufacturing sector, respondents report operating at 80.2% of their normal capacity, up from 72.8% reported in April 2010. Purchasing and supply executives predict that capital expenditures will increase by 14.5% in 2011, compared to a 5.9% increase reported for 2010. Survey respondents also forecast that they will reduce inventories in an effort to improve their purchased inventory-to-sales ratio in 2011. Manufacturers have an expectation that employment in the sector will increase by 1.8%, while labor and benefits costs are expected to increase an average of 1.9% in 2011. Manufacturing purchasers are predicting strength in exports and imports in 2011. They also expect the U.S. dollar to weaken on average against the currencies of major trading partners.

The panel also predicts the prices they pay will increase 2.7% during the first four months of 2011, and will increase an additional 1.3% during the balance of the year, with an overall increase of 4% for 2011. Survey respondents expect to realize supply chain improvements through improved inventory/asset management; cost reduction; supplier development/better metrics; supplier consolidation; and better risk management.

For more information about freight and cargo shipping, please feel free to contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

Pack n send is posting this article  from Air  Cargo News. It is another in our series of articles about air cargo and freight shipping security. It presents  a logical argument to the question about 100 per cent air cargo screening.

 “KILLING the airfreight industry with draconian security procedures would be giving the terrorists a result they would long to see,” says Andrew Traill, managing partner of Shippers’ Voice, a logistics advocacy and information portal.

He says 100 per cent scanning of airfreight would not only harm international trade, it would be ineffective,

“The most effective way to detect and deter anyone intending to use airfreight to carry out an attack is through intelligence,” he says. “There are regulations now in the US and Europe, that require information about the freight, its origins and destination, the people handling it and its route to be sent in advance of its arrival.

“This means in practice that most air cargo carriers will not want to even take off before being sure that the freight they carry has been cleared by the security authorities.”

Traill says that enabling people in the chain to perform security checks and maintain the security through the transport chain, (themselves authorised to do so based on the systems and practices they deploy), is not a weakness of security but a strength.

“Provided the system is properly policed, this multi-tiered approach to security in air freight is far more effective than scanning everything, especially when we know the technology is not perfect, and watching the airfreight industry collapse under the weight of delays and excessive costs.”

He admits that some of these programmes are still being implemented around Europe and indeed elsewhere around the world. “But the industry and the authorities are getting their act together, and increasing the quantity, standard and variety of security procedures being implemented. Now is not the time to undermine these initiatives in any knee jerk reaction to the latest threat,” he says.

“The industry must be robust in its defence of current and developing practices or else risk facing unworkable, costly and pointless security measures which will be no better and possibly worse than what we have and are developing today.”

 For more information about air cargo and freight shipping, please feel free to contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security  has taken action to increase airline security fall all inbound aircraft coming to the United States.

 There is a complete embargo  for  all cargo that begins or passes through the countries of Somalia and Yemen.

 These embargoes are much more extensive  than the prohibition issued last week for toner and cartridges.

 While the coordination of these security measures are implemented, there may be delays in air cargo shipping into the United States.

For more information about cargo shipping to the United States, Houston cargo shipping, and worldwide cargo shipping, please feel free to contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

Shipping of toner and ink cartridges will now be banned  if they weigh over one pound. This new rule will apply to cargo that is shipped on passenger flights.

Cargo shipped from and coming from the countries of Somalia and Yemen will also be banned. Germany and England have also instituted a ban on cargo from Somalia.

Cargo considered high risk will also be prohibited from US passenger planes. At this point, the US government has not stated what is considered high risk cargo. The high risk cargo can be opened or screened with x rays, although the specified details of exactly what needs to be screened and the method of screening has not yet been determined.

For information about cargo shipping from Houston, TX and the United States, please feel free to contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

When shipping marble furniture, there are a few important things to consider.  First and foremost if it the marble can be removed from the piece of furniture.  You need to look for a company that has the capability to remove the marble. They also must have the ability to custom build a crate to place the marble in for shipping. Below we have listed some standard guidelines for crating the marble.

Depending on the size and fragility of the piece the crater should use up to 3 inches of Styrofoam on the bottom of the crate and 1-2 inches of Styrofoam on the sides and top. Before putting the piece into the crate, make sure that the marble has double or triple bubble surrounding it.

The crate should be closed with staples on the bottom and screws should be put on the top for easy opening.

Metal banding should be secured  around the crate.

 The company that you choose to crate your marble should offer both on site crating as well as crating at their facility.  The company should have a preferred list of shipping companies, as well as preferred movers for your delicate marble.  The company needs to offer valuation protection for your marble piece.

 For more information on marble shipping, please feel free to contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

When you need to ship medical equipment look for a company that has experience packing and shipping high value and delicate items.

 Seek out a firm that ships for doctors offices, universities, hospitals and medical centers. Ask if they can box, crate or even wrap and palletize the shipment.

Do they have the capability to value your equipment for pick up and delivery?  Have they asked you if the equipment can be taken apart for less expensive shipping, or does it need to be kept completely set up and ready to use?  If the equipment can only be moved as a whole piece, can the company you choose send it in a truck for you? 

Due to the delicate and expensive nature of medical equipment, care must be taken when choosing a shipper.

Some of the more commonly shipped pieces of medical equipment that are shipped are:

high value diagnostic equipment

autoclaves

microscopes

physical therapy equipment

Ask if the company can box, crate and freight medical equipment.  Since each piece of medical equipment is handled differently, the company will need to look at each piece individually.  There may need to be protection on the lenses, arms, or feet of the equipment.

If you need to ship the medical equipment internationally, you will need to make sure that company you choose has experience with international shipping.

For more information about shipping medical equipment both domestically and internationally, please feel free to contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

 Pack n send is posting this article from the Houston Chronicle.  This is the most current update on the closure of the Houston ship channel.  While it was anticipated that the ship channel would be open this morning, it looks like there is a slight delay.

 Ship Channel closure could be lifted today

By ZAIN SHAUK and JENALIA MORENO
HOUSTON CHRONICLE

Problems clearing electrical tower delayed plans to reopen sooner

 After encountering unexpected difficulties Tuesday in clearing a damaged electrical tower from the Houston Ship Channel, workers hope today to end a three-day bottleneck at the Port of Houston.

At least 70 ships, including 33 oil tankers, were waiting Tuesday to leave or dock at the port. The U.S. Coast Guard cut off access to about three-fourths of the 150 terminals Sunday after a tug pushing three barges crashed into the 300-foot-tall electrical tower.

An average of two dozen vessels move through the port daily, generating about $322 million in economic activity.

Houston-area refiners receive crude oil shipments through the channel and have said that so far they've been able to continue operations using oil already on hand.

"Certainly having the Ship Channel open will improve conditions for everyone and we're eager to see the channel opened as quickly as possible," said David Harpole, a spokesman for LyondellBasell.

Valero had not expected a crude shipment before today, and a spokesman said its operations were not affected.

Unexpected delays

The Coast Guard and CenterPoint Energy, which owns the tower, had hoped to reopen the channel Tuesday night, but faced delays in cutting down some of the 14 cables — including 12 high-voltage wires — from the damaged structure, which was leaning precariously on one of the barges involved in the collision

An investigation continues into the cause of Sunday's accident.

Tuesday afternoon, a crew of 40 using four barges, two cranes and three tugboats was removing a cable from the tower when the cable hung up on other equipment, one of several unexpected delays, said Capt. Marcus Woodring, the Coast Guard's sector commander in the Houston-Galveston area.

"That's going to take a little while to untangle," he said. "It's not a showstopper, it'll get untangled, but it's just one of those unforeseen things."

No electricity was flowing through the lines.

After removing the cables, CenterPoint was expected to begin an operation to sever the steel tower from its crumpled base in the waterway, Woodring said.

"We have a shearing tool — like a hydraulic cutter — that hopefully will cut through the legs very easily and then we'll be able to lay the tower down on a barge," he said.

"We have a shearing tool — like a hydraulic cutter — that hopefully will cut through the legs very easily and then we'll be able to lay the tower down on a barge," he said.

Some optimism

Meantime, shipping companies awaited word on when they can resume transiting the channel.

"Every day that goes on, it gets more and more serious and there are more backups," said Niels Aalund, vice president of the West Gulf Maritime Association, which represents 183 shipping industry firms. Still, he said, "there's optimism that this can get opened up quickly."

Buffalo Marine Service, a Houston bunkering company, continues to work in terminals that remain open in Galveston and Texas City. But its business in the closed area of the channel has come to a halt.

"If there aren't any ships coming in that need fuel, we don't have much work to do," said company Vice President Chuck King.

For information about Houston shipping, crating and freighting, please contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

  Pack n send is reprinting this article from today’s Houston Chronicle. Since this will directly impact both incoming and out going ships, it is important to note that there will be cargo delays at the Port of Houston this week.

 By ZAIN SHAUK
HOUSTON CHRONICLE

A set of barges crashed into an electrical tower Sunday in the Port of Houston, prompting the U.S. Coast Guard to shut down most of the nation’s second-largest maritime shipping complex, possibly until Wednesday.

A towing vessel pushing three barges of scrap metal through the Houston Ship Channel about 6 a.m. hit a 300-foot-tall electrical tower, which carries lines across the artery, said Petty Officer Richard Brahm, a spokesman for the Coast Guard. No injuries were reported.

The crash happened at the narrowest point in the waterway, leaving three-fourths of the port’s terminals inaccessible.

“Maybe if it was wider we could have got boats around it, but it’s not, so it’s a logistical problem,” Brahm said. “It’s a bad place for it to happen.”

There was no risk of electricity-related injuries or effects to the power grid, which is owned by Houston-based CenterPoint Energy, because lines in the area were deactivated prior to the crash for maintenance work, said Penny Todd, a spokeswoman for the company.

CenterPoint was in the process Sunday of moving equipment needed to clear the steel tower and cables from the waterway — work the company expects will be completed Wednesday, she said.

The 25-mile-long port complex is a major economic engine for the region and in 2009 handled more waterborne tonnage than any port in the country, according to the Port of Houston Authority.

About 60 ships carrying $322 million in goods and resources — ranging from crude oil to finished products in containers — move through the port each day, said Chief Warrant Officer Lionel Bryant, a spokesman for the Coast Guard.

19 miles closed

Items shipped through the Port of Houston move to and from destinations in every state, which could mean delays for companies with vessels in the water.

Those ships will have to drop anchor and wait until the steel electrical tower, which was propped up by the barges after the accident, is removed.

At least eight ships were waiting in an anchoring area outside the port after the crash. Five others were waiting to leave.

The Coast Guard closed 19 miles out of the 54-mile-long ship channel, leaving more than 100 terminals — including those for oil giants Shell and Valero — cut off from the sea.

Further delays possible

The few accessible terminals are mostly for container ships and will not be usable by most companies that would need other infrastructure for loading and unloading or that had planned to arrive at terminals north of the crash site, said Tom Pace, presiding officer of Houston Ship Pilots, a labor association.

Three days of backups could result in further delays, even as traffic begins moving through the port again, Pace said.
“It’s going to take probably three days to get everything back to normal after that,” he said.

Crew members from the towing vessel, the T/V Safety Quest, were removed from the boat and tested for drugs and alcohol.

It was unclear how the accident occurred, but the tower’s location has long been known to ship pilots who work in the port, Pace said.

It was one of six towers in the channel, but was the closest to the preferred waterway for traffic.
“The one problem is the tower’s really close to the navigable channel,” Pace said. “That’s probably one of the reasons it had happened.”

For more information about shipping cargo and freight receiving through the Port of Houston, please contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

 Pack n send is publishing this article taken from the Handy   Shipping News to show that weather and natural delays in freight do not only occur in the Untied States.

NEW ZEALAND – After our story  earlier this month  on the hardships endured in South Island in the wake of the earthquakes there were immediate disruptions the following day (15th September) when landslips on North Island in the Manawatu Gorge closed State Highway 3 to all traffic, including freight trucks. At that time the road was swiftly cleared and reopened within a few hours.

NEW ZEALAND – After our story earlier this month on the hardships endured in South Island in the wake of the earthquakes there were immediate disruptions the following day (15th September) when landslips on North Island in the Manawatu Gorge closed State Highway 3 to all traffic, including freight trucks. At that time the road was swiftly cleared and reopened within a few hours.

Now however the Gorge is closed to rail freight for the next two days at least after a further slip caused a train carrying a cargo of 400,000 litres of milk to derail yesterday (Saturday). The freight train was heading for Palmerston North from Hawkes Bay when upon rounding a bend the driver saw the blocked track. Despite efforts to stop in time the KiwiRail train ran into the earth slip, fortunately with no injuries to the crew. Another train also hit a slip at Taumarunui on Saturday morning, fortunately again with no injuries and no reports of major delays.

Further interruptions to cargo have occurred due to the persistent bad weather which closed State Highway 73 to high sided lorries and caravans when high winds threatened to overbalance tall vehicles and heavy snowfalls occurred in some mountain areas. The outlook however is good for the next few days with dire weather warnings lifted. Meanwhile the stricken milk locomotive remains stranded after the wagons were removed and towed via an alternative line to their destination and efforts to clear the earth fall using other trains continue whilst the main line at Kaikoura is due to open later today after almost two weeks following the massive landslip there.

Now however the Gorge is closed to rail freight for the next two days at least after a further slip caused a train carrying a cargo of 400,000 liters of milk to derail yesterday (Saturday). The freight train was heading for Palmerston North from Hawkes Bay when upon rounding a bend the driver saw the blocked track. Despite efforts to stop in time the KiwiRail train ran into the earth slip, fortunately with no injuries to the crew. Another train also hit a slip at Taumarunui on Saturday morning, fortunately again with no injuries and no reports of major delays.

Further interruptions to cargo have occurred due to the persistent bad weather which closed State Highway 73 to high sided lorries and caravans when high winds threatened to overbalance tall vehicles and heavy snowfalls occurred in some mountain areas. The out look however is good for the next few days with dire weather warnings lifted. Meanwhile the stricken milk locomotive remains stranded after the wagons were removed and towed via an alternative line to their destination and efforts to clear the earth fall using other trains continue whilst the main line at Kaikoura is due to open later today after almost two weeks following the massive landslip there.

For information on freight and cargo shipping, please contact  pack n send at 713 266 1450.

 While US consumers have opened their pocket books, other countries such as Japan and China are still slow to import as freight and cargo US goods.   Imports of foreign made goods are coming into the United States at a faster rate than last  year. While the President envisions increasing US exports, there is no evidence that this is occurring at a rapid pace.

 Part of the problem appears to be the undervaluation of Chinese currency.  Once their currency is allowed to rise to a more realistic level, the Chinese will have the ability to purchase more goods. This will also of course  increase the cost to US  consumers of Chinese goods.

 While pack n send exports goods for businesses and inviduals, it also monitors currency flucuations around the world. As United States goods become  more reasonably priced in comparison to other countries goods, exports of US made goods will defiantly rise.

 This will be good for US workers and their families.

 For more information on exporting goods made in the United States, please contact pack n send at  713 266 1450.

Pack n Send is reprinting this article posted in the Handy  Shipping Guide.  Seeing the United States plan ahead and have freight systems ready when up date to the Panama Canal is complete is quite an accomplishment.

It is  true; they do thing US – It’s s bigger in the States. In the olden, golden days of pioneering it was the railroads that opened up the country enabling the shipping of vital supplies to all parts of the territory, no matter how remote. This week saw the first freight containers carried on a tortuous, winding route through the Appalachian Mountains to Columbus, Ohio on a track that previously could only cope with the old, low height, coal carrying gondolas.

In an ambitious project costing almost $200 million (train operator Norfolk Southern put up half the money, matched by the federal government with a little help from the state authorities in Ohio and Virginia) they scooped out twenty eight tunnels, shifting power cables and strengthening bridges to accommodate rail cars loaded with double stacked shipping containers, cutting a day off the transit time and saving the nations roads from around 150 truckloads, half a double stacked freight train load.

The entire project, known as the ‘Heartland Corridor’ is part of a battle to upgrade and improve services and increase competition with road haulage services and to prepare for the $5.25 billion worth of improvements to upscale the Panama Canal which will be completed in 2014-15. The canal operators are enlarging capacity in an attempt to increase traffic before the viability of the North East passage becomes a reality for many of the freight carriers.

Norfolk Southern intend to seize their share of the extra containers carried in via Panama, as do intermodal rivals CSX in Florida who have a similar tunnel excavation scheme in progress to increase their own efficiency.

 For more information about freight shipping within the United States and international cargo shipping, please contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.