Pack n send, which specials in international freight shipping Houston Texas, is always looking for articles about using shipping containers for uses other than shipping. Sounds interesting? Well it is.

We have written blogs about a mall in England made from shipping containers.  And then there was the shipping container made into a Subway Restaurant. That container moved up floor by floor with construction workers who are building the new World Trade Center in New York City.

Now, we have found that there are shipping containers being used in Houston to build affordable housing.  These one story homes are fully insulated and are built on piers, just like Houston homes.  Shipping containers cost between two thousand to five thousand five hundred dollars.  While shipping containers come in twenty and forty foot sizes, it is the forty foot containers that are being used to build these homes.

We have seen pre fabricated homes built before, but I do not believe that any of these homes have been built from re purposed materials. Taking an existing structure and using it for a brand new purpose is quite exciting to a shipping company.

There are actually other uses for container, in the more traditional sense.  Think shipping of cars, equipment, clothing, medical equipment and household goods.

Since pack n send, which specializes in international freight shipping Houston is located in beautiful Houston, Texas we are ever mindful of being located close to one of the largest ports in the United States…The Port of Houston.

The Port of Houston is a major shipping port for the United States. While other ports have experienced work stoppages in recent years, or the threat of strikes by dock workers, The Port of Houston, has been a constant port for both shipping and receiving of international goods.

The Port of Houston posts amazing trade statistics. It is ranked first in the United States in foreign tonnage, second in the United States in total tonnage, and seventh in 2012 in container port in total TEU’s.

The port of Houston is the largest Texas port with 46 per cent of tonnage in 2012, largest Texas container port in 2012, largest Gulf Coast container port in 2012, and second ranked United States Port in terms of the value of the cargo that goes through the port.

The Port Authority has an attitude that nothing is too difficult for them to handle. On their website they list freight of everything from grain to auto parts.

Not only is the Port of Houston currently one of the most progressive ports in the United States, the update on their website reprinted below demonstrates that they are planning for a busy future. 

“Demonstrating continued investment in infrastructure improvements to better serve customers, the Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority today selected Konecranes Finland Corporation to supply four dockside electric container cranes for Wharf No. 1 at Barbours Cut Container Terminal.

The Port Commission authorized negotiation of a contract with Konecranes for the equipment, which is part of a significant renovation under way at Barbours Cut, the Port Authority’s first container terminal. handling facilities in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico  A planned $700 million project to modernize this critical facility will include new cranes, lights and dock improvements to provide customers more efficient cargo handling with expanded capability to handle larger ships.

Two Foreign Trade Zone matters were also approved, one for an expansion of FTZ 84, of which the Port Authority is the grantee, and one to create a new subzone. FTZ 84 is one of the largest zones in the U.S. and according to the latest report to Congress, more value passes through it than any other FTZ in the nation, exporting more than $5 billion worth of goods annually.” 

With alternative uses for containers and the busy Port of Houston, container usage will only increase in the future. Freight companies in Houston Texas look forward to a very vibrant future.

 While shipping containers are used in worldwide shipping, it is always fun to look at other uses for  these versatile structures. Resourceful people and businesses have been using containers for alternate uses. Now Green architects are also repurposing these containers.  If you are looking at estate shipping overseas, shipping artwork, or international furniture shipping, you may consider using a container.

 Think containers that are now used for relief in disaster areas, foundations for small stores, condos and vacation homes. The not so elite have been using these containers for shelters for years.  For multistory stores, these containers are easily stackable.

During the construction of the replacement towers in New York, a container was made into a restaurant. As the buildings were built taller, the restaurant inside the shipping container was hoisted from floor to floor to feed workers as they worked on higher and higher floors. No more brown bag lunches for these construction workers.

Now think about colleges that need instantaneous housing. Why not make a dorm out of a shipping container?  A little fancier and you have an apartment. What if you need a quick jail?  A shipping container is a good idea.

Why has the reuse of containers taken off?  First of all, they are affordable.  Sometimes containers were just stocked in ports or even melted down for reuse.  Using a container is significantly less expensive than using new building materials.  Re use of resources is very popular in the building industry throughout the world.

So how do these containers look as homes, apartments and buildings?  Some of the containers are left exactly as they were purchased. The outsides still look just like shipping containers. Other containers are use building materials and apply them to the outside of the container. Siding, wood, or even brick will do make the container  look just like any other home or business.  Individuals and business often use more than one container to make a larger home or office.

At pack n send, we are a shipping company in Houston, we do use shipping containers for their original purpose, but  we are always interested to see what other uses are made from the materials that we ship.  So whether you need a Houston Shipping company or a new home, look at containers as more than a way to ship products and household goods.

We have listed below countries that containers are shipped to from the United States.

Afghanistan 
Albania 
Algeria 
American Samoa
Andorra 
Angola 
Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda 
Argentina 
Armenia 
Aruba
Australia 
Austria 
Azerbaijan 
Bahamas 
Barbados 
Baruba
Belarus 
Belize 
Belgium 
Benin 
Bermuda
Bhutan 
Bolivia|
Bonaire
Botswana 
Bosnia and Herzegovina 
Brazil 
Brittish Virgin Islands
Brunei 
Bulgaria 
Burkina Faso 
Burundi 
Canada 
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
|Chile 
China 
Colombia 
Congo 
Congo Republic of
Cook island
Costa Rica 
Croatia 
Curaco
Cyprus 
Czech Republic 
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 
Gibraltar
Ginvea-Bissau 
Ginvea-Exquatorial
Greece 
Greenland
Grenada 
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guatemala 
Guernsey
Guinea
Guinea Republic
Guyana Haiti
Honduras 
Hong Kong 
Hungary 
Iceland 
India
Indonesia
Iran-Islamic Republic of Tersey
Iraq 
Ireland
Israel 
Italy 
Ivory Coast
Jamaica 
Japan 
Jordan 
Kazakhstan
Korpa
Kosovo
Kosrae Island
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan 
Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Laos 
Latvia 
Lebanon 
Lesotho 
Liberia 
Libya 
Libyan Arab Jamahiriy
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg 
Macao
Malawi 
Malaysia 
Maldives
Mali
Malta 
Marshall Islands
Martinique
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mexico
Micronesia 
Moldova 
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Namibia 
Nauru
Nepal 
Netherlands 
Netherlands Antilles
New Caledonia
New Zealand 
Nicaragua 
Niger 
Nigeria
Nive 
Northern Mariana Islands 
Norway 
Oman 
Pakistan 
Panama
Papa New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Phillipines
Poland 
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Qatar Reunion
Romania 
Rota
Russia
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
Tahiti
Taiwan 
Tanzania 
Thailand 
Tinian
Tonga
Tongo 
Tortola
Trinidad and Tobago 
Turkey 
Turks and Caicos Islands 
Turkmenistan 
Tuvalu
Uganda 
Ukraine 
United Arab Emirates 
United Kingdom 
United States of America

Another great and innovative use for shipping containers appears to be getting looked at in Houston Texas.

In prior blogs pack n send has found uses on construction sites and malls in foreign countries.  The Houston Chronicle on November 25, 2012 published an article about a potential alternative use for containers in Houston.

Why is this article important?  The Port of Houston is expanding.  The Panama Canal expansion will route more and more shipping containers to the Port of Houston. While Houston is a major port of export, used containers will still need to be repurposed or disposed of.  If this container can be used for housing or to house shops, this is a win, win for both Houston and the environment.

The current planned is a master-planned “HIVE”. Nestor Topchy is anticipating using 148 shipping containers, with each container having a different purpose.  There will also be forty four- three and four story buildings added to the hive that will be made out of shipping containers.   Incredibly enough, these buildings will have apartments, both one and two bedrooms.

The anticipated business to reside on the bottom floor will look like any typical old time downtown area. Think restaurants, bakeries, art and architecture studios, grocery stores, farmers market, animal clinics and a laundromat. As a way not to waste the roofs, think New York City. Roof top gardens are anticipated. Look for these shipping containers to use solar power.

This is exciting for the shipping industry.  Boxes are already being reused. When their useful shipping life is over, they are sent to recycling centers. Styrofoam peanuts are also reused. Think the Peanut hotline that lets individuals and business know where to drop off used shipping peanuts. Once these peanuts can no longer be used for shipping, they also are sent to recycling centers.

Now onto the shipping containers.  They are much larger and more difficult to dispose of.  Some of them are already being shipped to foreign countries to be used in housing.  Finding an alternative use for these containers in the United States is a good environmentally friendly step.

At pack n send we load containers with household and business goods for shipping overseas.  We have cars loaded for overseas shipping.  While many of these containers are used and reused, shipped from country to country, seeing a futuristic plan for these used containers is quite an accomplishment.

The housing aspect of this plan may hold the most promise for the future.  Shipping containers could be stacked and readied for use during natural disasters. They are easily shipped, and could be stacked and ready to use any where worldwide.  Since they already load easily onto ships, they can be shipped to any port worldwide. It would be easy to move them in ahead of a storm and store them right outside of the anticipated storm area. It is a relatively inexpensive way to provide immediate housing after a natural disaster.

It will be interesting to watch this project progress in Houston, TX.  While it may take a while to get permits, we are hopeful that the city of Houston and the Greater Houston Partnership will look at container building as not a onetime project, but a viable alternative housing plan for the future.  What a great tourist attraction. Houston is usually on the cutting edge of new trends as well as has a visionary outlook for its future. The land to build and fit these containers is readily available in the Houston area.

Once Houston sets the bar, we hope other cities will follow suit and reuse these shipping containers in both private and public housing.

  Why is Houston A Good Place to Ship From?

How about the Port of Houston?  Two major airports? Close proximity to Mexico?

  The answer is all of the above.

Let’s start with the Port of Houston.  Their container terminals handle about seventy per cent of the containerized cargo in the United States Gulf of Mexico. The terminals provide superior service.  They allow on line bookings.   The schedules are on line so that businesses can book from anywhere in the world.  There are maps online so that truckers can view the best way in and out of the terminal. Procedures are also listed on line. For travelers, there is a sightseeing tour around the terminal on a boat. Companies and individuals are invited to tour the terminal and ask first hand questions.

Terminal personnel continually keep in mind time and scheduling of shipments.

Two major airports.   Shipping your freight by air is easy in Houston. Goods are kept moving.  The world’s major air carriers that provide secured space on many flights each month.
Houston also offers 24/7 charter flight assistance to meet your needs. With a global market, there is, door-to-door services   which customs clearance and inland transport to interior points   Companies in Houston also are able to coordinate sea freight operations for on-forwarding cargo in the most cost effective manner. 

Here a just a few of the air services offered in Houston.

•Standard to Expedited International Air freight service 
•Air freight consolidation services.
•Airport to Airport / Door to Airport / Door-to-door services
 •Letters of Credit, Document Preparation and Insurance
 •Multimodal Transportation (Sea/Air/Surface)
•Project Cargo
•Charter services
 
Proximity to Mexico

Many individuals from Mexico shop in Houston for furniture.  Furniture is accumulated in Houston, and then forwarded to Laredo for the ultimate destination in Mexico.  Houston stores shop worldwide for furniture.

For information about, packing, shipping, custom crating, fine art packing and shipping and international shipping from Houston, feel free to contact pack n send in Houston at 713 266 1450.

Once again, we have found an article about alternative uses for a shipping containers. We found this article online and have reprinted most of the article for our readers to enjoy.  After a container that moved up and down in a building being built and containers used as housing, we decided to try and find as many alternate uses as possible.

 This use seems very unique and innovative. While pack n send packs containers for overseas shipping, we are always excited to see alternative  uses for a usually mundane item.

 by eddie on December 20, 2011 

Although not the first to use recycled shipping containers to create a shopping center, Boxpark is London’s and the “world’s first” pop-up mall. The Boxpark Shoreditch Mall is made of 60 recycled shipping containers and is home to numerous independent brands.

The 60 containers at Boxpark are painted black and white to give it a contemporary feel and look. The recycled shipping containers are stacked two-story high and five containers wide. The shops on the first floor are home to designer brands, footwear, and casual wear clothing. The upper floor of Boxpark is more spread out and features restaurants and coffee shops with outdoor benches and tables for visitors to eat and relax.

 Boxpark’s founder, Roger Wade, wants to give a leasing opportunity to small businesses which could not afford the high rental costs at traditional malls inLondon. With that being said, visitors will still find known name brands such as Levi’s, Puma, Nike, and Calvin Klein with shops in this mall. And to make things fair, none of the shops are allowed to display any products on the outside of the store besides the name of their company.  Most of the shops in the mall use the space of shipping container but there are a few which are two or three containers wide. Depending on the success of Boxpark Shoreditch Mall, the developer may adopt the same concept in other parts of town.

While pack n send is not located inside a shipping container, we do load containers inHoustonfor our domestic and international customers.

Below, we have posted a list of the countries that pack n send ships to. If you have any questions about either container shipping, or international shipping, feel free to contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

 Afghanistan
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
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
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
Haiti
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
Marshall Islands

Martinique
Mauritania
Mauritius
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
Palestine
Panama
Papa New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Phillipines
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Republic 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
Qatar

Republic 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
Zimbabwe

 The Port  of Houston Authority is doing an excellent job in forecasting increased import and export activity.

 While anticipating that the expansion of the Panama Canal will  result in larger ships calling on the Houston Port, The Port Authority is taking the following action.  They are  planning to dredge  fifty two miles in the Houston Ship channel. The estimated cost at this time is over one hundred forty-four million dollars. The Port Authority of Houston anticipates an increase in shipping activity. 

Since the Panama Canal is expected to be completed during 2014, the port members are looking at funding for capital investments as far as five years out. 

At the current time, The Port of Houston receives the largest portion of it revenues (fees)  from shipping companies. While relying on fees, they are anticipating assistance from the federal government as well. Hopes are that in the future that the port will no longer need taxpayer assistance, and will function totally on its own. The Port Authority is looking at being self sufficient in future years.

 Houston shipping companies are looking at ways to help with both packing and shipping for the new port customers. 

 Houston’s importance as a port is on the rise.  It is centrally located in the middle of the United States.  Other cities without port access send their goods to Houston for international shipping. 

For more information about the Port of Houston and shipping from Houston, please feel free to contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

AP report:  Nick Perry has reported that a cargo shipped that was wrecked off the coast of New Zea land has split in two.

This cargo ship contained powered milk. Scavengers have been seen trying to pick up these containers of milk from the beach.  Once the seawater touches the milk, it probably unsafe to consume the milk.

With AP reporting that most of the oil has been removed from the ship, it appears that containment and minimizing damage has been the main concern since the vessel split into two pieces.

Instead of placing the blame game, it looks as if everything is being done to minimize environmental impact.

By placing tracking devices or buoys on the containers still left on the ship, it should be easier to locate containers if the parts of the ship sink or head towards the beach.

Pack n send monitors environmentally friendly efforts throughout the world. Even in an environmental disaster, it is heartening to see companies attempting to reduce damage to the environment. .  It has been our  experience, that clean up efforts are often stalled while the blame for an accident is assigned.

For information on shipping out of the port of Houston either via container or by the cubic meter, please feel free to contact pack n send in Houston,TX 713 266 1450.

While the cargo shipping is beginning to pick up in the United States and exports have increased during the last quarter, Subway has come up with an ingenious use for cargo containers.

The New  York Times recognized this ingenuity and on June 16 2010 posted an article about this marvel. Pack n send is posting parts of their article to our website. Our hats are off to Subway for pushing the American Dream to new heights.

Most of the patrons are drawn from an elite group of high-beam artists, namely ironworkers laboring hundreds of feet above the street. The dress code is severe: hard hat, overalls, safety vest and glasses. Security clearance and a union card are a must.

The restaurant, a Subway franchise, opened its door at the top of the steel honeycomb that forms 1 World Trade Center, the skyscraper rising at ground zero. The building will be the city’s tallest when finished in 2013

 The sandwich shop is one of four movable “pods” on hydraulic legs sitting on either side of two tower cranes; the other pods house offices, a shanty where workers can change clothes, and bathrooms for men and women.

But despite advances in engineering, materials and safety, when it comes to lunch, ironworkers and other laborers are used to eating the way their literal and proverbial forebears did during the skyscraper boom of the 20th century: out of a lunch bucket, with a plastic cooler doing the job of the old metal pail.

The array of pods cost $3 million, but the contractor hopes to recoup some of the expense in saved time. “The days of eating on top of a steel beam are long gone,” said Bill Grutta, a DCM vice president.

Each pod is made of nine cargo containers welded together and stacked three levels tall. In the dining pod, the Subway sits on the top level.

It is no different from any other Subway, with a kitchen, a walk-in freezer, a service counter and refrigerators for drinks. One level down, there is a heated and air-conditioned lounge with tables and chairs. A compost tank and an evaporator in the bottom container take care of all the solid and liquid waste.

The menu, for now, is instantly recognizable to any connoisseur of the chain. But Mr. Schragger may add ready-to-heat lasagna, burgers, hot dogs and pretzels to the usual $5 footlongs to infuse the shop with a sense of variety. There is also talk of adding Papa John’s pizza. After all, he must cater to the whims of his clientele.

“I don’t think the veggies will be a big seller,” said Mr. Schragger, who owns four other Subways in Manhattan. “I imagine most of the guys will want protein. Philly Cheesesteaks and the Feast.”

The shop is open to ironworkers, who work at the top of the building as it goes up, as well as laborers, concrete workers, electricians and others on the lower floors; at any time more than 1,000 people can be on the job site. But they are not required to eat at the Subway. Business was a little slow Wednesday for what Mr. Schragger called a “soft opening,” but he and DCM are hoping the shop will catch on.

But it is probably the only one whose 500-gallon water tank is replenished weekly by an even larger tanker lifted by a crane. DCM expects — or hopes — that the compost container will not have to be opened until the building is finished. The waterless toilets and urinals are cleaned by negative pressure that pulls the waste into an evaporator that turns much of the sewage into steam.

 “As the building goes up,” he said, “the views will be pretty nice. I’m sure it will be one of the most talked-about sites to come have lunch.”

Picture from New York Times article 6/16/2010.

For more mundane uses of cargo containers, please contact pack n send for both cargo shipping and freight preparation at 713 266 1450.

 Some of these facilities haven been taken offline due to security concerns expressed by British Security. UPS is addressing this situation, but cannot discuss the measures that are being taken to correct the deficiencies that the government noticed. They do not discuss specific details about their security procedures.

 This shutdown does not affect all of UPS processing center in England. It is affecting some of the air shipments only at this time.  UPS is working to correct these deficiencies.  They will post on their website when United Kingdom operations are up to full speed.

 For information about world wide shipping, of small packages and freight, please feel free to contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

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.

 Port of Los Angeles signs contract with Vision Motor

The Port of Los Angeles has signed a $1.4m contract with Vision Motor of El Segundo, California, a manufacturer of advanced zero emission hydrogen fuel cell hybrid electric commercial heavy-duty trucks to retrofit 15 Port owned electric trucks.

The company said that the retrofits would upgrade the Port's electric truck's battery only system with its range extending, hydrogen fuel cell electric hybrid system.

The Port will initially issue a purchase order for six retrofits and the remaining retrofit orders are contingent on the availability of other grant funding.

The intent of the retrofits with the company's hydrogen fuel cell system is to extend the driving and operating range of the Port owned fleet of battery only electric trucks.

Thus alleviating operating down-time caused by range limitations of battery only trucks pulling heavier cargo loads.

Vision CEO Martin Schuermann said the company's technology combines the superior power of an electric drive train with the extended range of a hydrogen fuel cell system and it allows for zero emission operations without sacrificing driving range.

Vision Motor vice-president of business development Rudy Tapia said the company is pleased to provide a solution that enables the Port of Los Angeles investment in zero emission trucks to meet the demanding needs of the commercial market place as well as furthering the Ports commitment to improving air quality by reducing emissions.

 Pack n send has republished this article taken from the Los Angeles Times as another in our series of articles on the freight industry’s concerns with improving the environment.

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

With ocean freight coming more and more under the environmental spotlight Florida based Crowley Maritime Corporation, which offers a full range of marine services from break bulk and liner shipping to containers, logistics and salvage, can take credit for pursuing their policy of providing further education for students of maritime matters. Students Ali Stevens and Michael Roy are getting the chance to attend the Maritime Studies Program of Williams College and Mystic Seaport this spring, thanks in part to Thomas B. Crowley Sr. Memorial Scholarships recently presented by the company.

The Williams-Mystic Maritime Studies Program at Williams College is a one-semester interdisciplinary ocean and coastal studies program integrating marine science, maritime history, environmental policy and literature of the sea.

Since 1984, Crowley has provided more than half-a-million dollars in scholarship funding for approximately 200 students studying at maritime academies and other select institutions. The company has also donated more than $2 million over the years to support other educational programs.

In 1994, Crowley Chairman, President and CEO, Tom Crowley Jr., established the Thomas B. Crowley Sr. Memorial Scholarship Program, in honour of his father, who guided the company to extraordinary heights before passing away in 1994. The company continues to give scholarship dollars to deserving students in the U.S., Alaska and Puerto Rico. In 2006, the program expanded to Central America and to date has provided financial assistance to 30 students in that region.

In the fall of 2009, Crowley expanded the scholarship program with the Maritime Studies Program of Williams College and Mystic Seaport, increasing its donation from $10,000 to $20,000 a year for deserving and need-based students in the program. This has allowed four students, two in the fall and two in the spring semester, to take part in the program, instead of one student per semester.

Handy Shipping Guide has posted this article on their website. Pack n send has reprinted portions of this article. The article demonstrates that the freight community is forward thinking and always looking to improve itself.

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

The world’s largest freighter aircraft has joined the effort to fly relief supplies to Japan.

Air Partner has chartered the An-225 aircraft to carry 145 tonnes of blankets, food, water, medicines and respirators from Chateauroux in France to Tokyo Narita Airport. The flight was organised by Antonov Airlines.

Today Lufthansa Cargo begins its participation with the EU Commission by providing an MD-11 freighter and the crew for the flight free of charge. The aircraft will be flying around 70 tonnes of relief supplies to Tokyo.

The supplies, especially blankets, will be transported by road from Tokyo to the earthquake-stricken areas. Apart from the EU Commission and Lufthansa Cargo, the mercy mission is supported by Denmark, the Netherlands and Lithuania.

Air Cargo News release the story printed above.  Freight shipments headed to the disaster zone are a sign that companies are beginning to assist the Japanese.

Pack n send in Houston will post updates for freight and cargo shipping to Japan as we receive them.

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

 JAPAN

At the request of the Japanese government, a subsidiary company, MOL Ferry has cooperated to transport members of the Japan Self-Defence Forces (JSDF) who were assigned to rescue operations in northeast Japan. This afternoon, four ‘Sunflower’ ferries, Sapporo, Furano, Shiretoko and Sunflower Daisetsu, started taking on the task of transporting vehicles and members of the JSDF from Tomakomai in Hokkaido to Aomori, which is close to the quake-stricken area.

Regarding the status of MOL vessels the company tell us the only vessel directly affected from their fleet was the MOL-chartered C.S. Victory (Flag: Panama, 20,212 Gross Tonnes),which was swept toward the breakwater by the tsunami and now rests on the bottom of the shallow harbour at Ishinomaki (Miyagi prefecture). All the crew members left the vessel on orders of the harbour master, and none were injured. None of the cargo of kaolin or fuel oil has spilled from the vessel so far.

MOL will announce further developments regarding the aid program as they unfold and we shall publish them as they happen. Together with MOL we at the Handy Shipping Guide of course express our heartfelt sympathies to the families and friends of those who lost loved ones in the earthquake.

 Pack n send has reprinted the portion of the article describing sea assistance from Handy Shipping News.

For further  updates on assistance offered by freight and cargo companies, pack n send in Houston will try and keep our blogs updated for our customers.

 For other assistance in shipping, freight and cargo preparation in Houston, please contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

 While the texting while driving has been a hot topic for about a year, it looks as if the courts are finally stepping in at the Federal level and making new rules. Due to deaths while texting, this appears to be beneficial to both consumers and businesses.

This article from the March and September Transport   Topics outlines the progress the progress that the Office of Management and Budget is taking.

A federal rule banning truck drivers from texting while driving has been sent to the Office of Management and Budget, in advance of Tuesday’s distracted driving summit being hosted by the Department of Transportation in Washington.

The rule, sent late last week to OMB, follows DOT’s proposal of the regulation in March. that would ban texting by interstate commercial truck and bus drivers.

OMB’s review was completed Friday, according to its website.

Details of the regulation are likely to be released in conjunction with the summit, being hosted by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who has made laws against texting and driving one of his primary goals.

The Governors Highway Safety Association said Monday that 12 states have passed texting bans for all drivers since last year’s distracted driving summit.

The rule regarding distracted driving would make permanent an interim ban DOT announced in January, DOT said. It does not affect operation of navigation devices or other in-cab tasks.

For information on shipping freight in the United States and worldwide cargo shipping, please feel free to call us at 713 266 1450.

Three is the magic number. Turkish Airlines has signed an order for three A330-200 freighters to add to its existing A330-200F and four A310 freighters.

The airline has a further 27 aircraft on order with Airbus from contracts placed in 2009 and 2010. Turkish Airlines has also signed an order for 10 passenger aircraft.

 Air cargo news reported this order on its website.  While three freighters does not seem like a high order, the fact that these orders have been placed adds to the impression that the worldwide economy is improving at a slow but steady pace.

 Pack n send is continually monitoring both air and ocean orders of equipment as a way to monitor economic improvement.

 Pack n send is located in Houston Texas. For assistance with your freight preparation, freight receiving, crating and packing please feel free to contact pack n send at 716 266 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.

Pack n send looks world wide for alternative uses for cargo shipping contaniers.   Douglas  Britts column in the Houston Chronicle discussed “unorthodox porposes as a cooperative, self sustaining village make largel of shipping containers.” We found the following detailed story by David Theis.  Enviornmentally smart construction and alternative use of shipping containers is always of interest to pack n send. 

By David  Theis

In Houston, there are visionaries, and then there is Nestor Topchy. At least, that’s the impression you get when you hear him talk about the  Hive  project. Hive is his brainchild, but it’s one that others have eagerly agreed to share.

Hive is an ambitious undertaking, but the concept behind it is surprisingly easy to grasp. Topchy and friends hope to construct a sort of self-contained urban village out of shipping containers. The proposed design, which Topchy worked out with architect Si Dang and others, calls for a square exterior wall comprising shipping containers stacked two deep.

The large space inside the walls (right now Hive is projected to cover 6.5 acres) will be filled green space, including trees and ponds, a few plazas, and the piece de la resistance, the “inner Hive,” a swirling, circular labyrinth made of six layers of stacked containers. The inner Hive containers will be connected by gradually sloping, wheelchair-accessible ramps.

Topchy and friends want Hive to be as self-contained and village-like as possible. So they’re hoping that containers in the outer walls will become home to a wide range of activities, from shopping to car repair to music making, while the inner Hive will be dedicated to quiet activities, such as writing, painting and meditation.

On the other hand, if worse comes to worse, and society does actually collapse, they’ll be able to close the Hive walls, medieval style, and plant a big garden. Survivalists and artists, no place but Texas. Topchy’s timeline  calls for the Hive to be completely finished by 2015.

For more information on  container shipping as well as freight shipping, please call pack n send at  713 266 1450.

Exports from Houston and Galveston increased to $95billion last year from $75 billion in 2009, and that's higher than the $90 billion exported from the region in 2008. Oil led the exports, bolstered by stable, relatively high prices. Crude ended the year at $91.38 a barrel, up about $10 from the start of 2010.

Last year's imports of $117

billion, while up from $92 billion in 2009, were below the $151 billion recorded in 2008. Oil also led the gains on the import side.

Rise in drilling equipment

Higher oil prices helped drive more demand for drilling equipment and cargo that crossed the Port of Houston's docks last year.

Houston's Palletized Trucking has moved more oil field equipment, containers and other cargo lately, and now it's hiring truck drivers again.

It's also planning to increase rates 5 percent to 7 percent this year as prices have increased for fuel, trucks and labor, said Michael Rex King, Palletized Trucking's president and CEO.

His sales were up 20 percent to 25 percent in January compared with the same month in 2010.

For the full year of 2009, sales dropped by 40 percent.

Joachim said World Trade Distribution's business has picked up 15 percent since last October, but it is still 15 percent less than 18 months ago.

"That's still a significant hit," Joachim said.

As trade rebounds, companies must react to find equipment and space on vessels after shippers reduced capacity in the last 18 months.

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.

With new homes adding chandeliers as enticement to purchase homes and older residences  adding chandeliers as an  enhancement,  chandeliers are now being shipped throughout the world

Most chandeliers are now made out of crystal, wrought iron, wood or ceramic.  

 For shipping purposes specialized crates must be for each chandelier. The crates need to be lined with Styrofoam, and then the chandelier must be  hung for shipping. The chandelier needs to be braced or fill the space with peanuts for safe travel.

 For crystal and glass chandeliers pieces will need to be cushioned separately with soft Styrofoam or bubble wrap. Each and every chandelier will need to be looked at separately to determine the safest way to pack it for safe shipping. Designers and private individuals ship chandeliers as well as individuals purchasing chandeliers for overseas shipping.

Office buildings throughout the country are hanging chandeliers in their atriums.

In Texas, deer antler chandeliers are popular.  These also require special wrapping and packing before placement inside specially made crates.

When looking for someone to crate your chandelier look for a company that has expertise shipping delicate and high value items.  Make sure that you chandelier is fully valued for both loss and damage.

For more information on safe chandelier shipping, please fell free to contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

 Once again, The United States is accepting airfreight from Yemen. Back in October of 2010 two Untied States bound parcels that originated in Sana’s International Airport were discovered. This was part of a bomb plot that has been blamed on Al-Qaeda.

 It appears that security measures are now in place at Yemen’s airports.  A team from the Untied Sates has looked at Yemen’s s airports and determined that air cargo originating in Yemen can be shipped safely.

 We are still waiting to obtain updated information if other countries are also accepting freight from Yemen.  The United Arab Emeritus had also tightened security at its airports in order to closely monitor goods from various countries including Yemen.

 Even though the air embargo on Yemen has been lifted, al Qaida in Yemen can still try and move its operations to other countries in order to circumvent embargoes.

 While pack n send does freight receiving, we have not received packages from Yemen at this point in time.

 For information about freight shipping and/or receiving in Houston, Texas, please feel free to contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.  We can also assist in  world wide cargo shipping, freight forwarding and crate building.

The company aims to replace most of its 14 747 freighters over the next three years with 747-400s. The carrier also operates two 777Fs with four more on order.

Southern Air has committed to leasing five 747-400SFs, with two to be delivered this year and three next year. The carrier is also looking at a potential third aircraft for 2011 and a fourth for 2012.

 Once again, pack n send is able to report more good news in the freight, air cargo and shipping industries for the United States.

 With the purchase of airplanes it shows that companies are now planning on increasing fleets and are anticipating more robust business in the near future.

 We think that infrastructure purchases along with the last few months reports of increase in domestic freight shipping bodes well for both the United States and world wide economy.  While we are optimistic, we are constantly watching fuel price increases to see how they affect the shipping industry as a whole. Air Cargo New originally printed the article above.

 For more information about air cargo, crating and packing and sea freight please cotact pack n   send at 713 266 1450.

If you need to move small amounts of furniture from one city to another, it may be less expensive to freight the furniture than to put it on a truck and move it.

Furniture freighting involves securing the furniture on a pallet, surrounding the furniture with protection and stretch wrap, and shipping the furniture via truck to its new city. Antiques can be shipped this way, as well as office furniture and household goods.

As an ultimate price saver, the furniture can be delivered on a pallet to your curb or loading dock, and you can unload it. Of course you have the option for the freight company to unload the pallet and bring the furniture into your home or office.

Furniture is shipped this way to market.  By securing your furniture to a pallet, there is minimum human contact with the furniture. The furniture is moved via lift equipment. Items are custom packed for safe and secure shipping.

This is just another way to save money when shipping with Pack n Send. Do you have furniture to move somewhere in the country? Contact us for a free furniture shipping quote. We can freight your furniture anywhere in the country, or any where in the world.

 Please call as at 713 266 1450.

  US – UK – After the   recent discovery of explosive devices in freight consigned via passenger aircraft at two airports there was a review of security by politicians of both countries with British Home Secretary Theresa May and Transport Secretary Philip Hammond meeting with  U S Homeland  Security  Janet Napolitano during her London visit last week, to discuss the overall situation and the implementation of new techniques and procedures for verifying cargo safety in the future.

Last week Ms Napolitano announced the scrapping of the much derided ‘Traffic Light’ system for identifying security threat levels and its replacement by a threat specific alert christened the ‘National Terrorism Advisory System’ and the high level discussions are believed to have concentrated on establishing unified programmes for cargo inspection centred around securing the supply chain.

New procedures and initiatives agreed with the World Customs Organization (WCO) and with the cooperation of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), whose Secretary General Efthimios Mitropoulos also had talks with the Homeland Security secretary whilst she was in the UK, are the first step in ever tightening controls.

The main thrust of the new initiatives seem to be designed to improve the odds for the security services who are currently very dependent on what Ms Napolitano describes as the ‘better intelligence streams’ the authorities are benefitting from by introducing a ‘Trusted Shipper’ programme and redoubling efforts to inspect any freight that lacks a spotless pedigree.

Such a programme may well weigh heavily against smaller freight forwarders who lack the muscle of the major shipping groups to whom the loss of such status might prove catastrophic. The scheme will parallel the trusted traveller schemes in which US residents can volunteer large amounts of personal information, including biometric identity, to ensure a rapid transit through airport passenger security checks.

Pack n send has reprinted this article taken from the Handy  Shipping News as a service to our customers.  With increasing worldwide security, we try and provide our customers with the latest adjustments in shipping.

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

When looking for someone to ship your car, make sure that they can ship for dealers, companies, and individuals.

Individuals taking vacations during summer may want to ship their vehicle to the destination as well as have it returned at the end of the stay.  This helps teenagers learning to drive continue to practice on the car that they will drive when going back to school in the fall.

If you are shipping overseas, make sure the auto shipper researches both containerized shipping as well as roll on roll off service.  Need the car shipped back to the states? Make sure your shipper has this capability as well.

Some other reasons for vehicle shipping may include:

• Corporate relocation
• Private or dealer auto sales
• Death of a family member 
• A cross-country or international move

No matter what the reason for your car shipping needs you need to locate someone with experience. If the price you are offered is too low, you may want to consider doing research on the company offering this low price.

Door to Door Vehicle Shipping

Convenience and customer satisfaction  should be the companies highest priorities.

Make sure to get an auto shipping quote before you ship your car.  If you request that the car be placed inside a container, make sure the company you are using has experience shipping cars.  The company you are contacting should always ask for make, model and year of the car.  They also need to let you know that the modifications to the vehicle must be taken off before loading.

No personal goods may be placed inside the car for shipping. 
The gas tank must contain less than 1/8 a tank of gas.

Pick up and delivery times should be scheduled by the shipping company.

1. Make sure that when shipping domestically, you are offered both door to door and  terminal to terminal service.

For more information about auto shipping both within the United States 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.

This article posted on the KTRK website highlights the diffuculites that ships are having with the temporary closure of the Houston Ship Channel.  Pack n send will try and post daily updates for our customers until the Port of Houston is fully operational once again.

 HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The Coast Guard is working to reopen the Houston Ship Channel after a barge collided with a highline tower. Due to the accident, the Ship Channel is closed to marine traffic and it will remain closed until at least Tuesday or possibly Wednesday.

Related Content

The accident basically shut down the entire Ship Channel from mile marker 105 to124. So unless you are in a local vessel that is conducting business between those two markers or if you are outside of those two markers, you are basically out of luck. This could be the case until Tuesday or even early Wednesday, according to the Coast Guard.

That's a big problem because there are 18 inbound vessels waiting at the Ship Channel and 14 outbound. The longer this repair takes, the more that number will grow.

On Sunday at around 6am, a tug boat owned by American Electric Power was pushing three barges carrying scrap metal when it collided with an electrical tower that was fortunately under repair, so the lines were not live at the time.

Nineteen miles of waterway are affected by the Ship Channel closure. The Port of Houston says $322 million are lost each day it's closed. The Coast Guard has two cranes performing the work to try to clear the Channel as fast as possible. One of them is called 'Big John.'

"We have the crane, Big John, on scene and the Big John is going to connect to the tower to take the tension off the tower. Right now the tower is sitting partially on the barge and is probably being supported a little bit by the power lines that are there between the other towers," said Captain Markus Woodrings with the U.S. Coast Guard. "Once the Big John hooks up and takes the load on the tower, then CenterPoint energy can get up there, disconnect the line and reel them in and then we can cut the base of the tower, pick the tower up and put it over on the bank and get the Ship Channel open."

According to the Coast Guard, the six tug boat crew members were not injured in this accident. They have been tested for drugs and alcohol. However, those results have not yet been released. The incident is still under investigation. The tug boat's owner will be responsible for repairs.

 There are 30 yachts that are stuck in downtown Houston, members of the Houston Yacht Club who can't get out because of the closure.

The channel is the lifeline to the Port of Houston, the nation's leader in foreign waterborne tonnage and imports and runner-up in U.S. export tonnage and total tonnage.

For more information on shipping cargo out of the Port of Houston, 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.

SOMALIA – In yet  another  pirate attack, the most southerly reported this year so far in the region, a UAE owned tanker was seized around 100 miles South of Dar es Salaam after unloading its cargo of bitumen at Mombasa in Kenya. The attack follows three previous attacks this week on freight vessels off the Tanzanian coastline.

The vessel was once again Panamanian flagged and was manned by an all Indian crew of 15 according to local reports. We have had no word so far from the vessels owners Bitumen Invest. The ship is the MT Asphalt Venture an asphalt carrier en route to Durban when radar observation showed her turn suddenly and set a course for Xaradheere, about 300 miles north of Mogadishu on the Somali coast.

We have no reports of any contact with the vessel at this time since she altered course early this afternoon. With the seasonal increase in pirate raids, vessel owners and operators are warned by the  authorities to be extra vigilant and take all possible precautions against attack.

Pack n send found this article in the Handy Shipping  Guide. Since we ship worldwide freight and cargo, we constantly monitor the shipping lines throughout the world.  With ships being detained on a regular basis, we look for lines that offer the best possible routes.

For more information on cargo and freight shipping from the United States, 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.

Pack n send is re printing this article first published by the Port of Houston.  Keeping the Port of Houston and Houston Waterways clean is just one way to protect the environment. Maybe even more important, it protects ships from damage due to floating debris, and keeps cargo moving safely and efficiently through the Port of Houston.

 -Freight Shipping & ReceivingTwo events in August showed that keeping trash out of Houston area waterways is an important part of environmental stewardship for Port Commissioner Elyse Lanier, the Port of Houston Authority, Buffalo Bayou Partnership, the city of Houston and several other public agencies and private organizations. 

The August 7 Eco Bash on the Bayou brought out more than 200 volunteers — including 20 Port SupPORTers — who helped bag sand for hurricane preparedness and collected debris along the Sabine Promenade of Buffalo Bayou.

Shell Oil Company and PHA were the anchoring partners of the August 13 celebration on Houston’s East End that marked the start of the fourth year of the Clean & Green Port of Houston Program. The ongoing public-private partnership uses community service workers from the Harris County judiciary system to clear debris from the banks along Buffalo Bayou and the Houston Ship Channel. Buffalo Bayou Partnership is the managing partner with support from the Greater East End Management District, Harris County Constable Precinct 6, and the Harris County Community Supervision and Corrections Department.

For more information about cargo shipping and cargo loading from the Port of Houston, please feel free to contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

While freight train derailments are unusual in Texas, this article show that more than freight can be affected.  Since both passenger trains and freight trains share the same rails, service interruptions can occur when either service is halted.

Most small freight from our warehouse is taken via truck and boat.

FORT WORTH — A freight train derailment overnight has interrupted Trinity Railway Express commuter rail service between Fort Worth and Dallas.

Three of seven cars carrying coal overturned near downtown Fort Worth around midnight Sunday. The cars were part of the BNSF freight train, which shares the Union Pacific tracks with the TRE.

The transit agency, which is jointly operated by The T and DART, says it will be Wednesday morning before regular service resumes.

Trains will operate no further than the Richland Hills station until then. Buses will ferry TRE passengers between Richland Hills and the rail line's ITC and T&P stations in downtown Fort Worth.

TRE officials say commuters can expect delays until regular service is restored.

Pack n send ships most of its small freight via truck, air and boat.

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

 This  article is taken from ABC news in Dallas.