Pack n Send Blog

 Weddings and wedding day gifts have changed substantially throughout the years. In past decades, china, glass ware, silverware, towels, cooking utensils and sheets were standard gifts.

Today’s guest registries include items such as:  stainless steel mixing bowls,  boxes for document storage, magazine filing boxes, letter trays, waste baskets, photo storage boxes hanging files for folders, luggage,  lanterns, tents, sleeping  bags, palm pumps for soap dispensing, toothbrush holders, ingredient canisters, laundry baskets, hampers, linen storage boxes, storage boxes for shoes, storage boxes for sweaters, shoe boxes, necklace stands, ring holders hangars,  and storage pockets for shoes.

We are addressing the new shipping challenges for couples receiving wedding gifts.  Many wedding showers are held either in the brides or grooms home town. This may not be where the couple is now living or where they will eventually establish their home.

This presents the logistics of shipping shower and wedding presents. We recommend finding a shipping company that is able to go to the shower location and pick up the presents that need to be shipped. Let them both pack and ship the gifts for you.

Now comes the more challenging part of wedding shipping.  Consider the grand parent who wants to ship that special piece of furniture to the new bride and groom.  Heirloom or antique pieces hold precious memories for families, so you want to choose a shipping company that ships furniture on a regular basis.

For domestic gifts, we recommend looking at a company that is able to either freight furniture or has the capability of shipping on a no minimum pound shipment blanket wrap truck.

For international shipping, search for a company that handles international shipping on a regular basis. There will be customs paperwork to fill in, as well custom pallets, custom crates or custom boxes to be built.  Make sure that the company can pick up as well as deliver the furniture that you are shipping.

When valuing the furniture we recommend having an appraisal completed before shipping. This way you have documentation as to the value of the shipment.  Be sure to take out valuation coverage when shipping both domestically and internationally.

We have composed a list below of the countries that our company ships to.  Whether you are shipping domestically or internationally we recommend shipping everything at one time. Professional packers should be able to save inches when packing boxes.  Oversize charges can add to the cost of shipping, so it is wise to turn the shipping over to a professional packing company.

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
U.S. Virgin Islands
U.S. Virgin Islands(Brittish)
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vatican City
Venezuela
Vietnam
Virgin Gorda
Wallis and Futuna
ZimbabweMicronesia
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
TurkeyTurks and Caicos Islands
Turkmenistan
Tuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States of America

US-Started in 2nd Quarter of 2008, the Transport Capital Partners’ (TCP) quarterly Business Expectation Survey acts as an indicator of the state of the American freight trucking market by canvassing industry executives across the country. The company’s most recent study, for the second quarter of this year, found the carriers’ responses have essentially remained unchanged for the last four quarters on capacity plans. The carriers were generally reserved about increasing haulage capacity via acquisition or truck purchases, and the survey attempts to highlight the reasons.

When carriers were asked if they had been able to find reasonable credit, over 80% indicated they had.TCPPartner Richard Mikes, founder of the survey feels this indicates that the credit constraint issue is behind most truckers compared to the first quarter of 2009 when only half the carriers reported reasonable credit and points out most new truck orders are for replacement vehicles.

“TCPexpects the second half of 2011 to likely show a greater capacity gap as freight volumes expand and carriers remain conservative on additions” remarked Lana Batts,TCPPartner and the survey concludes that larger carriers (over $25 million in revenue) are more conservative with 32% not adding any capacity compared to 24% reported by smaller carriers. Thirty-nine percent of carriers intend to add some capacity with one quarter acquiring contractors.

Batts and Mikes note that this level of additions indicated in the survey result in truck supply conditions forecast in an earlier TCPwhite paper and are generally still on target favouring carriers. Both partners with extensive experience in transportation directed the survey and analyzed the findings. TCPcouples the survey results with conversations they hold with carriers and others in the industry to present an insightful dialogue on key issues. Interested parties can see more details on the TCP website.

Pack n send has taken this article from the Handy Shipping Guide. We are constantly following trends in the freight industry.  With thirty- nine per cent of carriers expecting to add some capacity during the second half of 2011, this indicates an upbeat attitude for freight shipping in theUnited States.  This  follows the outlook forEuropeas well.

For information about freightFreight HoustonMoving Houston, moving, cargo shipping and container loading fromHouston, please feel free to contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

Pack n send found this information on the Port of Houston website and have reprinted it for our customers to read.  With the expansion of the Panama Canal, it is expected that the Port of Houston will see even more use. This is second in our series of blogs about the Port of Houston.

• Containerization was born when the world’s first container ship, M/V Ideal X, sailed with 58 containers from New York/New Jersey and unloaded at the Port of Houston in April 1956.

 • Developed by the Port of Houston Authority, the Houston World Trade Building was the first facility of its kind in the U.S. The $3.5 million building opened January 29, 1962, and was designed as a central location for international trade interests including consular offices, transportation companies, importers and exporters. 

• In 1962, Houston became the first choice of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for the site of its new headquarters. 

Houston was selected for the manned space program partially because of the fact that our ship channel and port facilities provided an excellent means for transporting bulky space vehicles.

 • Use of the double-stack train was introduced at the Port of Houston in 1981. By placing one container on top of another, transportation costs were greatly reduced. 

• In July, 1983 the Houston Foreign Trade Zone became the first multi-site zone approved by the U. S. Foreign Trade Board in Washington, D.C. 

• In 1990, the fast-loading Sprialveyors were installed at Jacintoport, making it the first facility of its kind in the country. 

• Also in 1990, the Beneficial Uses Group – affectionally called the BUG was formed to address ways dredge material from the Houston Ship

Channel could be put to an environmentally friendly use. A 250-acre

demonstration marsh was built, which surpassed anything ever attempted in marsh restoration. Over the 50-year life of the deepening and widening project, an unprecedented 4,250 acres of marsh, a six-acre bird island, the 3,000-foot long Goat Island and Redfish Island will be built. Redfish Island was the first marsh island to be completed; it was dedicated in March 2003.  

 For information about freight and  shipping from the Port of Houston, 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.

 With larger ships coming into and leaving the Panama Canal, east coast US ports are struggling to improve their shipping capabilities. Ports will need 50 feet of water to navigate when ships are fully loaded.

 Ports like Savannah, New York and Miami are working in expansions so that they can handle new larger ships. Federal monies will be needed to complete these projects. This is at a time when “earmarks” for one state over another is frowned upon.  Widening and deepening ports along the US east coast is good for both jobs and the nation as a whole.

 The government does not anticipate that every east coast port will need to have the deeper depth as well as wider dimensions.

 Any improvements to United States shipping will help the US economy as a whole.  Dredging and widening these ports will also mean more us jobs.

 Pack n send tries to keep our customers informed about freight forwarding from Houston, Cargo shipping from Houston, and shipping and packing from Houston. As we watch the Port of Houston grow and improve, improvements to east coast ports can only help the US economy.

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

When looking for a company to ship your furniture, either domestically or internationally, look for a shipping company that will give you shipping options. Make sure that they can crate your furniture or palletize it and ship it with freight companies. You also want to make sure that they offer an option  of blanket-wrapping domestically so that it can be sent with movers. Check to see if the company you are using has a minimum pound or size limit. You need to look for a company that will let you ship even a single piece of furniture.   

Ask if the company can pack small furniture and send it via UPS, FedEx, or DHL. If you are sending furniture via freight, make sure that the company can  pack the furniture completely and protect  it   on a pallet before freighting it.  

If you need to ship furniture overseas, check and see if the company has the capacity to send the furniture via cubic meters or via containers. See if the company has experience packing the furniture for international shipping. If you have delicate items make sure that the company has expertise in making custom crates with wood that is good for international shipping.

For more information on furniture shipping, please feel free to contact pack n send 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.

 While this article taken from the Handy  Shipping Guide pertains to the UK, it is another indicator that worldwide freight shipping is once again on the upswing.

UK – Shipping and Forwarding is still the industry for those with the right qualifications according to one of the country’s leading operators. Despite the economic doom and gloom Davies Turner group chairman Philip Stephenson says school leavers and graduates looking to take their first career moves in the logistics industry have again been attracted to his company. Despite the influx of well qualified, fresh faced youngsters however other supply chain specialists still seek the right candidates for more senior jobs. Stephenson says:

"Summer and autumn are the best times to recruit graduates and high-flying school leavers to our organization and the 2010 candidates were particularly strong - we were surprised both by the number and the standard of the many applications. The most recent trainees have joined us at an exciting time as global recovery powers the freight industry and we are preparing to expand further our portfolio of services for UK exporters and importers."

The trainee scheme is in operation nationwide at Davies Turner's main hubs. The successful applicants are between 18 and 24 and have been recruited from appropriate websites, as well as training and educational establishments. The full programme lasts two years, and participants spend time in all operating divisions as well as Davies Turner Air Cargo and group accounts.

Whilst Davies Turner say they offer the promise of a rapid rise into management for the right candidates it seems middle management and senior staff are harder to come by. DHL are still seeking suitable staff to develop their expanding road freight network (APPLY HERE) and indeed even the Handy Shipping Guide is struggling to find suitable sales staff in several countries, including the UK (we shall be including a Job Board within the Directory in the very near future with opportunities for those who have recruitment requirements).

Meanwhile Mr Stephenson is more than happy that the way to ensure high quality senior staff is to train them yourself wherever practical whilst ensuring those already in place are encouraged by ongoing in house training. He concludes:

"To me, the success of our scheme will be the number of trainees who remain with us after their two years induction is complete. We have an enviable track record here - on a recent visit to our Dartford terminal, I recognised several members of staff in key positions who joined us as trainees over ten years ago. In the past we have had traditional apprenticeships but have now made our training more professional with in-depth courses based both on our in-house resources and those accredited by BIFA. We are in no way neglecting our current staff and have increased training at all levels in the company. Customer service quality depends on the expertise and professionalism of all our personnel."

Pack n send has re published this article as a service to our customers. For information about freight shipping Houston, and packing and unpacking services in Houston, please contact us 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.

Somalia-News just in as 24 US marines operating in the Gulf of Aden stormed a freight vessel today and, without firing a shot apparently, capturing the nine pirates and rescuing the eleven man crew. The German owned M V Magellan Star, an 8,000 tonne DWT general cargo and sometime container ship flagged in Antigua & Barbuda was en route from Spain to Singapore when she was intercepted transiting the Gulf.

When the pirates swarmed aboard the crew had already put out a distress call and retreated to a safe room in the engine compartment where they communicated with the ships agents by satellite telephone link after killing the engines. The pirates were confused when they used an emergency link to speak to the managing agents who apparently told them the crew were ‘on holiday’.

The pirates then apparently went on a wrecking spree presumably frustrated by their lack of success and inability to control the ship. Meanwhile a team from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit's Maritime Raid Force aboard the USS Dubuque, and heading for an joint exercise with Jordanian troops, rerouted, arriving near the captured vessel during the night. Before daybreak two dozen marines in fast RIB’s and supported by two helicopters, launched their own attack.

As the helicopters flooded the ship’s deck in light the troops scaled the hull of the Magellan Star, much as the pirates had, and succeeded in capturing the dazed and divided villains without having to shoot anyone. The problem came when the US marines first had to find the hidden crew, then convince them their ordeal was over.

Reportedly the crew only condescended to open up when the Americans cut an access hole and pushed through a stars and stripes uniform patch through the steel panel. The troops took a number of AK 47’s from the pirates and now have the problem of what to do with them. There have been similar successes before but mostly by foreign troops unattached to the EUNAVFOR anti piracy mission or pirates caught in the open.

Pack n send has reprinted this article from the Handy Shipping   Guide. Pack n send ships freight and cargo worldwide and commends the US marines for their fast and safe actions.

For more information about our international freight shipping, please contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.