Pack n send is addressing computer shipping separately from electronics shipping in this blog.  Customers call us with questions frequently about how to pack computers.

When looking for a company that can pack and  ship your computers ,make sure that they offer  shipping options.  They should be able to ship boxes, pallets, truckloads or containers of electronics.

Be sure to ask questions about packing. Does the company you choose have experience packing and shipping high value computers.

The computers should be packed as follows:

 Individual computers should be  prepared for shipping using antistatic plastic or bubble wrap. Once the computer is wrapped, it should put into a double wall box with a minimum of 3" of Styrofoam peanuts or solid Styrofoam pieces protecting the electronics equipment.

Large quantities of computers should be boxed and then placed on pallets framed with 1x4’s, Styrofoam and thick cardboard.  Protective wrap should  then put  around the entire pallet.  

Ask if the company you choose to use offers onsite packing, crating and shipping.

As an alternative, ask if the company has the capability to pick up your computers.

Does the company you choose offer full value coverage in case of loss or damage during the pick up, packing and shipping process?

There are other areas that need to be addressed when shipping high value computers.

For more information about shipping electronics, please fell free to contact pack n send at  713 266 1450.

See more photos by Matthew Hull at PBase.
See my portfolio at Since some freight can be delicate or time sensitive, it is important to look for a company that has been in business for many years, has a good reputation, and has a brick and mortar location. 

The need to be able to freight anything you need shipped. From car engines and household goods, to automobiles and furniture, the company that you  choose will Look for a company that offers personalize service. Each shipment should be    handled individually to serve the customer's unique needs. The company should offer both palletized shipping as well as containerized loading and shipping for larger shipments.  Be sure to see if containers are necessary for your shipping, or if the company can quote you by the cubic meter.

Small loads like, car doors, auto parts and furniture all can be  placed on pallets, surrounded by cardboard, and then strapped with metal banding for shipping.

Computers should be  packed in boxes, shrink wrapped and send out on skids. Small amounts of household goods should be  packed in boxes, loaded onto pallets and then shrink wrapped. Household and business furniture are safely put on pallets as well. Once again, for international shipping, make sure the company has experience both loading and processing international paperwork.

Car engines are strapped to pallets. Large and small households are boxed and loaded into containers for overseas shipping.

  Look for a company that can accept your inbound freight into their warehouse on your behalf.  Make sure they can then deliver the freight to you. 

These are just some freight shipping and receiving advice. For more advice, please feel free to contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

The Clean Air Strategy Plan (CASP) is the Port of Houston Authority's ongoing plan to reduce maritime and port-related emissions. The Port Authority's environmental management program employs proactive approaches that protect, conserve and integrate sustainable goals and strategies into recommendations and guidance that yield measurable results. The CASP was initiated with the realization that the Port Authority has an important role in facilitating and encouraging significant emission reductions and promoting air quality awareness along the Houston Ship Channel and throughout the region.

The purpose of the CASP is to develop and implement a voluntary plan to reduce emissions from maritime and associated transportation sources servicing ship channel industries. This plan benefits the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria community; assisting the state of Texas and EPA in reducing the harmful health effects of multiple pollutants and potential economic repercussions.

The focus of the CASP is to strategically develop economically feasible ways to implement emission reductions from maritime-related interests in the greater Port of Houston area. As a distinction, the Port of Houston includes the Port Authority as well as 150-plus private industries along the Houston Ship Channel. The majority of the properties along the Houston Ship Channel are privately owned by industries that create the second-largest petrochemical complex in the world.

 Pack n send has reprinted this article from the Port of Houston Authority. 

 We monitor environmental improvements world wide. 

For information about freight shipping and receiving, pallet and container shipping please feel free to contact us at 713 266 1450.

 CHINA – Strikes undertaken by Chinese truck drivers in Shanghai are reported to have been wound down on Sunday after the local government ordered container shipping and freight distribution centres to cancel or reduce fees for unloading containers, road tolls, and night-time loading.

Local observers report that the waiting lines of vehicles are now moving and logistic services in the city, one of China’s major freight hubs, are returning to normal.

The strikes, which began on Wednesday last week, were in response to rising costs that are being experienced by the country’s freight sector due to escalating inflation, pushing many truck drivers earnings down substantially.

The rapid reaction by the Chinese government is seen as a further sign of how concerned the ruling Communist party is with the economic situation, with inflation reaching 5.4 percent in March, almost the highest level in the last three years.

However, the underlying problems caused by increasing inflation, as well as the alleged corruption amongst freight forwarders seeking to add additional charges to truckers, are largely unresolved and means that it is entirely possible that we shall see renewed industrial action within China’s logistic industry in the future.

Pack n send has reprinted this article from Air Cargo News as a service to our customers.  If freight disruptions occur worldwide, pack n  send attempts to keep our customers informed.  From this article, it there may be interruptions in the future as China adjusts to its robust economy.

 For freight or cargo shipping from Houston, Texas, please 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 – 2011 may well be remembered as an annus horribilis by those in the freight and passenger industries with the unsettled situation in North Africa now breaking out into an international conflict to add to the earthquakes which have rocked New Zealand and Japan in recent days. Good logistics are essential when one is faced by a disaster of the scale faced currently in Japan where the tsunami has devastated large areas and caused a major nuclear alert as well as disrupting container and bulk freight shipping schedules.

According to the latest information available from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), World Health Organization, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the World Meteorological Organization, the International Maritime Organization and the International Civil Aviation Organization, international flight and maritime operations can continue normally into and out of Japan’s major airports, including both Haneda and Narita, and all sea ports excluding those directly damaged by the tsunami.

Other conflicting reports say that services at the main airports are being restricted due to a limited fuel supply. Japan produces 3-4% of global jet fuel supply, some of which is exported to Asia. Some of this refinery capacity has been lost due to damage caused by the earthquake and ensuing water damage. This supply restriction, coupled to the current Middle East situation could lead to higher jet fuel prices.

Already reports are coming in from Malaysia to the effect that intra Asian air cargo rates are up between 50 and 60% and ‘emergency’ surcharges are being imposed on ocean freight containers within the week. It is said that emergency bunker charges will be imposed on all air freight cargo unless destined for Japan itself.

Currently available information indicates that increased levels of radiation have been detected at some airports, but these do not represent any health risk. In the meantime US import officials are increasing the levels of scanning inward containers for radiation. This is routinely done anyway but the authorities are insisting on extra vigilance.

The US Coast Guard have issued a notice to all shipping en route to America to avoid passing within 50 miles of the damaged nuclear reactors. Ships which pass within the radiation buffer zone must report for inspection before sailing to within 100 miles of the US coastline (details HERE). The U.S. Coast Guard site will provide an updated notice as additional guidance becomes available but ship owners and operators should keep abreast of information being provided by the Japanese Government relating to any further developments.

Container sailing schedules are being adapted as the situation unfolds, the ports at Hachinohe, Hitachi, Hitachinaka, Ishinomaki, Kamaishi, Kashima, Ofunato, Onahama, Sendai-Shiogama and Soma have all suffered serious damage and shippers are advised to check with their carriers directly for updates and news of re-routings. It is likely that the difficulty of maintaining fuel supplies, plus the need to utilise all available port facilities for the urgent import of emergency aid will continue to impact on the ocean freight sector for some time.

Meanwhile Mitsui OSK Line (MOL) who we reported on last week, have issued more details of both the aid they have so far provided plus news on how they will continue efforts to try and mitigate the problems afflicting their home country. MOL Ferry Company Ltd., a Mitsui subsidiary, transported about 2,700 Japan Self-Defence Forces (JSDF) personnel and about 930 emergency vehicles from Tomakomai in Hokkaido to Aomori, the capital of Aomori prefecture, on the main island of Honshu. The transport support was accomplished with four ferries, which made eight trips in total as part of MOL’s ongoing effort to provide aid to the quake- and tsunami stricken areas.

The group is to provide containers for relief supplies to container yards at their normal available loading ports before the end of May 2011. As shipping capacity is limited, transport of those supplies will be on a first-come first-shipped basis. This offer covers grant aid supplies from public institutions such as governmental institutions and municipalities, or government-approved aid organizations to be shipped to disaster areas like the earthquake affected Tohoku district. However, some of the items such as dangerous articles, animals, and other regulated items may not be accepted.

Portions of this article were taken from the Handy Shipping  Guide.

 As improvements are made in Japanese freight, we will post these improvements on our website.  For information about freight, cargo and container shipping from Houston and the Untied States, please 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.

Antique shipping and moving is a very specialized service.  When you want to move just a small amount of antique furniture, you can have it custom crated and then freighted. 

Some pieces of antique furniture can go on a pallet, surrounding the furniture with protection and stretch wrap, and shipping the furniture via truck to its new city.

Some pieces will need to be custom crated. The crate will need to be built specifically to fit your antique.

The crating company should have years of experience both handling and valuing antiques. Remember: every crate will need to be built to specifically fit your individual item.

Make sure they know how to properly pack and prepare the furniture for your move.  Some of it may be blanket wrapped, some of it may be wrapped in flexible cardboard and some may need to be crated for the move.

You will want to make sure that you have a current appraisal before valuing the antique for shipping.

If you are shipping antique sculptures or art work, look for a firm that specializes in packing and crating high value items from one city to another.

Finding a company that can offer varied services when shipping antiques will help save you money.  You want to make sure that your antiques arrive in pristine condition.

For help with antique furniture shipping or if you have any questions about shipping antiques, please feel free to contact pack n send at  713 266 1450.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 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.

With freight shipping from Houston, and the United States, it is important to watch other countries that are recovering from the economic recession.

 ASIA-Pacific airlines saw cargo demand grow by 24.2 per cent in 2010, helping to position Hong Kong International as the world’s largest cargo airport.

The airport’s cargo alone grew 23.4 per cent to 4.1 million metric tons, while Memphis International Airport, holder of the largest cargo airport title for the last 18 years, grew only 5.9 per cent to 3.9 million metric tons.

Cathay Pacific Airways became the world’s biggest international air cargo carrier last year thanks in part to escalating exports from China’s Pearl River Delta. The airline’s cargo traffic rose 23 per cent to 10.2 million ton-kilometres, beating Korean Air Lines, previously the largest.

 Cathay expects to boost cargo capacity about eight per cent this year. The carrier is also forming a cargo venture with affiliate Air China to access hubs in Shanghai and Beijing, while also building its own freight terminal at Hong Kong airport.

China’s economy expanded 10.3 per cent in 2010, the fastest in three years. The growth of production in the Pearl River Delta, which neighbours Hong Kong, has lured investment from international air cargo carriers, including FedEx and United Parcel Service, which have both opened hubs in the region.

 Pack n send has republished this article from Handy Shipping News as a service to our customers. 

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

Pack n send crates and packs in Houston Texas.  We ship freight and cargo in Houston.  We also prepare and ship pallets in Houston.  But…one of the most exciting locations in Houston is the Port of Houston.  Their free tours are quite a treat both for the locals and visitors alike.  We have listed the details below for our customers and highly suggest you take both your customers and families on this tour.

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

Embarking from the port's Sam Houston Pavilion, visiting sightseers aboard the M/V Sam Houston can enjoy passing views of international cargo vessels, and operations at the port's Turning Basin Terminal. The 95-ft. vessel has capacity for up to 90 passengers and features air-conditioned lounge seating as well as standing room outside on the boat's rear deck
.
The M/V Sam Houston has been operating as the Port of Houston's public tour vessel since its first voyage on July 30, 1958. In 2010, the vessel received new low-emission fuel engines and a new generator. The environmental upgrades were made possible through grants from the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan and American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding through EPA's National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program.

Make your reservations now for this rich educational experience.

COST
The tour is free.  Reservations on a first-come, first-serve basis are required at least 24 hours in advance. 

RESERVATIONS
Register online any time, or call 713-670-2416, Mondays through Thursdays between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Pack n send has reprinted this information from the Port  of Houston website as a service to our customers.

For more information about shipping, packing, crating and freight forwarding in Houston, Texas, please call 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

  Trucks Burst Through Ribbon, Officially Opening Cargo Bay Road

 This article taken from the Port of Houston Press release highlights continuing innovations and improvements at the Port of Houston.

Three trucks dramatically burst through a ceremonial red ribbon, opening the Cargo Bay Road truck entrance to the Port of Houston Authority’s Turning Basin Terminals. The new entrance on the northeast side of the main terminal officially opens for business on Monday, January 17.

“Every minute saved is valuable in keeping goods moving in and out of this port,” said Port Commission Chairman James T. Edmonds, who opened the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “Our job is to find ways to keep cargo moving so that we can remain competitive in this global marketplace.”

Port Authority CEO Alec G. Dreyer remarked, “The completion of this Cargo Bay Road project marks a significant step taken by the Port of Houston Authority to help improve the environment, alleviate congestion and strengthen security at this terminal in a logical and efficient manner.”

Houston City Council Member James Rodriguez, whose District I includes several Port Authority operational facilities, also joined the celebration. “The Cargo Bay Road project is also a perfect example of how small businesses work together to make a big difference,” said Rodriguez.

From l. to r.: Dan Saucedo, North American Controls Corporation, Andrea Cheng, TSC Engineering, John Betancourt, Triple B Services, Terry Cheng, TSC Engineering, Enrique Del Cid, Reliable Signal and Lighting Solutions, Rev. Rivers Patout, Port of Houston Authority CEO Alec G. Dreyer, Houston City Council Member James Rodriguez, Port Commissioner Elyse Lanier, Don Mann, Forde Construction, Port Commission Chairman James T. Edmonds and Port Commissioner Jimmy Burke

After a brief presentation on the brisk, cold day, followed by a blessing from Father Rivers Patout, they joined Port Commissioners Jimmy Burke and Elyse Lanier and many of the prime and subcontractors involved in the multi-million dollar project to cut a portion of the ribbon before the trucks made their dramatic entrance.

The prime contractor for construction for the secured truck entrance canopy structure and associated utilities is Jerdon Construction, and subcontractors are Anchor Fence, Heights Electric and Execute Projects. North American Controls Corp. was the consultant for the canopy structure and the utilities. The prime contractor for construction was Triple B Services, and Apcon Services, BECO Construction, Main Lane Industries and Reliable Signal and Lighting Solutions were subcontractors.

TSC Engineering was responsible for project design. Forde Construction, with subcontractors Cherry Demolition and George Hedge Contractors, were responsible for rail work. In addition, Wilson & Company, Inc., Engineers & Architects was the railroad consultant that designed the four railroad crossings on Gate 1 Road under a separate design effort.

 Port Commissioners Jimmy Burke and Elyse Lanier, Port Commission Chairman James T. Edmonds and Houston City Council Member James Rodriguez

 Presently, trucks transport about 75 percent of the Port of Houston’s inbound and outbound cargo. The new truck entrance will help improve traffic flow with three inbound and two outbound lanes. It will be open around the clock and staffed by contract security personnel. With the main gate closed from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily, all traffic during those hours will be routed to Cargo Bay Road.

Representatives of the Customs & Border Protection (CBP), Houston Pilots, Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), International Longshoremen’s Association, Port of Houston Authority tenants, and stevedoring companies attended, and trucks from Waggoner Auto Transport, All Trans Port Services, Palletized Trucking Inc., and Richway Transportation Services trucking lines took part in the ceremony.

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

freight forwarding houston texas  

 If we had not seen the attached picture, I  am not sure that we would have even read the attached article. In the United States companies are diligent and meticulous about weighing containers more than once to make sure that ships are weighed correctly. We are reprinting portions of this article and the picture from Handy Shipping Guide so that our customers can see what happens in other areas of the world. 

Shipping Container Weights-A Freight Fraud that Can Cost Lives

UK – WORLDWIDE – Once upon a time it was cube cutting that was the fraud of choice for the world’s freight forwarders but with the burgeoning trade in full load containers (FCL’s) over the past few decades, often stuffed with consolidated cargo from different consignors, a new and potentially much more dangerous, problem has arisen.

Under declared tonnage in shipping containers, deliberate or not, has the potential to put lives at risk. Gantries, fork lift trucks and other handling equipment may not be up to the strain and, in worst case scenarios, ships can be incorrectly loaded leading to instability.

 “On the 1st December, the World Shipping Council (WSC) and the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) announced that they were urging the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to establish an international legal requirement that all loaded containers be weighed at the marine port facility before they are stowed aboard a vessel for export. This has major ramifications for ship owners and terminals alike as the IMO is unlikely to ignore these two powerful bodies.

“Implementation of any legislation on this subject is clearly some years away but terminal operators would do well not to leave everything until the last minute. As the WSC/ICS announcement makes clear, this information should be made available to ship planners and will mean modifying the data links between the machine weighing the containers and the terminal’s operating system.”

The organisers of the conference have expressed a belief that because this is recognised as an important safety issue, some carriers may be prepared to pre-empt any IMO legislation by voluntarily introducing weighing at certain terminals. The general consensus at the conference was that those carriers who operate their own terminals would be best placed to do this, followed closely by those terminal operators with particularly strong links to specific carriers.

One point stressed by several delegates was that it is important to weigh ALL containers, including empties. Apparently there have been a number of cases where ‘empty’ containers have been found to be loaded with waste products and to put these on board a vessel in a stack containing genuine empties could easily initiate a stack collapse. It was also pointed out that there was a strong case for weighing unaccompanied trailers before they are loaded on freight RoRo vessels. This is already mandatory on RoPax vessels carrying 12 or more passengers.

Security experts also point out that an explosive device placed in an empty container would stand a better chance of being detected if empties had to be weighed. So far, the WSC and ICS have only shown concern regarding overweight containers. They should expect representations from various quarters demanding that all containers should be weighed. The real issue here is actually the misdeclaration of container weights, not just under declaration of cargo.

The UK P&I Club’s Communications Director, Nick Whitear says he feels stakeholders should start to consider their options immediately commenting:

“Any new legislation will require carriers to change their systems so that they can accept this new data and be ready to act when inaccurate weights are detected. Also, if they are not doing so already, ship owners need to start educating their customers about the importance of making accurate weight declarations so as to avoid any problems in the ports.”

For assistance with freight forwarding houston texas , 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.

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.

 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.

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.