Shipping internationally can feel like a huge hassle if you are not knowledgeable about international shipping policies. Two of the biggest concerns are cost and knowing your shipment will make it safely to its destination  A firm that’s specializes in  International freight shipping Houston, Texas  says that international freight shipping does not have to be a hassle.

 Freight shipping can be expensive cross country, and it is even more expensive when products need to be shipped overseas. Even just a small savings from the shipping company can make a big difference for you.  

The shipping company that you use should offer different alternatives for shipping.  For some items, shipping by a cubic meter may be the most cost effective way to ship. A twenty foot container may work for some shipments, and a forty foot container may be best for other shipments. For automobile shipping, roll on roll off service may save money versus shipping inside of a container. For new cars, containerized shipping may be the best option.

It is also important to make sure the company knows how to handle customs forms. Paperwork for shipping to other countries can be confusing. If you need to handle the paperwork on your own, make sure you understand what papers you need to fill out and make sure you understand how to fill them out to ensure quick and accurate shipment of your products.

It is also always a good idea to make sure your items can legally be shipped to a specific country.

 The United States Postal Service website can help provide you with information about what items can and cannot be shipped to specific countries. Some restrictions might be surprising. For example, playing cards cannot be shipped to Germany unless they are complete decks and properly wrapped. Great Britain restricts the shipment of coins, gold, and precious stones. Used clothing and blankets cannot be shipped to Vietnam.

Because of each country’s unique restrictions, it is always a good idea to make sure you know what items can legally be shipped to that country.  

Information about customs forms can also be found on the United States Postal Service's website under the Individual Country Listings. By reading over this information, you can know what paperwork needs to be completed.

Look for a company that can help you with customs and other international shipment  questions.  Be sure to use get a Schedule B number for items leaving the United States that are valued at greater $2500. Consider duties and taxes that may be assessed in the receiving country before you ship your items.

If you are shipping internationally via air, remember that every inch or pound you add can add to the shipping charges. Consider having your box professionally packed.  Professional packers may be able to reduce the size of your package. Always ask for a tracking number. This way you can trace your shipment all the way to its final destination.

 Because shipment costs depend upon the destination on many factors of your shipment and the contents of the shipment, we encourage you to contact us , pack n send in Houston, for a quote for any of your international shipments.

We have compiled a list of the countries that we ship to.

Albania

Algeria

American
Samoa

 Andorra

 Angola

Anguilla

 Antigua and Barbuda

Argentina

Armenia

Aruba

 Australia

 Austria

Azerbaijan

Bahamas

Bahrain

Bangladesh

 Barbados

Baruba

Belarus

 Belize

 Belgium

 Benin

Bermuda

Bhutan

 Bolivia |

Bonaire

Botswana

Bosnia and Herzegovina

 Brazil

Brittish
Virgin Islands

 Brunei

Bulgaria

 Burkina Faso

Burundi

Cambodia

Cameroon

Canada

Cape Verde

Cayman
Islands

 |Chile

 China

 Colombia

Congo

Congo
Republic of

Cook Island

Costa Rica

Croatia

Curaco

 Cyprus

Czech Republic

 Denmark

 Djibouti

Dominica

Dominican Republic

East Timor

Ecuador

 Egypt

 El Salvador

Eritrea

 Estonia

 Ethiopia

Faeroe
Islands

 Fijii

Finland

 France

French
Guinana

French
Polynesia

 Gabon

The Gambia

 Germany

 Georgia

Ghana

Gibraltar

 Greece

Greenland

 Grenada

Guadeloupe

Guam

Guatemala

 Guinea

 Guyana

 Haiti

Honduras

Hong Kong

 Hungary  

Iceland

 India

 Indonesia

 Iraq

 Ireland

 Israel

 Italy  

Ivory Coast

Jamaica

Japan

Jordan

Kazakhstan

 Kenya

 Kuwait

 Kyrgyzstan

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

Mexico

 Micronesia

Moldova

 Monaco

 Mongolia

Montenegro

Montserrat

 Morocco

 Mozambique

Namibia

Nepal

Netherlands

Netherlands
Antilles

New Caledonia

 New Zealand

 Nicaragua

Niger

Nigeria

Norway

Oman

 Pakistan

Palau

Palestine

Panama

Papa New
Guinea

Paraguay

Peru

Phillipines

Poland

Portugal

Puerto Rico

Qatar

Reunion

 Romania

 Russia

 Rwanda

Saba

Saipan
(Northern Mariana Islands)

Samoa

San Marino

Saudi Arabia

Senegal

Serbia

Seychelles

Singapore

 Slovak Republic

 Slovenia

 South Africa

South Korea

 Spain

 Sri Lanka

St.
Barthelemy

St. Eustatius

St. Kitts and
Nevis

St. Lucia

St. Maarten

St. Vincent

 Suriname

 Swaziland

Sweden

 Switzerland

 Syria

Taiwan

Tanzania

 Thailand

Tonga

Tongo

 Trinidad and Tobago

 Tunisia  

Turkey

Turks and
Caicos Islands

Uganda

 Ukraine

United Arab Emirates

 United Kingdom  

United States of America

U.S. Virgin
Islands

 Uruguay

 Uzbekistan

Vanuatu

Vatican City

Venezuela

 Vietnam

Wallis and
Futuna

Yemen

Zambia

Zimbabwe

 While traditional moving has been all the rage for years, if you are moving out of town, there are other alternatives that you might want to consider. These options will apply both for business and residential  customers.

You do not need to consider filling and entire truck with your household or business furniture. When looking to move a few items, there are a few alternatives. 

First, you can look at hiring  a small load mover that has no minimum size or  weight equirement for the furniture or boxes that you would like to move. Another option is to look for a company that can move furniture and boxes via freight.

What does the freight move involve on your part? The good news is that your budget can help determine this. You can ask the for the company you choose to come and pick up the goods just like a normal mover. You can also ask them to unload the pallet and place the furniture and boxes inside your home or office.

In between this time, your possessions will be wrapped and be placed on a pallet, loaded on a truck. The pallet will then be shipped via freight. 

You have the option of requesting that the pallet is shipped only to your dock or the curb of your home. You can save moving dollars this way by unloading your belongings and taking them inside your home or business on your own. 

We recommend looking for a company that can offer both small load moves and a freighting alternative. That way, you as a consumer can analyze the best option for you. 

Companies that offer both services can   ship your belongings via freight anywhere in the world, and move items anywhere in the 48 lower states. Alaska and Hawaii are considered freighting locations. Once again, you can still request inside delivery for your shipment.

Make sure the company that you choose offers blanket wrap moves, where the pick up your belongings, blanket wrap the belongings and then deliver them inside your residence or business. 

As a consideration in researching a company to complete your small out of town move, ask if the company has experience moving the following: Antique dealers, interior decorators,
individuals, general businesses, offices, auction houses, retirement centers, estates, nursing home residents, furniture stores, and framing companies. We recommend asking about these companies, since you want to choose a company that has experience moving and freighting a multitude of items.

  Check and make sure that the company you choose has experience with high value, difficult to manage and large items. Think artwork, sculptures and china. A company that handles
delicate items is used to handling precious items.

When shipping small amounts of furniture overseas, look for a company that can ship to the following countries.

Afghanistan

Albania

Belarus

Belize

Belgium

Benin

Bermuda

Bhutan

Bolivia|

Bonaire

Botswana

Congo Republic of

Cook island

Costa Rica

Croatia

Curaco

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Dominica

Dominican Republic

DPR of Korea Republic

East Timor

Ecuador

Egypt

 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

Kyrgyzstan

Lao People’s Democratic Republic

Laos

Latvia

Lebanon

Lesotho

Liberia

Libya

Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

Liechtenstein

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Macao

New Zealand

Nicaragua

Niger

Nigeria

Nive

Northern Mariana Islands

Norway

Oman

Pakistan

Panama

Papa New Guinea

Paraguay

Peru

Philippines

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

Trinidad and Tobago

Turkey

Turks and Caicos Islands

Turkmenistan

Tuvalu

Uganda

Ukraine

United Arab Emirates

United Kingdom

United States of AmericaU.S. Virgin Islands

U.S. Virgin Islands(Brittish)

Uruguay

Uzbekistan

Vanuatu

Vatican City

Venezuela

Vietnam

Virgin Gorda

Wallis and Futuna

Zimbabw  Uganda

Bolivia|

Bonaire

Botswana

Congo Republic of

Cook island

Costa Rica

Croatia

Curaco

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Dominica

Dominican Republic

DPR of Korea Republic

East Timor

Ecuador

 Ginvea-Bissau

Ginvea-Exquatorial

Greece

Greenland

Grenada

Guadeloupe

Guam

Guatemala

Guernsey

If you have any questions about freighting or moving small amounts of furniture, please fell freee to visit our website at www.pack-n-send.com

Two years ago,  news reports were posting numeous stories about Somali pirates capturing and holding both individuals and cargo hostage for ransom.  Due to arming of cargo ships, and the use of escorts that were armed, ship seizures have decreased dramatically during about the last year and a half.  Even better new.  A crew that was on a ship that was comondeered by the pirates has finally been freed.  Ransom was paid in this case.

The crew that had been  held for two years was released off the coast of Somalia.  There were 6 crew members who were finally released. The company that these crew members worked for has asked for privacy for the crew members and their families.

Shipping cargo safely had always been a goal for cargo shipping companies. Keeping personnel safe has taken safety to a much higher standard of operations. While armed escorts may add to the price of cargo shipping, it is worth the extra costs to ensure that both crew members and goods make it to destination ports safely.

At pack n send we ship internaionally throught out the world. When customers call in for international quotes, we ask them to provide some of the following  information.  Destination port or country of destination, as list of the items that they would like to send, the value of the items that they are sending, the length, width, height, and weight of the items that they would like to send.

While some items may need to go inside either twenty foot or forty foot containers, there are options available for shipments. For example, automobiles may be able to roll on, roll off a ship with out the need of the expense of a container. Smaller loads may be able to be shipped by cubic meter pricing. For more information about shipping via ocean, please feel free to contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

 A list of our shipping destinations is included below.

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

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

With the economy picking up, retail companies are looking for ways to save money on storage facilities for their products. Pack n send has noticed an up tick in companies using just in time shipping to our ware house.

 While most companies choose to ship via freight, some are using moving trucks to move merchandise. This is often used for furniture shipments, or custom made items.

We see retailers who  are  arranging for  shipments to be sent to a receiving company’s ware house. The ware house company then unloads, and sorts the boxes for delivery. The retailer then provides delivery dates and time at retail locations. This saves the retailer both on personnel costs and storage costs.

Other companies are shipping directly to warehouses and asking the warehouse to ship out small orders via Fed Ex orUPS. Once again, the seller is saving on warehousing costs. They are also saving on their personnel’s time by having experts take care of common carrier shipping.  Another example of just in time operations.

Pack n send receives freight  and retail items for both furniture manufactures and individuals. Trucks pull up to our warehouse, unload and then go on to their next destination.

For more information about freight shipping and receiving, or just in time inventory management, please feel free to contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

Pack n send discovered this information on Shipping World and Ship Builder on Linked in.

We have republished this article as part of pack n sends series about companies and innovations in the shipping industry that are going green.

Infographic: Eliminating emissions from ships in port with shore-to-ship power.

2011-09-12 - Onshore power supplies allow ships in the harbor to turn off their diesel engines and tap into cleaner energy sources.

Over 90 percent of the world’s cargo is transported by ship. Thousands of vessels carry this cargo around the globe and, along with cruise ships and private yachts, arrive at ports every day. Once in port they burn fossil fuels to maintain essential operations or onboard services to their passengers. This practice impacts the local environment, producing emissions, noise and vibrations, which affect the comfort of passengers and in the long-term affects the health and local environment of dock workers and port area inhabitants.

Fortunately ABB’s shore-to-ship power provides a solution to these problems. To illustrate this issue ABB has prepared an infographic highlighting the problems faced by ports around the world and the social and economic advantages to be gained from shore-based power connections. Shore-to-ship power connects vessels to the power grid providing benefits to ship owners, port authorities and utilities alike and is applicable to any vessel at any port.

ABB will be showcasing its shore-to-ship power technology at the Green Port Congress in Hamburg between the 14-15 September 2011.

To learn more, visit ABB Port Solutions.

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

 Notes: ..." title="Pennsylvania R.R. [Railroad] ore docks, unloading iron ore from a lake freighter by means of "Hulett" unloaders, Cleveland, Ohio (LOC)" class="draggable ui-draggable" style="top: auto; left: auto;" />

Once again we are able to report positive signs in freight and air cargo shipments. 

During the past few  weeks past, we have reported the purchases of new air planes by major air freight carriers.

 We are now able to show increases in the shipping percentages on a world wide basis. During March, airfreight traffic rose three point seven  per cent according to Air Cargo News.  Considering the disaster in Japan and the tumultuous Middle East, these numbers are both surprising and encouraging. 

Latin American carriers and Middle Eastern carriers reported increase in air shipping over March of 2010. 

With fuel prices on the rise, these increase show pent up demand for goods world wide. We were both surprised and encouraged by these numbers. 

While tracking purchases both domestically and internationally, the world wide economy seems to be moving in a  slow but steady increase.

 The only noted part of the world with a decrease in air cargo for March appears to be for the African carriers. We should report that air cargo traffic is expected to increase for North Africa.

 For information about international freight , container packing and loading, shipping, moving and  cargo shipping please call pack n send in Houston  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.

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.

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.

As reported in Air Cargo News, the worldwide air cargo industry must be ever vigilant  when placing cargo on airplanes.

NAMIBIAN police have discovered a suspected bomb while loading the cargo hold of an Air Berlin flight departing Namibia.

“A subsequent X-ray [of the luggage] revealed batteries that were attached with wires to a detonator and a ticking clock,” the German authorities said in a statement. “Only the ongoing forensic investigation will show whether this was a live explosive.”

Thomas De Maiziere, Germany’s interior minister, said the country had been warned it would be targeted for its role in the Afghan war. “There is reason for concern, but no reason for hysteria.”

Pack n send is awaiting notice of new embargoed countries at this time for  air cargo shipping.

As we are notified, we will update our blog.

For safe air cargo shipping, or questions about air cargo, please feel free to contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

Out of Gauge Beer Vats Make a Spectacular Sight

  CANADA – Project forwarding contracts are often the most exciting part of what is often, let’s face it, a pretty tedious business. Nothing gets the blood pumping in a dyed in the wool freight man (or possibly woman) like the site of some huge piece of gear aboard the  deck of  a ship  or balanced  a top a low loader  in what can appear an almost impossible manner.

Despite this there are few such projects which attract as much attention as the current movement of six huge beer vats from the Canadian Great Lakes  Port of Hamilton to Molson Coors Brewery, near Pearson International Airport. The move has been dogged by ill luck having been postponed four times in December due to bad weather and technical problems but now is inching its way toward its destination.

There have been numerous route changes, each of the tanks are capable of containing six million bottles of beer and, at seven metres wide and over eight metres high when loaded, every cable en route has to be manoeuvred over the tops of the six trucks. Ironically the very bulk of the things meant that from the start all major roads had to be excluded from the route plan, one can cut and reconnect a cable or pipe but road bridges remain immutable and immoveable, so only minor roads could be considered. At forty five metres long the difficulties of the logistics are obvious and thus the variations in route resulting in each turn sometimes taking over an hour.

The carrier, Challenger Motor Freight, has featured here before and is well versed in the movement of out of gauge and heavy lift projects but even for them this one is exceptional. So exceptional in fact, that the company has promoted an inch by inch transcript of the journey on Twitter.

The convoy finally left the docks on the 7th January and estimates were it would take five days to complete. With weather causing further delays for the utility company responsible for rerouting overhead wires the estimate was soon almost doubled. As is usual with these giant convoys travel can only be undertaken from 9pm to 6am to ensure daytime traffic is not affected so, like a giant wagon train, the convoy has to sit the days out at any convenient spot.

Overall the move should take until the weekend to complete, a journey of around 110 kilometres in well over a week (the freeway route is about 65 kilometres and normally takes an hour or so).

 Pack n send has posted this article taken from Handy  Shipping Guide as a service to our customers. For information about freight and cargo shipping from Houston, please contact us at  713  266 1450.

INTERNATIONAL freight traffic rose 5.4 per cent in November 2010 leaving the volume for the November equal to pre-recession levels of early 2008. Freight load factor ended at 55.2 per cent for the month.

This is an apparently rapid slowdown from the 14.5 per cent growth in freight in October. However, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) says its figures were partially skewed because of the exceptionally rapid rise in traffic volumes recorded during the fourth quarter of 2009. However, when viewed in absolute terms, air travel fell by 0.8 per cent and airfreight fell by 1.1 per cent between October and November last year.

This slower growth does not necessarily signal a negative trend. Even with the decline in November, passenger and freight traffic are still expanding at annualised rates of between five to six per cent, which is in line with the industry’s historical growth trend.

“The industry is shifting gears in the recovery cycle. Growth is slowing towards normal historical levels in the five to six per cent range,” said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s chief executive officer. “Relative weakness in developed markets is being offset by the momentum of economic expansion in developing markets. We see a strong end to 2010 that boosted the year’s profit forecast to US$15.1 billion. Slowing traffic growth is in line with our projections for a reduced profit of $9.1 billion in 2011. That’s a 1.5 per cent margin. More hard work will be needed in the New Year to achieve sustainable levels of profitability.”

Asia-Pacific carriers showed a 4.1 per cent year-on-year increase, a similar amount to that they did at the pre-recession peak of 2008. Middle Eastern carriers saw 12.4 per cent year-on-year growth for November, 14 per cent more than the pre-recession peak in early 2008, North American carriers showed 1.5 per cent year-on-year growth in November, but overall volumes remain 7 per cent below the pre-recession levels of early 2008. European carriers experienced a similar pattern with 6.6 per cent year-on-year growth in November but overall volumes remaining 12 per cent below pre-recession levels.

Pack n send has reprinted this article from Cargo News as a service to our customers. For information about cargo and freight shipping, please contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

 With the development of unmaned aircarft  Boeing is at the forefront of using unmaned aircraft. Pack n send is posting this on our website so that  our customers have a look at the future of freight shipping.  We found this article in the  Handy Shipping  Guide.

US – This week saw a genuine first in the field of air freight, no strangers to logistics the Boeing Corporation faced a new challenge when it came to shipping one of their latest exotic creations across the country. Boeing have been developing the unmanned Phantom Ray aircraft for less than ten years, using entirely their own funding and with the intention of pushing back the barriers of what is possible using craft without crew. Primarily designed as a weapon of war the Phantom was constructed at the Boeing facility in St. Louis but will shortly undergo its first test flight at the Dryden Flight Research Centre at Edwards Air Force Base, California.

There remained the problem of getting a 36 foot long aircraft with a 50 foot wingspan the 1500 plus miles to the test site where it will undergo ground and high-speed taxi tests to prepare for its first flight in early 2011. Never ones to take chances Boeing staff decided it was necessary to ensure they could ship the Phantom Ray successfully to California and embarked on a test run.

The photograph shows the result, wheel out a NASA Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), a modified Boeing 747, never used before to carry anything but the space shuttles, and conduct a 50 minute flight carrying the unusual cargo in preparation for the real thing. Craig Brown, Phantom Ray program manager for Boeing commented:

"This is exciting not just because it's the first time that an aircraft other than the space shuttle has flown on the SCA, but also because it puts Phantom Ray that much closer to making its first flight."

The SCA flights with Phantom Ray are being conducted under a Boeing-funded, commercial Space Act Agreement with NASA. Phantom Ray is one of several programs in Boeing's Phantom Works division that are part of the company's rapid prototyping initiative to design, develop and build advanced aircraft and then demonstrate their capabilities. The new aircraft will be used as a test bed for the latest technological advances in on board and remote systems and surveillance equipment.

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

Freight is one of the figures that is an leading economic indicator of economic recovery.  With improvement showing in the freight statistics, this bodes well for the US economy.

We have reprinted the article first published in the Handy   Shipping  Guide as a service to our customers.

US – Yesterday saw the release of the monthly Freight Transportation Services Index (FTSI) figures from the U.S. Department of Transportation's  Bureau of Transportation Statistics. The Index provides a good long term insight into the output of logistics services provided by the for-hire freight transportation industries but, as with most statistics, predictions based on them depend on one’s own interpretation of them.

The FTSI is a seasonally adjusted index that measures changes from the monthly average of the base year of 2000. It includes historic data from 1990 to the present and included in the figures are such transportation methods as for-hire trucking, railroad freight services (including rail based intermodal shipments such as shipping containers on flat cars), movements by inland waterways, pipeline transportation and airfreight. The index does not include international or coastal waterborne movements, private trucking, courier services, or the US Postal Service.

Yesterdays report shows a 0.2% rise in traffic during October from its September level, rising for the second consecutive month. The FTSI has risen 5.7 percent over the last 17 months, starting in June 2009, after declining 15.3 percent in the previous 10 months beginning in August 2008 with the Index increasing in 13 of the last 17 months. Overall however the first ten months of this year witnessed a fall of 0.7% after that 2008 crash and although the index rose 3.2 percent from October 2009 to October 2010, it remains below the level of every other October since 2001.

Used in conjunction with other economic indicators and observations the movements of the FTSI can be a useful tool in analysing the relationship of changes in the US transportation output to changes in the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Release of the November index is scheduled for the 12th January and with numerous factors such as the mid term results and seasonal variations to consider observers will be keen to see if the slight upward trend of the FTSI is sustained.

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

Changes to Cargo Shipping

Pack n send has republished this article taken from  Voice-Air, Cargo News. We are putting this in our blog as a reminder that there are different ways to protect the cargo coming into and leaving the United States, and that much work on improving these systems still need to be accomplished.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

high value diagnostic equipment

autoclaves

microscopes

physical therapy equipment

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

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

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

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.