Have you ever thought about selling on eBay, but decided against it because it seemed a little too complicated? Auction selling and shipping from Houston can be a great way to earn extra cash. And it can be easy if you let someone else do the work.

You really can make money selling your unwanted household goods, jewelry, inherited family treasures, electronic gadgets, or just about anything. Unfortunately the online auction process can be a little bit of a hassle, but it doesn't have to be. An auction service can help by taking care of all the little details. 

There’s a lot to do. Listing can require a few steps. If you choose not to list the items yourself, you can check out eBay listing stores in your area. You just drop off your items, pay them a fee and you should receive funds once your item sells and is paid for.
Your friends or acquaintances may have told you about the money they've made selling items on eBay. But did they tell you about all the procedures and tasks they had to master? There’s a lot to do before you make a single dollar.
Before you auction your first item, you’ll have to sign up with eBay. That means choosing a screen name and supplying personal details. You’ll also have to set up a PayPal account to receive auction payments. Your PayPal account will be connected to your bank account.
When it’s time to sell, you must decide how much money you want to make from your items and what to charge for packaging and shipping. You'll have to photograph each item, list it with a minimum bid, and monitor your bids until the auctions expire.
When your auctions end, you’ll have to pack up the items and ship them to the winners --across town or perhaps to the other side of the world. You'll have to take your packages to a shipping location to get them off by the promised date. If they arrive too late, your customer's negative feedback could affect future sales.
Shipping can get complicated
If you've never shipped packages on a regular basis, that’s one more skill you’ll have to develop. Shipping isn't just about the United States Postal Service. There’s also FedEx, UPS, and DHL. Any one of them will ship your sold auction items wherever you want them to go, as long as you follow their procedures.
Shipping costs vary depending on package size, weight, destination, and the desired arrival date and time. You’ll have to box and wrap them, of course. And if you ship to other countries, you’ll have to learn the basics of Customs forms completion.
We recommend that you take your item to a shipping company before you list it on eBay. Ask them for the packing and shipping charges before you list your item. List these charges in your eBay listing so that your customer will know the cost to have the item shipped to their location. Once your item sells and you have been paid, drop the item off at the shipping store and they will do the rest. They can give you and your customer the tracking number. This helps to make your eBay selling process much easier.
Can you really make money auctioning off items on eBay?
With all the things you need to know and the procedures you have to follow, you might wonder if the potential eBay income is worth the time and effort. Once you figure out how to do things, you can make money auctioning your items online, but it will take time, effort and patience. Once you've mastered the long list of eBay things to do, you may find it’s a desirable way to earn some extra cash.
It’s easier when you let someone else do the work. If you need assistance with your eBay listing or eBay shipping, please feel free to contact us at pack n send in Houston.

Direct Link to all 2013 Holiday Shipping dates published by USPS

http://about.usps.com/mailpro/2013/septoct/page6.htm 

The rates for shipping to APo/FPO/DPO are published below

2013 Holiday Shipping Dates 

¹ PMEMS: is available to selected military/diplomatic Post
Offices. Check with your local Post Office to determine if this service is
available to an APO/FPO/DPO address.

² PAL: is a service that provides air
transportation for parcels on a space-available basis. It is available for
Standard Post items not exceeding 30 pounds in weight or 60 inches in length
and girth combined. The applicable PAL fee must be paid in addition to the
regular surface price for each addressed piece sent by PAL service.

³ SAM: parcels are paid at Standard Post prices
with maximum weight and size limits of 15 pounds and 60 inches in length and
girth combined. SAM parcels are first transported domestically by surface and
then to overseas destinations by air on a space-available basis. 

Pack n send is posting these dates to help out military families that are planning out their holiday shipping of packages.

A customer brought this picture in for us to see on eBay in. She remembers paying $2000-$3000 a few years ago.  She is downsizing and is selling this to get more space in her home. She is asking $400 for this picture. If you are interested in purchasing it, please contact me at sales@pack-n-send.com  I can email you more pictures. The frame has a few scratches.

I am posting it in Designer websites thinking they may be interested in purchasing it for one of their clients.

The quote on the back of the picture:

"This is a Navajo religious ceremonial sand painting design"-  Herbert Ben Sr. 

This picture is located in Houston and local pick up is free. 

If you would like a quote for shipping outside of Houston, please email your zip code for a quote.

Mother’s Day is approaching quickly.  If you need to send your gift to your mother, this blog has gift ideas as well as information about your shipping options. While we do list gift cards in some of these ideas, Mothers Day may be the one time that you should pick out a special gift that your mother can keep and cherish.

 This year we are adding items that you probably would like to skip buying for Mothers Day. We recommend staying away from items that would indicate that you expect more work from your mom.

 Flowers are always nice, but we have compiled at list of common and not so common gifts for Mothers Day.

 New picture of your children, Picture Frames, Gardening tools, Custom m & m’s, Custom necklaces, Heart necklaces, Personalized Jewelry Box, Personalize Magazine cover prints, Digital Photo Frame, Engraved Photo Frame, Bathrobes, Beauty Kits, Hand Cream, Personalized Cookie Jar, Spa Gift Certificate, Candy, Gift cards to her favorite restaurant, Chocolate, Gift cards to her favorite nail salon,Magazine Subscription, Gift cards to her favorite massage therapist, A new cell phone, Candles, A new tablet, Glider, Outdoor Furniture, Noise reducing earphones, Comforter, Fruit and Nut Basket, Cheese Basket, Monogrammed Towel, Monogrammed Bath Robe, Purse, Buffet, New Furniture, Wallet, Flowers, Dried Floral Arrangement, Homemade cards, New Flat Screen TV, A weekend getaway with friends 

Unless your mother is a gardener, try and stay away from gardening tools. Unless your mother likes to cook and is a gourmet cook, keep away from new pots and pans, aprons, serving utensils, a new food processor, and a new oven. Unless your mother loves to do laundry, now is probably not then best time to surprise her with a new washer or a new dryer. 

You should probably stay away from cleaning supplies. Plan on skipping a new vacuum cleaner, new duster, or a new floor cleaner.  A maid may be a nice treat, if you pair the gift card with flowers. Other items to stay away from are books and DVD’s about dieting or weight loss. For that matter, this is not the day to present mom with any sort of exercise equipment, unless she has specifically asked for it. 

We recommend not taking your mother to the following places on Mothers’ Day. The home show, the boat show, or the car show.  Of course, if you plan on buying your mother a new home, a new boat or a new car, then this would be the perfect Mothers Day treat. 

While pack n send may not have listed every Mothers Day gift that can be shipped, made or given, we have tried to help out the “Gee I cannot think of a gift” customer. 

Here at pack n send, we are recommending that you ship early this year. Due to weather conditions, we suggest that if you live out of town, that you send your gift early. First and foremost, this will save you on overnight shipping charges. Secondly, it will make you look like you did not wait until the last minute to think about your mother this Mothers Day.  

For children that need to ship internationally, remember that packages are charged based on length, width, height, weight and value of the item that you are shipping.  If you are shipping a large item –think international freight shipping Houston Texas, or international freight from any city in the United States, you will need to look at your options.

Shipping large items via air can be costly when shipping outside of the United States.  Ocean shipping is an option, but is not as speedy as air shipping. Either way that you ship, you will need to consider the amount of time that it will take an item to clear through customs.  You also need to look at any weather delays.  For ocean shipping, ships can be delayed leaving the United States due, to weather or while the ship is waiting to fill up with more cargo.

 We wish all of our customers who are mothers A Happy Mother’s Day!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

As the holiday season approaches we find more and more grandparents who would like to pass on family heirlooms to sons, daughter, niece’s nephews, granddaughters and grandsons.

We would like to offer a few shipping solutions for furniture and large items that you would like to ship to a family member. If you are shipping more than one item, please try and ship all items at the same time. This is usually a money saver.

If you can drop off the item at the shipping location, this should save you a pick up fee. 

Look at having furniture and antiques either boxed, blanket wrapped and moved or shipped via freight.

For some of your small items, simple shipping via a common carrier may be your least expensive option. Make sure your heirloom is professionally packed. Basically, you should be able to stand on your box or crate and the top should not move. Remember, that boxes get stacked, loaded onto container belts and sometimes tossed around. You want to make sure that your gift is heavily protected against damage during the shipping process. 

If you choose to have your furniture moved by a blanket wrap mover, ask if you can take out valuation protection for loss or damage during the move. Remember, when you place one or two pieces of furniture on the truck, there will be other furniture on the truck with your items. The truck will stop at other locations to pick up and deliver other customers furniture. You should ask if the driver can call a day ahead of time to let your relative know when the gift will be delivered. Also ask to have the driver call your relative when he is about an hour away from the drop off. 

If you choose to ship your heirloom via freight, you should be able to specify the date of delivery. In general with freight the items are delivered to the curb.  Your relative will be responsible for unloading the pallet, box or crate and disposing of it on his/her own.  While you can request inside delivery and haul off of the packaging, this usually will cost more. Again, be sure to ask for valuation coverage for loss or damage during the shipping process.

If you have any more questions about shipping during this holiday season, please be sure to call pack n send in Houston at 713 266 1450 and we would be happy to give you shipping advice.

Houston Shipping Company sees Great Things at Port of Houston

Pack n send received this article in an email about the Port of Houston.  This article follows in line with our contining series about why Houston is a great place to conduct business. We have reprinted this article to share with our cutomers.

Business remains strong at the Port of Houston, which has helped to keep Houston’s economy outpacing the rest of the nation, Port Commission Chairman James T. Edmonds reported at the Greater Houston Partnership “State-of-the-Port” luncheon yesterday. It was his final such address as he announced he would not be seeking reappointment, after leading the Port Commission for a dozen years.

In introductory remarks, former Port Commission Chairman Ned Holmes said Edmonds “has kept an even keel and steered the port to ever greater levels of prosperity that all of us benefit from in Houston, the state and beyond.”

Edmonds told a crowd of nearly 500 business leaders, elected officials and community leaders at the JW Marriott Hotel that “the port is a remarkable and important part of Houston and vital to our economic health.”

With a new executive director in charge, record revenue and container activity, the upcoming expansion of the Panama Canal to handle larger ships with more cargo, and the introduction of new ships in an all-water service from Asia to Houston, Edmonds said the Port of Houston Authority is well-positioned for success in the future. The Port Authority also continues its lead in environmental stewardship and maintains a strong position in the market. Houston stands out among U.S.ports because of its excellent labor relations and a business-friendly environment, he said.

The latest economic impact study shows that businesses relying on the Houston Ship Channel generate more than one million jobs in Texas and more than two million in the nation. The economic impact of the port is $178.5 billion statewide and $499 billion nationwide.

In 2011, the Port Authority earned $204 million, its highest revenue income, and handled just under 1.9 million container units.

“I feel good leaving the Port Authority in a healthy financial state,” Edmonds said. “I am confident about the port’s future, especially with its leadership in the competent hands of Executive Director Leonard Waterworth.”

In his remarks, Waterworth paid tribute to Edmonds and the leaders a century earlier whom he called the “keepers of the port,” who left a priceless legacy.

“The courageous people who came before us built a community of opportunity,” he said. “For 98 years, the Port of Houston has served as the catalyst for the economic growth that we enjoy today. And our current success will be a legacy for those who follow us.”

To fulfill its vision and prepare for the future, Waterworth said the Port Authority must have the proper infrastructure in place to effectively work and manage the larger ships.

Nearly $3 billion is needed for upgrades to Port Authority facilities over the next 15 years, he noted. Part of that preparation involves the critical work of deepening and widening two container terminal channels that connect to the Houston Ship Channel and an investment in wharves and cranes.

With the presidential elections looming, Waterworth said he was inspired by an image of the “city upon a hill” from an ancient parable that was used by two former presidents from opposing parties. Both John Kennedy and Ronald Reagan paid homage to that shining city.

“I believe that Houston is the center of the next great economic expansion. It can be that metaphorical Shining City on the Hill,” he concluded.

The PowerPoint presentation is now available on the Port of Houston Authority’s website, www.portofhouston.com.

For information about Houston packing, shipping and container loading, please feel free to contact pack n send in Houston at 713 266 1450.

 With many juniors both at the high school and college level spending their junior year abroad, parents need to address shipping options for their students posessions. 

Some students may be happy to travel for the entire year with a back pack and a suitcase. Most students need more than just a few items for an entire year. 

The majority require some sort of shipping for all of their  personal items. They also may want to ship a gift for the host family. Something that reprensents your family, community, or state is usually  a good idea. 

We offer a few suggestions.  

Ship some of the students belongings ahead of time via air.  The host family will then be able to set up the students bedroom in a welcoming manner. Sometimes families ship sheets or even just pillow cases along with clothing for the out of season items. In other words, if it is summer in the country your student will be studying in, send the winter clothes ahead of time.

 Some of the other items you may want to ship ahead of time, are personal pictures, books or other momentos from your home.

 While many students do opt for the junior year abroad, some students take the semester abroad option.

 For these students we recommend shipping ahead of time also.  The semester abroad option usually is best for students who are not yet ready to commit for an entire school year away from family and friends.  Setting up skype with the host family is a great option to stay in touch, yet afford your student time in a foreign country. 

 When students are returning home from their semester or year abroad, we have noticed an increase in students families  travelling to the host country to both meet and thank the family, and to travel before the students year abroad ends.

 We recommend leaving some space for purchases in the families suitcases.  Once again, the rest of the students posessions will be shipped home. 

For more information about shipping abroad for both students who study a semester abroad and students who study their junior year  abroad, please feel free to contact pack n send in Houston at 713 266 1450.

 Now that you are at your summer destination, what do you do when it rains outside?  Like most travelers, you shop.

 It may be back to school clothing for your children or souvenirs for you relatives. It may be a piece of artwork or a sculpture that you just had to have.  In some cases it may be handmade furniture by a local craftsman.

As you sit in your hotel room, you realize that the good old days of buying an extra piece of luggage to and taking the purchases with you on the airplane are behind you. You may also realize that the items you purchased are simply to big to take with you on the plane.

The charges for the new suitcase and the airline fees to take this luggage on the airplane are just too high? 

So what do you do?

Call you hotel concierge. Ask him for the phone number or website of a local shipping store.  The store will be able to pick up your purchases, pack value and ship then for you. They can schedule these purchases to arrive back at your home.

 If you have purchased furniture, ask the store about their small move service. Also inquire about their furniture freighting services.  As for the art work, ask about a custom made box or crate.

 This is a win for you. You do not have to lug the new purchase with you, and you know when they will arrive at your home.

Just because your vacation has be effected by the weather, the joy of purchasing will only be enhanced by shipping the items home for you to enjoy. 

For more information about shipping your purchases while on vacation, please feel free to contact pack n send inHoustonat  713-266-1450.

 After last years success with our school program for children,   pack n send it thought might be fun to look at moving from the children’s point of view. We have asked a few children to offer us advice and ideas about what is important to them in a move.

Today we posted our first set of tweets from the children's point of view.

Best part of moving from a 15 yr old! You get to have a new house.

Moving Tip from a 6 year old!  Kids should help pack. Its kind and it is their house.

Best part of moving from a 15 yr old! You can get your own room.

Moving Tip from a 6 year old!  Kids should help pick out the house.

Best part of moving from a 15 yr old! You will have a lot more space.

Pack n send will be posting children’s thoughts on moving throughout the summer. If your child would like to submit their thoughts or ideas about moving, we would be happy to post them to our website.

You can email your child’s thoughts pack n send directly at: sales@pack-n-send.com  Please write  “Children’s Thoughts about Moving” in the subject line.

If you or your family needs assistance with small moves, freight or furniture shipping, please feel free to call pack n send at 713 266 1450.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tip One:  Ship early.  Do not wait until the last week to ship.  Allow enough time for your package to arrive using the least expensive shipping method.  We recommend using a  shipping method that provides you with a tracking number.

Tip Two:  Make sure the address is accurate.  Double check the zip code, street address and apartment number. Provide the telephone number.

Tip Three:  If you can ship to a business, send your gifts to the business address.  This will usually cost less than home delivery.

We also have a few packing tips for your holiday shipping.

For breakable items, pack the box with a  lot of cushioning.  Bubble and peanuts are good for protection during shipping. You can use blank newsprint. We do not recommend using newspaper, since the ink can rub off on the items that you are shipping.

For delicate items, use  bubble wrap and peanuts to make sure that when you press down on the box, there is no movement. If you can feel the item move around in the box, it is not protected well enough to be shipped.

Do not use string or garbage bags on the outside of the box. Boxes are not sorted by hand, but are placed on conveyor belts. Garbage bags can tear, and string can get caught in machinery.

For more tips on domestic and international shipping, please feel free to call pack n send in Houston,TX at 713 266 1450.

Khou TV in Houston reported last night about a car theft ring that was steeling cars in the Dallas area, and then loading the cars into shipping containers for overseas shipment.

 Luckily an alert Texas State Trooper heard the sound of a Lojack vehicle coming from the Port of Houston. The sound was not emanating from a parked car in the lot but was coming from a shipping container.

 With much diligence and coordination between Houston Police, The Port of Houston Police and US Customs, the car was located inside of a container. The officers then proceeded to find other vehicles, also stolen, inside other shipping containers. The vehicles were filled with  household items.

When shipping vehicles over seas, make sure that you have a clear title to the vehicle.   It is not recommended to have any items stored inside the vehicle. On a commercial invoice make sure to  list all items inside a container.

For information on shipping cars or motorcycles both domestically or internationally, please feel free to contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

The Houston Chronicle article in this mornings paper updates information about the port expansion at the Port of Houston.

 Since the Panama Canal is increasing the size of the ships that pass though it, the Port of Houston is remodeling so that it too can accommodate the larger ships. The Panama Canal anticipates finishing the improvements in 2014.

 The total expansion of the Port of Houston will take about 10 years to complete, but the first phase  of completion  should coincide with the completion of the Panama Canal.

 The Port of Houston is looking at storing containers five high. They will need to reinforce storage areas with stronger concrete. 

 Pack n send tries to keep our customers updated on improvements in the shipping industry as well as events at the Port of Houston.

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

Written by Empowered Newswire

Winning international applause and acclaim for Nigeria, Nigerian-born US based oil tycoon, Dr. Kase Lawal has been elected for a consecutive 7th term in office by the City Council of Houston, America's 4th largest city as a Commissioner in the Port of Houston Authority,Texas, Empowered Newswire reports.

In a press release over the weekend from Texas by the Port Commission, the Houston City Council "unanimously reappointed businessman Kase Lawal to the Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority for a seventh term," having been initially named to the two-year term office in June 1999.

 The Port Commission is the governing board of the Port of Houston Authority.

Lawal who also announced that he will retire at the end of the 7th term is the only African on the board of the Port Authority, which controls the second biggest American port. A notable business entrepreneur in the US, Lawal, who hails from Ibadan, is also the chairman of Port Authority's Small Business Development Task Force. Lawal was named last year by US and Canada based Nigerians as one of the top 50-American based Nigerians to mark Nigeria's Golden Jubilee independence celebrations.

The press release said "Lawal brings an extensive history of civic service to his port position." He is currently serving President Barack Obama as a member of the White House Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations (ACTPN).

Previously, according to the release, he was appointed to the United States Trade Advisory Committee on Africa, reporting to President Bill Clinton, and was the U.S. Trade Representative on trade policy in Africa.

Commenting on the development, Dr Lawal said "representing the city of Houston as a Port of Houston Authority commissioner is a true honor and significant responsibility, particularly given the port's vital economic role to not only the city, but this nation," Lawal said.

Speaking further, Dr Kase Lawal, the chairman of CAMAC Energy, a US-traded oil and gas corporation added that "I appreciate the full confidence of the City Council and will continue to strive to represent the city and the port well."

The press release disclosed that Lawal's candidacy was put forward for the 7th term on the Commission by City Council member James Rodriguez. The Council member observed that Dr. Lawal's continued presence on the Port Commission is positive for the Port Authority as well as the city.

"It was my distinct honor to nominate Dr. Kase Lawal to the Port of Houston Authority," Rodriguez said. "Dr. Lawal's knowledge and experience in international affairs make him a major asset to the Port Commission. I am confident that his reappointment will keep our port and regional economy thriving."

Port Commission Chairman Jim Edmonds also lauded the reappointment of the US-based Nigerian.

According to Edmonds, "Commissioner Lawal is a well-known and well-respected leader in the international business community. His work on the commission, particularly as a supporter of small business development and education, is welcomed."

Lawal is chairman and chief executive officer of CAMAC International Corporation, a multi-national energy corporation. CAMAC and its affiliates are engaged in oil and gas exploration and production, engineering services and crude oil and natural gas trading for worldwide markets.

Under his leadership, CAMAC has consistently ranked on the Forbes Magazine list of the 400 largest privately-owned corporations in the United States and on the Black Enterprise Magazine list as the second largest African-American owned company in the United States.

In 2006, CAMAC was named the Company of the Year by Black Enterprise Magazine. Lawal is also the chairman of Allied Energy Corporation and a significant stakeholder in Unity National Bank, the only federally insured and licensed African American owned bank in Texas, where he serves as vice chairman of the bank's board of directors.

Besides, he is a former member of the United States Council on the Business Development Committee of the U.S.- South Africa Binational Commission and the Board of Directors of the Corporate Council on Africain Washington,D.C. He is also a former member of the Board of Directors of the World Trade Council of the Greater Houston Partnership.

The Port of Houston Authority owns and operates the public facilities located along the Port of Houston, the 25-mile-long complex of diversified public and private facilities designed for handling general cargo, containers, grain and other dry bulk materials, project and heavy lift cargo, and other types of cargo.

Each year, there are more than 7,700 vessel calls at the port, which ranks first in theU.S.in foreign water borne tonnage and second in overall total tonnage.

Pack n send has reprinted this article as a service to our customers. For more information about shipping from the Port of Houston, freight, moving, cargo and crating 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;" />

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pack n send has begun to look at Deflecktor Aero Wheel Covers. These are wheel covers that are fitted over tires to reduce drag and improve fuel efficiency. The covers smooth out wheel contours, which helps to create fuel efficiency.

Handy shipping news has an article that sates that the fuel savings is about 1 per cent per year.

Based on running multiple trucks and rising gas prices, this may be a very environmentally strategic product.

Pack n send is looking into these wheel covers for both moving and freighting.

For more information on environmentally helpful business practices and packing shipping freigt and moving, please feel free to contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

See more photos by Matthew Hull at PBase.
See my portfolio at

Since glass is fragile, you need to search out a company that has experience picking up, packing and shipping fragile items. Be sure to ask if each piece of glass is delicately double bubbled. Once the pieces are wrapped they are put inside one box, they should then be placed inside another double wall box with a minimum 2-3 inch cushion of peanuts packed fully into the box.

Ask if the company you are choosing for your valuable glass has experience packing the following items:

• Bowls
• Goblets
• Lamps
• Wine Glasses
• Vases
• Cups
• Glass table tops
• Picture Frames
• Stained glass
• Waterford Crystal
• Swarovski Crystal

Certain items such as Stained Glass will need specialize packing.

Stained glass should be  packed in a custom built crate. Depending on the size and fragility of the piece we use up to 3 inches of Styrofoam on the bottom of the crate and 1-2 inches of Styrofoam on the sides and top.  After double or triple bubbling, a minimum of 2-3" of peanuts should be  used on the front and back. The crate should be closed with staples on the bottom, and screws on the top to make it easy to open. Then a metal band should be  put around the crate to secure it.

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

There are some very basic questions you need to ask before you contract someone to build a crate.

You will need ask if they can supply the wood for both domestic and international shipping.

Can they build reusable crates?

Do they have experience with both large and small items.

Have they crated delicate or valuable items in the past? Be sure and ask for examples of these items.

Do they know the proper amount of padding to add inside the crate for different types of items. High value painting with glass require different preparation and padding from artistic statutes.

How do they bind the crate? Do they nail it or use screws to close the crate? Do they secure the crate with metal banding?

For an experienced crate builder and freight shipper with over 25 years experience, contact Pack n Send in Houston for your next freight or shipping job. Please cal us at 713 266 1450 if you have any questions about building a crate.

Photo credit bjornmeansbear

We are continually looking for ways to save our customers money.  With our furniture freighting service, we can  pick up anywhere in the United States, put your furniture on a truck, and have your furniture delivered to your home or office. We have many repetitive customers, but if you are a one time shipper, that is fine too.

There is not a minimum weight requirement as there is with more traditional moving services. We offer both curbside delivery, and inside delivery.  The curbside delivery saves the most amount of money. If you need a lift gate truck at either the pick up or delivery, we will provide it.

We make sure of your items will be items being shipped are properly and securely packaged.

The freight shipment will be packaged, crated, or stacked and secured onto a palletpallets with metal  banding. Labels will be placed on every freight piece of freight.

We will provide you with your bill of lading number.  We offer full value coverage for your shipment for both loss and damage.

We deliver to homes, business, apartments, estates, farms, and construction sites.  All we need is an address and phone number. We call ahead of time to arrange delivery.  Once the pallet arrives, all you need to do is inspect all of your items, sign for the shipment, and you are done.

The unpacking of the freight can be accomplished on your own time schedule.

All you need to do is let us know the pick up, delivery address, items that you need to ship and value, and we will handle your freight shipment.

We freight office furniture, home furnishings, purchases made for designers and just about anything else.  Of course for individuals or businesses requiring white glove service, we offer our moving services.

If you would like to freight your furniture, please feel free to call us at 713 266 1450.

www.pack-n-send.com

 
See more photos by Matthew Hull at PBase.
See my portfolio at

The downturn is due to Natural Disasters and  the General Economic Climate

WORLDWIDE - The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has published its findings on air freight traffic for June based on results gleaned from the organizations 230 members. Year on year air cargo fell globally by around 3% for the month meaning freight volumes have not grown since July-August 2010. May 2010 was the post-recession re-stocking peak, compared to which the June 2011 international freight market was 6% smaller. While world trade is expanding at 7% a year, the benefit is being realized more by modes of transport other than air according to IATA.

The Asia Pacific group of carriers are the biggest players in the air freight sector with a 40.5% market share and a downturn in Chinese economic growth plus the disastrous earthquake and tsunami which impacted on supply chains in Japanare blamed for a 5.8% fall in traffic levels. IATA say the strength of the region however is shown in the maintenance of the highest load factors (58.6%) well ahead of the 45.7% industry average for the month.

Of the losers Europe was least affected having already suffered falls over recent months and only a 1.3% drop against June 2010 was recorded. The US market fell off 3% whilst more positive news came from air freight carriers in the Middle East, Latin America and Africa showing year-on-year growth for June, recording demand increases of 3.7%, 2.8% and 0.3% respectively. Tony Tyler, IATA’s Director General and CEO commented:

“Compared to May both passenger and cargo markets contracted by about 1%. For passenger traffic, this is a speed-bump in a gradual post recession improvement. But air cargo continues in the doldrums at 6% below the post-recession peak.

“The industry is living in several different realities. With high load factors and an upward growth trend, the passenger business is doing better than cargo. But regional growth patterns are shifting. The Middle East carriers have moderated to a single digit expansion and tighter economic conditions have slowed China’s growth. Meanwhile, Latin Americais leading the industry expansion followed by Europe which is growing strongly despite its currency crisis. And North America is underperforming the industry on growth but leading on load factors.

“What is clear is that the rising jet fuel price is putting pressure on the bottom line. The average price for the second quarter was $133/barrel which is an increase of $10 over the first quarter. With an expected profit margin of only 0.7%, the ability of airlines to recoup this cost is critical to staying in the black for the year. Slower economic growth makes these challenges all the more difficult. It is certainly not the time to burden the industry with increases in other costs, including taxation.”

IATA is forecasting an industry profit of $4 billion for 2011 which is a 78% fall from the $18 billion that the airlines made in 2010. On anticipated revenues of $598 billion, this translates to a net industry margin of 0.7%. Based on a forecast average oil price of $110/barrel for 2011 and a jet fuel price of $126.5/barrel, the industry fuel bill is expected to be $176 billion which accounts for 30% of costs.

Pack n send has reprinted this article from The Handy Shipping guide as a service to our customers. We have noted in past blogs that freight companies continue to be optimistic and are continually adding to their fleets.

 For more information about freight, cargo and moving out of Houston, please fell free to contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

With Cuba opening and improving ports US exporters are waiting for Cuba to open as a viable trading partner. While other countries help with port development, the US can only hope to take advantage of these updated ports when free trade between the countries is established.

PSA scoops Mariel deal

PSA International will manage and operate the container terminal being built at the Cuban  port  of  Mariel.

The terminal is part of a larger scheme to developMarielBay, 28 miles west of  Havana, into the  Caribbean  country’s most important cargo hub and light manufacturing centre.

PSA won a bid to manage the Mariel terminal last year and had since been in negotiations with master developer Zona de Desarrollo Integral de Mariel, part of Almacenes Universal SA, which is linked to the Cuban Army.

Local sources said  PSA   International would now actively participate in planning the terminal, which is scheduled to open by 2014 when ships up to 14,000 TEU will begin traversing thePanama Canal.

Mariel will initially have a 700m berth with a depth alongside of 15m. It is ideally situated to handle  US  cargo if the American trade embargo is eventually lifted, and will receive US food exports already flowing into the country under a 2000 amendment to sanctions.

The Brazilian government has pledged US $800M so far to finance construction of infrastructure and port facilities already under way in conjunction with the Odebrecht group.

 World Cargo News published this article July 2011.Pack n send has republished this article for our international customers. At some time in the future, we anticipate that US based companies and individuals will be able to use this improved port for cargo shipping.

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

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Another example of how Freight Companies help with charities has been exhibited by The Woodland Group. UK - Proving it delivers much more than logistics solutions, the Essex-based Woodland Group has become corporate sponsor of the national disability sports charity, the Panathlon Challenge. The brainchild of fellowEssex resident Ashley Iceton, the Panathlon Challenge is now in its 10th year of delivering sporting opportunities and “mini-Paralympic” type competitions for disabled youngsters.

Woodlandhas agreed to provide substantial funding over the next two years, as well as access to professional services andWoodland’s infrastructure ofUKoffices and staff members.

Commenting onWoodland’s sponsorship, Ashley said: “Support like this is game-changing for a small charity and will enable us to recruit a full-time fundraiser and a part-time events manager.

“More importantly, the fund will provide a level of stability and a professional platform to help us develop our activities. The investment will mean we can help hundreds more disabled young people.”

Kevin Stevens, chairman and CEO of the Woodland Group, added: “Panathlon is a fantastic charity which relies on Ashley’s hard work and the kind support of its donors.

“We are delighted to help the charity grow in the lead up to the Paralympics and are confident that our efforts will make a real difference to this highly-regarded organisation.”

One of the most important events in Panathlon’s events calendar is theLondonregional final, which this year took place on June the 16th. Team Newham finished first with 50 athletes from 10 schools bagging their first Panathlon London title.

 This article was published by The Handy  Shipping Guide and is another example of freight companies helping out worldwide.

For freight, moving and shipping information in Houston and the United States, please feel free to contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

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

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

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

 Con-way Truckload, the U.S. road freight subsidiary of international logistics operator Con-Way Inc., has announced that due to expanding demand they are to reopen their driver orientation site in Phoenix, Arizona.

The site closed in 2009 as a retrenchment measure, but now Con-way intends to recruit 30-50 experienced drivers a month from Arizona, California, Nevada, Colorado and New Mexico.

Drivers joining Con-way undergo a five-day program where they complete the required paperwork and road test, learn about policies and procedures and take the Department of Transportation-mandated physical exam, among other activities.

Prior to the reopening, drivers in the Western states had to conduct this at Con-way’s Lancaster, Texas facility. Now the Phoenix site will allow drivers from the Western states joining Con-way to conduct their orientation closer to home.

"The Phoenix site offers area drivers the opportunity to attend our orientation program in their own backyards before hitting the road with a company recognized for superior service, rewarding career opportunities and strong commitment to safety," said Bert Johnson, senior director of human resources, Con-way Truckload.

"With a growing customer base, competitive pay package and new equipment, there has never been a better time to join Con-way Truckload."

This article was taken directly from the Handy Shipping Guide.

Pack n send monitors both freight industry news as well as environmental improvements in the shipping industry.

For more information about shipping freight, packing and moving in the United States and Houston, Texas, please feel free to call pack n send at  713 266 1450.

 Yesterday we reported purchases of 777’s by Qatar Airways.  Today we are reporting purchases of 777’s by Fed
Ex. 

 As we report more and more purchases of airplanes to ship cargo and freight both in Houston, and world wide, it give us a glimmer that the worldwide economy is looking up.

 Fed Ex has purchase the 777’s for use in the northern part of India. Business for auto, clothing jewelry and gems  are on the rise in this part of India.  Also, increases have been noted in the are of hi tech items.

With these lighter 777’s the fuel emissions will decrease about 20 per cent.  Companies worldwide are trying to decrease the effect on the environment with these new lighter and fuel efficient aircraft.

Pack n send continually monitors world wide cargo and freight trends. Last year companies were spending money retrofitting trucks that were already on hand to improve fuel efficiency.

This year we are noting increases in equipment purchases that already have incorporated fuel and environmental savings.

 For information about packing, crating, freight and cargo shipping, container loading, and freight receiving  in Houston Texas and thought out the United States, 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.

We have reprinted portions of  this article from the Handy Shipping  News as a service to our customers.

WORLD WIDE - The largest air freight bodies have joined together to present a united front to regulatory authorities globally and ensure their views carry the maximum weight. Michael Steen, Vice Chairman of The International Air Cargo Association  on behalf of the Chairman, Des Vertannes, Global Head of Cargo of the International Air Transport Association ,Jean-Claude Delen, President of , the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations,, and Peter J. Gatti, Executive Vice President of the U.S. based shipper organization, The National Industrial Transportation League  speaking on behalf of the Global Shippers’ Forum  have signed a letter of intent committing to work towards the formation of an industry advisory group facilitated by TIACA to ensure the air cargo industry has a strong, unified voice.

The agreement commits TIACA, GSF, FIATA and IATA to work together to look at their current positions on issues such as security, customs reform, e-Commerce, and the environment and to try to find common ground to best protect and promote the interests of the air cargo industry, the organizations and its customers. The review will also look at the associations’ respective resources committed to industry affairs and consider how to make the most effective use of the existing and growing relationships TIACA, GSF, FIATA and IATA have with relevant government departments and other regulatory bodies.

The associations will also discuss the involvement of other global industry groups in the air cargo supply chain and seek the support of bodies such as the World Customs Organization (WCO). Michael Steen said:

“TIACA, GSF, FIATA and IATA will continue to operate as they do today in terms of how they support their respective memberships. This initiative is to look at how we can combine our respective strengths, contacts and resources in the area of regulatory affairs. We are delighted that both FIATA and IATA have so readily committed to this important initiative for our industry, and that GSF has joined this effort. We all hope for a positive outcome over the next few months.

“Collectively we represent the most powerful grouping of all parties involved in the air cargo supply chain. We all share a common goal to protect our members against costly and sometimes unnecessary changes in legislation and to have a practical input into any future regulatory challenges before they become mandatory. We also want to have the strongest possible voice when it comes to highlighting to policy makers the vital role air cargo plays in world trade, in employment, in consumer choice and in the growth of developing markets.”

IATA boss Giovanni Bisignani added:

“By value 35% of goods traded internationally travel by air cargo. In volume, that’s 26 million tons of cargo annually. Without air cargo, the global economy cannot function. The industry is working together to improve efficiency with programs like IATA e-freight. But governments have not always received clear signals from industry on what is needed for efficient global air cargo operations. A strong and unified industry voice through the Global Shippers Forum is a step in the right direction. IATA looks forward to working with FIATA, GSF and TIACA to make it an effective industry tool.

“But we cannot be successful without an effective regulatory environment. We have been proactive in representing the airline industry and we would have a great deal to offer to a wider group representing the interests of the entire air cargo supply chain and customers. We believe FIATA and TIACA would be strong partners to work alongside, as well as the GSF. We are keen to approach our discussions positively. Clearly, regulators will see us as having a more powerful voice as a group than as individual associations when it comes to industry affairs and we hope they will be even more willing to listen to us and to work with us.”

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

This article has been reproduced form Handy Shipping   News as a service to our customers.

SOMALIA – SEYCHELLES – Notable victories for the EU NAVFOR Somalia force this week with the warship SPS Galicia supported by a Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft (MPRA) able to locate and disrupt two groups of pirates in Kenyan waters. After two attacks on a merchant vessel on the 2nd November the Galicia, which was patrolling the shipping lanes some 75 miles distant was able to answer the distress calls and intercept two skiffs with eleven suspected pirates aboard.

The coordination between the EU NAVFOR French Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft (MPRA) and EU NAVFOR Spanish SPS Galicia’s helicopter made it possible to relocate one skiff. The warship’s helicopter successfully intercepted this skiff with the ship’s boarding team. One fuel drum, several jerry cans, ladders, and 7 people were found onboard the skiff. Quantities of weaponry and one orange tarpaulin were seen being thrown overboard by the helicopter team.

Early the following day, the helicopter of SPS Galicia was able to sight two more suspicious skiffs, sailing with ladders, jerry cans and powerful overboard motors. One of the two skiffs was quickly intercepted by the Galicia’s boarding team. Further attempts to stop the second skiff by the helicopter continued, in vain.

In total, 11 suspected pirates and 2 skiffs were intercepted; one further skiff fled the scene. The absence of flagrante delicto did not make it possible to pursue prosecution. One skiff was confiscated and suspected pirates were sent back to Somalia in the second one. This disruption hampered pirate action and avoided highly probable attacks on merchant and vulnerable vessels.

On the 3rd November the EU NAVFOR operation saw a further notable victory when the first judgment yesterday in a Seychelles prosecution in connection with the interdiction of a pirate group by an EU NAVFOR warship resulted in guilty verdicts being handed down on eleven Somali men accused of acts of piracy. The judge, His Lordship Judge Burhan, delivered the verdict at the Seychelles Courts on 3 November, sentencing all eleven pirates to prison sentences of six years each, with a reduction for time spent on remand.

Major General Buster Howes, Operation Commander of EU NAVFOR Somalia commented:

“This first conviction of pirates transferred by EU NAVFOR to the Seychelles marks an important step in the co-operation between European Union and the Republic of Seychelles in the suppression of acts of piracy off the coast of Somalia.”

The conviction relates to the attack on the Spanish Fishing Vessel Intertuna 2, on 5 March 2010. The pirate gangs activities detected in the Somali basin, approximately 350 nautical miles off the Somali Coast, led to an immediate response by the EU NAVFOR French warship FS Nivose which was tasked to investigate in the area. She eventually intercepted and boarded two skiffs and a whaler, in an area clearly linked to the unsuccessful attack on the fishing vessel. The whaler was destroyed and the warship took on board the two skiffs, detaining the suspected pirates. With the evidence gathered and presented to the Seychelles authorities, it was approved for the 11 detainees to be flown on 17 March from Djibouti to the Seychelles for prosecution.

Prosecution was conducted by a Prosecutor of England & Wales who is qualified to appear in the Seychelles Court and played an important role in the timely and efficient management of the trial. The Defence Counsel was appointed by the United Nations - this is a common practice to help ensure the suspect persons have access to free legal representation and thus a fair trial. The case was conducted in English. However, language interpreters were present for the Somalis, as well as for the Spanish, Italian, and French witnesses.

The maximum sentence upon conviction for piracy offences in Kenya is 30 years; under Seychelles Law – and indeed as a precondition for all suspected pirates being transferred by EUNAVFOR – capital punishment is not available. The good news was somewhat dulled by a report that the Comorian flagged MV Aly Zoulfecar had been seized by pirates as it travelled between the Comoros Islands and Tanzania the same day. The vessel carried nine crew plus twenty passengers, but on attempting to sail to Somalia she ran out of fuel and demands were made for the Tanzanian authorities to resupply her. We await further news as to her fate.

Photo: Rear-Admiral Bauza (former EU NAVFOR Deputy Commander) and French Ambassador H.E. Philippe Delacroix inspect items seized from the pirate gang sentenced yesterday.

For information about cargo shipping from Houston, please contact us 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.

With weather presenting difficulties for freight movement throughout the US, and Europe, and Australia, the southern part of Texas is a shining light for freight movement at this time.

The article below from the Handy Shipping   Guide highlights some of the difficulties that Australia is now facing.

 AUSTRALIA – The first estimates of damages caused by the continuing flooding have started to appear in press reports as heavy rain spreading from Queensland into New South Wales is predicted. Rail freight carrier QR National say they cannot yet estimate the cost to the company as mines resume some activity after strenuous efforts to pump water from the coal workings, but logistics industry analysts are estimating the cost to the company will be around A$45 million, assuming the waters start to recede this week.

Logistics in the region have been devastated as 4,000 people have needed evacuating from the hundreds of kilometres of countryside inundated so far. Since we reported some companies trading under force majeure many more have had to declare the same terms as exports of coal fell by around half a billion Australian dollars each week. Politicians are estimating the overall cost of the disaster as up to A$5 billion considering the loss of production of crops as well as coal.

The effect of the cessation of exports via the Blackwater freight rail service to Gladstone Docks has meant bulk carrying vessels lying offshore awaiting loads whilst QR’s other three rail freight coal carrying lines, the Newlands system through to the Abbot Point Terminal near Bowen, the Goonyella rail system through Dalrymple Bay and Hay Point coal terminals, near Mackay and the Moura coal rail system to domestic customers and to Gladstone port are still operating.

In the general freight business, Queensland’s North Coast Line remains closed from Brisbane to Cair

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

Pack n  send is posting this article from the Handy  Shipping Guide as a continuation on our series on environmentally correct companies in the shipping industry.

FRANCE – WORLDWIDE – Many companies in every industrial sector are aware of the importance of not only reducing their carbon footprint but announcing their efforts to the world. No part of world trade is under more scrutiny in this respect than the carriage of air and ocean freight. Now leading container shipping line   CMA  and CGM have released figures to demonstrate how successfully they are battling the problem and their commitment to continue on the same path with an eye to lowering the amount of pollution produced for every kilo of freight per kilometre.

The CMA CGM Group has made climate change one of its main concerns. In the last five years, the Group has taken numerous measures which have enabled it to reduce CO2 emissions from its fleet (both owned and chartered) by 35%. Among the wide variety of actions taken, the most notable was the company’s decision to equip its new vessels with the latest environmental technologies (electronically controlled engines, improved hydrodynamics, waste recycling, etc.) with the result that these vessels discharge only 52 grams of CO2 per km/TEU.

Overall the fleet have also achieved notable reductions. “Since 2005, we have been steadily reducing our CO2 emissions down from 116 to 86 grams per km/TEU. In line with our environmental strategy, we aim to continue our efforts to reach 82 grams by the end of 2011,” explains Philippe Borel, Environment Director of the CMA CGM Group, emphasising that the switch to slow steaming has played a major part in the performance.

We have highlighted previously some of the other measures the group is taking to improve its environmental credentials such as the use and trials of more    ecologically friendly boxes and reefers  and offer a lead for an industry bound to be subjected to even more pressure from the Green lobby in the future.

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

 While DHL has not posted the exact dates for holiday shipping for 2010, they do not offer any guarantees the week before Christmas.

 For shipping with DHL, pack n send would recommend shipping out side the United States by December 17 due to the high volume of packages they ship this time of year.

 While most countries take about three business days to ship during the holiday season, individuals and businesses shipping to Kazakhstan will probably need to allow at least  5 business days.

We will try and update our customers on a country by country basis as DHL we are provided with more information by DHL.

 We have included a complete list of the countries we ship to for our customers needing help shipping outside the United States.

If you need shipping times for specific countries, please feel free to contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

 Countries we ship to:

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We are reprinting this article from the Handy  Shipping  Guide as a service to our customers. It  highlights worldwide the concerns of citizens about “ business in their backyard.”

AUSTRALIA – We regularly have to highlight the pro’s and con’s of the development of multi modal freight terminals   in the UK and   elsewhere  as, world wide, the onus switches to less polluting methods to transport cargo. For every bright eyed developer there is usually to be found a bunch of local residents desperate to prevent the scheme. Cries of ‘profiteer’ and ‘Not in my back yard’ resound and the result is usually a long drawn out battle which may take years to resolve.

Now a plan to develop just such an intermodal shipping terminal on former defence land at Moorebank, New South Wales, with an estimated cost around half a billion Australian dollars, is already dividing local opinion. The attractions of seducing 40% of freight traffic from the roads onto rail, with the dual virtues of less pollution and congestion are obvious to all but the local mayor has been quoted as saying that the rail track operating 24/7 will affect residents unduly due to its proximity to a major urban area.

Now the authorities have confirmed there will be a full consultation procedure and yesterday confirmed that the Freight Infrastructure Advisory Board, a joint    N W W Government-stakeholder committee, in 2005 stated that 83 hectare site is a key component in meeting Sydney’s intermodal capacity needs. The scheme targets container traffic to and from   Port Botany and government estimates say it will create 1,700 jobs.

The terminal is the brainchild of the Sydney Intermodal Terminal Alliance (SIMTA), a consortium made up of property giants Stockland, Qube Logistics and QR National and Planning Minister Tony Kelly said the Department of Planning will now assess the SIMTA project under Part 3A of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act. Before making any decision SIMTA must:

• Undertake a comprehensive consultation with the community, particularly nearby residents, as it develops plans.

• Develop a proposal to be placed on public exhibition for at least 30 days, after addressing the relevant key issues outlined by the Department.

• Respond to submissions

Critics of the scheme have already commented on concerns that the extra local traffic generated will cause problems on parts of the already congested Highway M5 and interested parties are advised to keep track of developments as they occur.

Photo: Port Botany Container Terminal

For information about Houston shipping and shipping from the Port of Houston, please feel free to 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.

 Pack n send is monitoring Freight and Cargo Shipments both within the United State and worldwide.  This article taken from Handy Shipping   Guide highlights new strengths seen in US shipping markets.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pack n send is posting part of the information posted by MSNBC.  While we are in the process of adjusting freight shipments for our customers, and rescheduling when necessary, we are keeping an eye on the storm.

 HATTERAS ISLAND, N.C. — Hurricane Earl was barreling toward the Eastern Seaboard Thursday with winds swirling at around 145 mph, as forecasters issued a new warning for New York's Long Island and tried to work out how badly North Carolina would be hit.

With the storm expected to start hitting North Carolina later Thursday, officials expanded mandatory evacuation orders across new areas of the state's low-lying barrier islands.

The orders affect all visitors throughout Dare County as well as residents and visitors to the popular town of Nags Head, county emergency relief officials said.

Mandatory evacuations, similar to those already in effect for Hatteras Island and Ocracoke Island, were also ordered for the beach communities at Morehead City, authorities said.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami issued a tropical storm warning early Thursday for the coast of Long Island and a hurricane watch was issued for areas of Massachusetts. A hurricane warning was already in effect for the North Carolina coast.

Canadian officials also put parts of the Nova Scotia coast under a tropical storm watch.

Category 4 storm Earl, which has maximum sustained winds near 145 mph, was located about 410 miles south of Cape Hatteras, N.C., and was moving north-northwest near 18 mph.

Forecasters said the storm had strengthened slightly, but expected gradual weakening to start later Thursday. Hurricane-force winds extend outward 90 miles from its center.

Watches and warnings were posted along the Atlantic coast for most of North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island and part of Massachusetts, alerting residents that hurricane and tropical storm conditions were possible within 36 to 48 hours.

No storm has threatened such a broad swath of the U.S. shoreline — the densely populated coast from North Carolina to New England — since Hurricane Bob in 1991, National Hurricane Center spokesman Dennis Feltgen said.

The last Category 4 to approach the Outer Banks was Helene in 1950, NBC News Meteorologist Bill Karins reported.

'Very significant impact'
Large swells roiled the coastline and experts warned Earl would bring dangerously high seas.

The first winds were expected to reach the North Carolina's barrier islands by Thursday afternoon and gain force during the night, though the hurricane is then expected to start weakening, the NHC said.

Tourists were largely gone from North Carolina's Outer Banks, but those resolute residents who stayed behind said they were prepared to face down the powerful hurricane. The islands jut out into the Atlantic and are frequently smacked by hurricanes and storms.

"There is still concern that this track, the core of the storm, could shift a little farther to the west and have a very significant impact on the immediate coastline. Our present track keeps it offshore, but you never know," Feltgen said.

The storm was forecast to pass just off Cape Hatteras, bringing wind gusts of up to 100 mph and several feet of storm surge both from the Atlantic and the sounds to the west of the islands.

Evacuations continued Thursday with residents and visitors leaving a barrier island in Carteret County, N.C.

Emergency services director Jo Ann Smith, of Carteret County, said she wasn't sure how many people were affected by the order to leave the Bogue Banks areas.

Unlike some of the barrier islands on the Outer Banks who had to take a ferry, Smith said people could simply leave in their cars.

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

PAKISTAN - Following the heavy Monsoon floods that first hit the North of Pakistan, the country is now facing a similar impact on the South. As the floods sweep down from the North, thousands of Pakistanis seek refuge to escape the water and so increase the overall number of displaced people. DHL have sent a team to start the set up of a provisional warehouse and will help with the logistical handling of relief goods at the military part of Islamabad airport. The DRT will work free of charge and in close cooperation with the UN, in particular with the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the World Food Programme (WFP).

Both incoming goods of the World Food Programme as well as bilateral contributions from governments to Islamabad airport will be handled by the DHL Disaster Response Team on the ground. After the dispatch l of the initial team to Islamabad on the 25th August the Disaster Response Team is expected to stay up to three weeks on the ground. Throughout this time a total of 20 to 25 DHL employees from different business divisions is expected to help unload and pallet goods for further distribution. The teams will alternate on a weekly basis, working with 4-5 team members at a time.

Chris Weeks, Head of Humanitarian Affairs commented:

"Millions of people are affected by the water and are in particular need for food, tents and tarpaulins. We have set up basic logistics at the airport in order to facilitate the further transport of the goods over the next couple of weeks."

The amount of people being cut off by the floods is estimated to be 800,000 by the UN, with a total of 17 million people directly affected and 1.2 million homes destroyed. The delivery of goods to those stranded in remote areas as well as to displaced people is the biggest task over the next couple of days.

Following an agreement with UN departments in 2005 DHL maintain three Disaster Management Teams of around 240 employees who have volunteered to take part in the pro-bono humanitarian efforts. The teams can be deployed to a crisis area within 72 hours and for a period of up to three weeks. By that time, the initial wave of international charter aircraft bringing in aid supplies has normally subsided to a level that is manageable by local authorities

The reprinted article above was taken from Hancy  Shipping News.

For more information about shipping and cargo from Houston and other US cities, please contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

Pack n send is posting this press release issued by the Port Authority of Houston.  Pack n send ships cargo and containers through the port of Houston. 

Freight shipping from Houston has a major impact on the Houston economy.

By unanimous vote, the Harris County Commissioners Court and the Houston City Council today jointly re-appointed James T. Edmonds as chairman of the Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority. County commissioners and city council members gathered at Houston City Council Chambers for the re-appointment vote.

"I am deeply honored and grateful for the confidence Harris County Commissioners and the Houston City Council have expressed in me since I was first appointed chairman in 2000," Edmonds said. "I will work even harder over the next two years to ensure that confidence is well-placed."

Initially appointed to the port commission in October 1996 to represent Harris County, Edmonds was first appointed chairman in 2000 by the city and the county. Edmonds is also a member of the board of commissioners for the Houston Pilots Association. Port of Houston Authority (PHA) commissioners serve two-year terms without pay.

Under Edmonds' leadership as chairman, PHA has implemented some of the most innovative initiatives in environmental stewardship, security and facility operations while experiencing the most aggressive growth, capital expansion and profitability in the organization's 96-year history.

"I'm glad to see Jim Edmonds reappointed for another term as chairman of the Port of Houston Authority," said Harris County Judge Ed Emmett. "It's in times of economic uncertainty like these that Jim's foresight and calm, steady guidance are most needed. All of us in Harris County benefit from Jim's experience and wisdom."

The port authority made history in 2002, when it became the first U.S. port facility to implement an Environmental Management System (EMS) that meets the rigorous parameters of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14001 system. Under Edmonds' leadership, the port authority continues to set standards in environmental stewardship and security measures. In 2008, PHA became the world's first port authority to initiate a Security Management System worthy of certification for ISO 28000:2007. In 2009, the recertification of its EMS raised the bar yet higher, with the additional certification of the Bayport Container Terminal. Opened in February 2007, the Bayport terminal has added to PHA's capability to process 1.8 million in container TEUs annually.

Houston Mayor Annise Parker stated, "I am pleased to join Harris County Commissioners and Houston City Council in reappointing Jim Edmonds as chairman of the Port of Houston Authority. He is a proven leader who has guided the port through a period of unprecedented growth and environmental advances. Keeping him at the helm will help ensure this progress continues."

In addition to operating or leasing the public port facilities, the Port of Houston Authority is the sponsor of the Houston Ship Channel. In 2009, Chairman Edmonds worked closely with U.S. Rep. Gene Green and other members of the Texas congressional delegation to help the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers receive $98.8 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. It was the largest single allocation of federal funding for infrastructure projects the channel had ever received. The waterway's impact on the region includes about 785,000 jobs and $118 billion in economic activity. Across the U.S., 1.5 million jobs and $285 billion worth of economic activity are related to the ship channel.

Edmonds' leadership also enabled the port authority to play a major role in advancing railroad transportation efficiency by helping create the state's first Gulf Coast Rail District. The Houston Ship Channel Security District also gained state legislative approval during Edmonds' tenure. Both projects are highly regarded for setting standards of excellence in public- private partnerships.

The completion of the $700 million Houston Ship Channel deepening and widening project in 2005 is considered a testament to Edmonds' strength in building coalitions among congressional members and various local stakeholders. In addition to enhancing navigational safety for commercial vessels, the project created more than 4,200 acres of wetlands and wildlife habitats.

PHA's opportunities with small businesses also were elevated under Edmonds' leadership. In 2002, PHA created and implemented its Small Business Development program with a 35 percent participation goal and - since its inception - the program has awarded nearly $285 million in PHA eligible contracts to registered firms.

In addition to his civic service with the Port of Houston, Edmonds also serves as a board member of the Memorial Hermann Hospital System, Gulf Coast Rail District, I-69 TxDOT Advisory Committee, and the Alliance for I-69 Texas. Edmonds is president of Edmonds & Company, a business consulting firm. business consulting firm.

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

US - The Motor Carrier Protection Act just put forward by two Senators is causing ripples amongst the trucking and shipping industries. The bill proposed by Minnesota Democrat Amy Klobuchar and Republican Olympia Snowe from Maine is designed to toughen up the criteria needed by companies wishing to take responsibility for cargo in their care and applicable to all freight brokers and freight forwarders.

Industry critics say that this legislation merely increases the power of the larger carriers

The draft outline of the proposed regulations are as follows; each licensee must lodge a broker bond for $100,000 (currently $10,000), the  FMCSA) to lay out specific guidelines for applicants plus tougher regulations overall. Licenses to be reviewed annually or be automatically revoked with costs of licenses set to cover the FMCSA's enforcement budget. The are proposing stricter penalties for defaulters, including an unlimited liability for freight costs against any unlicensed broker or freight forwarder.

In addition each registration will be exclusive to each regulatory authority and documents for every transaction must show the license number and the authority which granted it plus the bond providers and their administration procedures will also be strictly controlled.

Motor carriers will doubtless be divided on the issue. To some it will mean more cost and more administration, with one slip potentially costing them serious money, to others, it will remove completely the rogue elements that plague the industries lower end and feed off smaller haulers made desperate by difficult times.

Pack n send has reprinted part of the article listed in the Handy Shipping Guide.  We closely monitor proposed legislation that will affect both  cargo shipping and the freight industry.

For assistance in shipping both freight and cargo containers, please call pack n send at 713 266 1450.

www.pack-n-send.com

Shipping Is Back on Missouri River

As pack n send sees more products moving domestically, we see a signal that business are again starting to ship more goods. This article from Kansas City InfoZine demonstrates more cargo moving  on the Missouri River.

Jefferson City, MO - Cargo is once again moving on the river! A newly energized shipping year begins by welcoming four barges onto the Missouri River.

Thursday morning more than 6,000 tons of fertilizer began moving up the Missouri River to farms and retail locations in Central Missouri, signifying the start of the most promising shipping season the industry has seen in eight years. The four barges are getting pushed by the M/V Butch Bowman, a 2400 horse power shallow draft boat ideal for Missouri River navigation. This load is expected to arrive at AGRI Services of Brunswick on Sunday.

Drought and low water levels the past eight years almost sunk Missouri River cargo shipping, but there's a rejuvenated focus to bring river traffic back. The Missouri Department of Transportation, along with agriculture and shipping partners, want renewed life on the Missouri River and have formed a unique partnership to increase  freight shipping, create  jobs and promote an environmentally friendlier way to transport goods.

"We established our own barge services division when other providers moved off the river. The Missouri river is the best way to move freight." said Bill Jackson, AGRI Services of Brunswick. "This is a viable shipping option which can save money, lower carbon dioxide emissions and relieve stress on our crowded freeways."

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

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Quotes for containers have been rising this year. As we look for ways to obtain excellent prices for our customers, we are faced with higher freight rates charged by shipping lines. Part of the explanation is stated in the article below.

Container Rates from China surge 24 per cent

Bruce Barnard | Jan 26, 2010 2:44PM GMT The Journal of Commerce Online - News Story

Fast-paced change buoyed by surge in demand, shortage of containers

Ocean container spot freight rates on the key export trades out of China to Europe and the U.S. east and west coasts soared by an average of 24 percent in the past three months.

The rate of recovery is much faster than expected, buoyed by a surge in demand this month, according to Alphaliner, the Paris-based container shipping consultant.

Continued high vessel utilization rates on certain trades, especially on services to Europe since Christmas, have also created shortages of empty containers in a number of locations, which in turn, has underpinned the higher freight rates.

The steep rise in rates resulted from successive rounds of rate increases imposed by ocean carriers since October and the extension of the peak season surcharge until February.

"It remains to be seen if the rates are sustainable as the Lunar New Year holidays in China in mid-February could lead to some weakening in freight rates," Alphaliner said.

Spot rates from Shanghai to the U.S. West Coast have risen by 26 percent in the past three months and are 17 percent higher on shipments to the U.S. East Coast.

Asia-Australia and Asia-Africa spot rates also have risen over the past three months, but rates to the Middle East, especially to the Gulf region, remain under pressure.

The high spot market rates on the major trades from China to Europe and the United States have come at a key period as contract rates for 2010 have also strengthened, Alphaliner said.

Twelve-month contract rates for the Far East-Europe trades starting in January or February 2010 are reported to be about 200 percent higher than last year, reflecting renewed optimism about trade prospects.

For more information on international shipping and packing  please fell free to contact pack n send.

http://www.pack-n-send.com/ 713 266 1450

The New York Times last week covered the squeeze put on ports around the world as shipping companies try to save money by moving freight less often. Across the board in 2009, the world saw a decrease in freight activity at all major ports. 

Fortunately, container imports at 10 major American ports are on the rise in 2010. Starting in February, after 31 months in decline, the National Retail Federation and IHS Global Insight expect a turnaround.

Already here at Pack n Send, we're seeing a slight increase in freight activity. From international shipping and nationwide furniture shipping, to small eBay shipping orders and auto transport, we're already sensing a turnaround in the economy. There is no shortage of families moving to Houston, which might explain why we're keeping busy.

Source: The New York Times

Today we have the pleasure of shipping 50 boxes of truffles for Teuscher Chocolates of Switzerland!

We wish we could eat all of these chocolates ourselves, they smell so tasty. Teuscher Chocolates was founded over 70 years ago by one of the world's greatest chocolatiers, Dolf Teuscher. He searched the world for the finest cocoa, marzipan, fruits, nuts, and other ingredients. After years of experimenting, he skillfully blended them into his now famous recipes.

Pack n Send can ship, move, and freight any item anywhere in the world. If you need a chocolate fix, visit the Teuscher Las Vegas website. If you need a shipping fix, call us at 713-266-1450 or request a shipping quote.

Shipping an estate can be quite complicated. An estate may include cars, furniture, and other large pieces. Items may need to be shipped to various different addresses of friends and family members.

For this reason, we recommend you follow these four tips to help you find a shipper, but also send goods to multiple receivers. 

1. Your estate shipper should send it all. When looking for a company to ship items for an estate, it is important to make sure that they can ship everything, including your fragile goods, as well as furniture and cars. 

2. Your shipper should send to multiple addresses. Your estate shipper should pick up your estate items and deliver them in the city, or that ships both domestically and internationally.

3. Find a shipper that brings supplies. Do you have the boxes and packing materials needed for your estate? Your shipper should have those goods on hand, just in case you want to save money and pack your own goods.If your shipper can bring boxes and supplies, family members can pack items should they choose to do so. This gives them the opportunity to save on packing costs. Items like clothes and books usually do not need professional packing. 

4. Tell the truth on value. Value the items for what they are actually worth, not at an inflated sentimental value.

If we can answer any of your estate shipping questions, please call us at at 713-266-1450 or contact us for a free shipping quote.

When you own many antique items that are very fragile it can be quite worrisome and stressful trying to pack up all those items for any move, whether it is short or long. A simple bump could shatter an antique quite easily if it is not packaged properly, which is why you want to ensure you've done it right to keep them safe and secure from point A to point B.

Packaging Your Antiques Properly

For those that are moving or needing to send an antique item you will want to consider understanding how to package them properly. It is not too difficult to do, but the slightest mistake could make or break your antiques.

When packaging these items you want to ensure that you seperate all portions and wrap each item individually. It may seem easier to package items as a whole, but this could pose to be a problem. Utilizing bubble wrap, peanuts, styrofoam and if needed double boxing could help protect your items from any bump or movement. You want everything to fit securely in the boxes that are used for shipping leaving no breathing room for movement.

Shipping Your Antiques Safely

The shipment of your antiques could be a very stressful time for anyone. Antiques tend to be family heirlooms which have a lot of memory and value to your family, so shipping them properly is key to their safe arrival at the next location.

When you are shipping your antiques you want to ensure that the company shipping them will handle the items properly and have zero mishandling. Not all companies truly pay attention to that "Fragile" sign on the side of boxes, so it is important to trust your shippers.

Using Pack n Send Packaging & Shipping Services

With Pack n Send you will be provided with some of the top shipping services that will ensure that your packages reach the next location safely. Antique shipping is something you want to ensure is done right. For those worried that they are not going to package their items properly Pack n Send can easily package your antiques for you safely and securely in their warehouse or your location. Every item will be packaged with the proper care and for larger items the use of crates is possible.

You should never have to worry that your antique items are not going to reach the next location in one piece. By utilizing the packing and shipping services that Pack n Send offers for antique items you can be positive everything is going to reach the end location safely, securely and on time.