With Houston being home to the Texas Medical Center, medical equipment is constantly being shipped into and out of the medical center.

When researching a company to ship and receive medical equipment as freight, we have the following suggestions:

 Choose a company that has been shipping and receiving medical equipment on a regular basis. Verify that the company is used to handling high value and delicate items.

 Check and see how long the current owners of the business have been handling freight shipping and receiving of medical equipment.

Look for a company that can un box, or un crate medical equipment.  They must be able to receive the freight and protect lenses, arms and feet of equipment that is being  loaded and delivered. Remember that each piece of medical equipment will need to be handled differently.

 Ask about valuation coverage for the items that the company will receive and then deliver the medical equipment.

Always be prepared to give the weight and dimensions of the equipment so that the proper number of personnel will be on hand to provide the unloading and delivery of the equipment.

As with any hospital environment, set up the delivery time ahead of time with the hospital administration.

For any questions about medical equipment shipping and receiving in the Houston area, please feel free to contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

We are offering a few observations and suggestions about trade shows in today’s economy.

 Exposure is everything. Without business contacts and new customers most businesses will stay stagnant or decline in size. The objective here is growing your business. Trade shows are an excellent way to show interested customers what services and goods you offer and to update current clients on new products that your company is offering for sale. Trade shows also give you the chance to see what other businesses in your selling arena are offering their customers.

 We recommend sending two teams to trade shows. One team is to sell at a trade show. The other team you take should scope out your competitors and see what they are doing to attract clients. In a multi day trade show, why not have some employees to out the first day and see if there are possible business contacts that your company would like to attract. On days two and three, high level executives can zero in on these contacts and meet with their trade show representatives.  

 In a sense, you also need to be careful when sending out your best employees to trade show.  This is a great mining way for companies to hire employees from competing companies.

 There are few rules to follow when shipping booths to trade show exhibits. First and foremost when preparing for an out of town trade show, make sure that your booth is shipped in a crate or container that can be reused for shipping after the trade show.  Look for a crate builder that specializes in commercial crating. The center where you have the trade show should be able to store this container for you during the trade show.

 The trade show should provide its own outline of requirements. However, here are a few suggestions to ensure a hitch-free exhibit:

 Contact your shipping company well in advance of the trade show.  Ask for accurate shipping times. This way, you will be able to receive the most cost effective quote.

If you are going to a trade show outside of the United States. There may be special requirement for any films or DVDs that you may want to have running at your trade show. Think modesty in dress, or alcohol and cigarettes. Review these guidelines before your make your video.  For example: Singapore has its own regulations and care should be taken when planning to attend a trade show in Singapore. We recommend that you do not carry your videos with you when you travel. It may delay your customs clearance.

 Be advised while promptness is a wonderful quality for any business…usually…, it’s best to not ship your exhibit too far in advance. If you do happen to ship your exhibit early you are responsible for any freight you have sent. The receiving venue should provide you with receiving dates for the trade show that you are attending.  They have these in place for a reason, since they probably have back to back trade shows scheduled. Although some hotels may accept your freight, if you ship it to the hotel that you are staying at, you are still responsible to transport your exhibit to the trade show.

Lots of exhibits rely on giveaways containing product branding.  Again; here you will need to check the countries local laws for compliance. Some goods may be subject to duties or taxes. Prohibited items may be confiscated and not returned to your company.

Ask for the layout of the venue at least one week in advance. This will help you know if you need extra lighting or extra extension cords for your visit.

 When it comes to packing make sure your equipment and displays are packed properly. You can either do it yourself or have a packing specialist do it for you.

 We have offered only a few suggestions but they should help you have trade show that will you to focus on developing new business   and assist getting your product and information out in the public.

 For more suggestions about setting up for trade shows and trade show shipping, please feel free to contact pack n send in Houston. We not only handle domestic trade show shipping, but also international freight shipping from Houston Texas.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
American Samoa
Andorra
Angola
Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Barbados
Baruba
Belarus
Belize
Belgium
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bolivia|
Bonaire
Botswana
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brazil
Brittish Virgin Islands
Brunei
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Canada
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
|Chile
China
Colombia
Congo
Congo Republic of
Cook island
Costa Rica
Croatia
Curaco
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Dominica
Dominican Republic
DPR of Korea Republic
East Timor
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Eritrea
Estonia
Ethiopia |
Faeroe Islands
Falkland Islands
Faroc Islands
Fiji
Finland
France
French Guinana
French Polynesia
Gabon
The Gambia
Germany
Gibraltar
Ginvea-Bissau
Ginvea-Exquatorial
Greece
Greenland
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guatemala
Guernsey
Guinea
Guinea Republic
Guyana Haiti
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran-Islamic Republic of Tersey
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Ivory Coast
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Korpa
Kosovo
Kosrae Island
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Libyan Arab Jamahiriy
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macao
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Martinique
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mexico
Micronesia
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
Netherlands
Netherlands Antilles
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Nive
Northern Mariana Islands
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Panama
Papa New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Phillipines
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Qatar Reunion
Romania
Rota
Russia
Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands)
Samoa
San Marino
Sao Tome and Principe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovak Republic
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
Somalia
Somaliand
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sri Lanka
St. Barthelemy
St. Croix
St. Eustatius
St. John
St. Kitts and Nevis
St. Lucia
St. Maarten
St. Thomas
St. Vincent
Sudan
Suriname
Swaziland
Sweden
Switzerland
Tahiti
Taiwan
Tanzania
Thailand
Tinian
Tonga
Tongo
Tortola
Trinidad and Tobago
Turkey
Turks and Caicos Islands
Turkmenistan
Tuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States of America
U.S. Virgin Islands
U.S. Virgin Islands(Brittish)
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vatican City
Venezuela
Vietnam
Virgin Gorda
Wallis and Futuna
ZimbabweMicronesia
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
Netherlands
Netherlands Antilles
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Nive
Northern Mariana Islands
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Panama
Papa New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Phillipines
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Qatar Reunion
Romania
Rota
Russia
Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands)
Samoa
San Marino
Sao Tome and Principe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovak Republic
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
Somalia
Somaliand
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sri Lanka
St. Barthelemy
St. Croix
St. Eustatius
St. John
St. Kitts and Nevis
St. Lucia
St. Maarten
St. Thomas
St. Vincent
Sudan
Suriname
Swaziland
Sweden
Switzerland
Tahiti
Taiwan
Tanzania
Thailand
Tinian
Tonga
Tongo
Tortola
Trinidad and Tobago
TurkeyTurks and Caicos Islands
Turkmenistan
Tuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States of America

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

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

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

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

If you have many pieces of antique furniture you may use a special mover that specializes in moving antiques.

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

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

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

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

If you are shipping an antique internationally, you need to look for a company that has experience. While various countries have specific requirements for antiques, any piece valued at greater than $2500 will need a Schedule B number.

We have listed below countries that we ship to in general. If you have any questions about shipping antiques, or worldwide shipping please feel free to contact us at 713 266 1450.

Afghanistan 
Albania 
Algeria 
American Samoa
Andorra 
Angola 
Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda 
Argentina 
Armenia 
Aruba
Australia 
Austria 
Azerbaijan 
Bahamas 
Barbados 
Baruba
Belarus 
Belize 
Belgium 
Benin 
Bermuda
Bhutan 
Bolivia|
Bonaire
Botswana 
Bosnia and Herzegovina 
Brazil 
Brittish Virgin Islands
Brunei 
Bulgaria 
Burkina Faso 
Burundi 
Canada 
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
|Chile 
China 
Colombia 
Congo 
Congo Republic of
Cook island
Costa Rica 
Croatia 
Curaco
Cyprus 
Czech Republic 
Dominica 
Dominican Republic 
DPR of Korea Republic
East Timor 
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador 
Eritrea 
Estonia 
Ethiopia |
Faeroe Islands
Falkland Islands 
Faroc Islands
Fiji 
Finland
France 
French Guinana
French Polynesia
Gabon 
The Gambia 
Germany 
Gibraltar
Ginvea-Bissau 
Ginvea-Exquatorial
Greece 
Greenland
Grenada 
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guatemala 
Guernsey
Guinea
Guinea Republic
Guyana Haiti
Honduras 
Hong Kong 
Hungary 
Iceland 
India
Indonesia
Iran-Islamic Republic of Tersey
Iraq 
Ireland
Israel 
Italy 
Ivory Coast
Jamaica 
Japan 
Jordan 
Kazakhstan
Korpa
Kosovo
Kosrae Island
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan 
Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Laos 
Latvia 
Lebanon 
Lesotho 
Liberia 
Libya 
Libyan Arab Jamahiriy
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg 
Macao
Malawi 
Malaysia 
Maldives
Mali
Malta 
Marshall Islands
Martinique
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mexico
Micronesia 
Moldova 
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Namibia 
Nauru
Nepal 
Netherlands 
Netherlands Antilles
New Caledonia
New Zealand 
Nicaragua 
Niger 
Nigeria
Nive 
Northern Mariana Islands 
Norway 
Oman 
Pakistan 
Panama
Papa New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Phillipines
Poland 
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Qatar Reunion
Romania 
Rota
Russia
Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands)
Samoa
San Marino 
Sao Tome and Principe
Saudi Arabia 
Senegal 
Serbia
Seychelles 
Sierra Leone
Singapore 
Slovak Republic 
Slovakia
Slovenia 
Solomon Islands 
Somalia 
Somaliand
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sri Lanka
St. Barthelemy 
St. Croix
St. Eustatius 
St. John
St. Kitts and Nevis
St. Lucia
St. Maarten
St. Thomas
St. Vincent 
Sudan
Suriname
Swaziland 
Sweden
Switzerland
Tahiti
Taiwan 
Tanzania 
Thailand 
Tinian
Tonga
Tongo 
Tortola
Trinidad and Tobago 
Turkey 
Turks and Caicos Islands 
Turkmenistan 
Tuvalu
Uganda 
Ukraine 
United Arab Emirates 
United Kingdom 
United States of America

United States of America 

U.S. Virgin Islands 
U.S. Virgin Islands(Brittish)
Uruguay
Uzbekistan 
Vanuatu
Vatican City
Venezuela 
Vietnam 
Virgin Gorda
Wallis and Futuna
Zimbabwe

Afghanistan 
Albania 
Algeria 
American Samoa
Andorra 
Angola 
Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda 
Argentina 
Armenia 
Aruba
Australia 
Austria 
Azerbaijan 
Bahamas 
Barbados 
Baruba
Belarus 
Belize 
Belgium 
Benin 
Bermuda
Bhutan 
Bolivia|
Bonaire
Botswana 
Bosnia and Herzegovina 
Brazil 
Brittish Virgin Islands
Brunei 
Bulgaria 
Burkina Faso 
Burundi 
Canada 
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
|Chile 
China 
Colombia 
Congo 
Congo Republic of
Cook island
Costa Rica 
Croatia 
Curaco
Cyprus 
Czech Republic 
Dominica 
Dominican Republic 
DPR of Korea Republic
East Timor 
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador 
Eritrea 
Estonia 
Ethiopia |
Faeroe Islands
Falkland Islands 
Faroc Islands
Fiji 
Finland
France 
French Guinana
French Polynesia
Gabon 
The Gambia 
Germany 
Gibraltar
Ginvea-Bissau 
Ginvea-Exquatorial
Greece 
Greenland
Grenada 
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guatemala 
Guernsey
Guinea
Guinea Republic
Guyana Haiti
Honduras 
Hong Kong 
Hungary 
Iceland 
India
Indonesia
Iran-Islamic Republic of Tersey
Iraq 
Ireland
Israel 
Italy 
Ivory Coast
Jamaica 
Japan 
Jordan 
Kazakhstan
Korpa
Kosovo
Kosrae Island
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan 
Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Laos 
Latvia 
Lebanon 
Lesotho 
Liberia 
Libya 
Libyan Arab Jamahiriy
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg 
Macao
Malawi 
Malaysia 
Maldives
Mali
Malta 
Marshall Islands
Martinique
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mexico
Micronesia 
Moldova 
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Namibia 
Nauru
Nepal 
Netherlands 
Netherlands Antilles
New Caledonia
New Zealand 
Nicaragua 
Niger 
Nigeria
Nive 
Northern Mariana Islands 
Norway 
Oman 
Pakistan 
Panama
Papa New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Phillipines
Poland 
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Qatar Reunion
Romania 
Rota
Russia
Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands)
Samoa
San Marino 
Sao Tome and Principe
Saudi Arabia 
Senegal 
Serbia
Seychelles 
Sierra Leone
Singapore 
Slovak Republic 
Slovakia
Slovenia 
Solomon Islands 
Somalia 
Somaliand
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sri Lanka
St. Barthelemy 
St. Croix
St. Eustatius 
St. John
St. Kitts and Nevis
St. Lucia
St. Maarten
St. Thomas
St. Vincent 
Sudan
Suriname
Swaziland 
Sweden
Switzerland
Tahiti
Taiwan 
Tanzania 
Thailand 
Tinian
Tonga
Tongo 
Tortola
Trinidad and Tobago 
Turkey 
Turks and Caicos Islands 
Turkmenistan 
Tuvalu
Uganda 
Ukraine 
United Arab Emirates 
United Kingdom 
United States of America

United States of America 

U.S. Virgin Islands 
U.S. Virgin Islands(Brittish)
Uruguay
Uzbekistan 
Vanuatu
Vatican City
Venezuela 
Vietnam 
Virgin Gorda
Wallis and Futuna
Zimbabwe

Afghanistan 
Albania 
Algeria 
American Samoa
Andorra 
Angola 
Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda 
Argentina 
Armenia 
Aruba
Australia 
Austria 
Azerbaijan 
Bahamas 
Barbados 
Baruba
Belarus 
Belize 
Belgium 
Benin 
Bermuda
Bhutan 
Bolivia|
Bonaire
Botswana 
Bosnia and Herzegovina 
Brazil 
Brittish Virgin Islands
Brunei 
Bulgaria 
Burkina Faso 
Burundi 
Canada 
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
|Chile 
China 
Colombia 
Congo 
Congo Republic of
Cook island
Costa Rica 
Croatia 
Curaco
Cyprus 
Czech Republic 
Dominica 
Dominican Republic 
DPR of Korea Republic
East Timor 
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador 
Eritrea 
Estonia 
Ethiopia |
Faeroe Islands
Falkland Islands 
Faroc Islands
Fiji 
Finland
France 
French Guinana
French Polynesia
Gabon 
The Gambia 
Germany 
Gibraltar
Ginvea-Bissau 
Ginvea-Exquatorial
Greece 
Greenland
Grenada 
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guatemala 
Guernsey
Guinea
Guinea Republic
Guyana Haiti
Honduras 
Hong Kong 
Hungary 
Iceland 
India
Indonesia
Iran-Islamic Republic of Tersey
Iraq 
Ireland
Israel 
Italy 
Ivory Coast
Jamaica 
Japan 
Jordan 
Kazakhstan
Korpa
Kosovo
Kosrae Island
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan 
Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Laos 
Latvia 
Lebanon 
Lesotho 
Liberia 
Libya 
Libyan Arab Jamahiriy
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg 
Macao
Malawi 
Malaysia 
Maldives
Mali
Malta 
Marshall Islands
Martinique
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mexico
Micronesia 
Moldova 
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Namibia 
Nauru
Nepal 
Netherlands 
Netherlands Antilles
New Caledonia
New Zealand 
Nicaragua 
Niger 
Nigeria
Nive 
Northern Mariana Islands 
Norway 
Oman 
Pakistan 
Panama
Papa New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Phillipines
Poland 
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Qatar Reunion
Romania 
Rota
Russia
Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands)
Samoa
San Marino 
Sao Tome and Principe
Saudi Arabia 
Senegal 
Serbia
Seychelles 
Sierra Leone
Singapore 
Slovak Republic 
Slovakia
Slovenia 
Solomon Islands 
Somalia 
Somaliand
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sri Lanka
St. Barthelemy 
St. Croix
St. Eustatius 
St. John
St. Kitts and Nevis
St. Lucia
St. Maarten
St. Thomas
St. Vincent 
Sudan
Suriname
Swaziland 
Sweden
Switzerland
Tahiti
Taiwan 
Tanzania 
Thailand 
Tinian
Tonga
Tongo 
Tortola
Trinidad and Tobago 
Turkey 
Turks and Caicos Islands 
Turkmenistan 
Tuvalu
Uganda 
Ukraine 
United Arab Emirates 
United Kingdom 
United States of America

United States of America 

U.S. Virgin Islands 
U.S. Virgin Islands(Brittish)
Uruguay
Uzbekistan 
Vanuatu
Vatican City
Venezuela 
Vietnam 
Virgin Gorda
Wallis and Futuna
Zimbabwe

Micronesia
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
Netherlands
Netherlands Antilles
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Nive
Northern Mariana Islands
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Panama
Papa New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Phillipines
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Qatar Reunion
Romania
Rota
Russia
Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands)
Samoa
San Marino
Sao Tome and Principe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovak Republic
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
Somalia
Somaliand
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sri Lanka
St. Barthelemy
St. Croix
St. Eustatius
St. John
St. Kitts and Nevis
St. Lucia
St. Maarten
St. Thomas
St. Vincent
Sudan
Suriname
Swaziland
Sweden
Switzerland
Tahiti
Taiwan
Tanzania
Thailand
Tinian
Tonga
Tongo
Tortola
Trinidad and Tobago
Turkey

Turks and Caicos Islands
Turkmenistan
Tuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States of America

It is now time to ship from Houston and all over the world for Father's Day.

While companies can ship small items via common carrier, why not surprise your dad with a gift delivered via LTL delivered right to his front curb.

A chandelier made from Antlers is a unique idea. What about a handmade table for your dad’s poker game?  For children wanting to surprise dad with a roomful of furniture, you can purchase the furniture in one and do a small move and have the furniture delivered where ever dad may now be living.

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

Back Pack

Bottle Opener

Tent

Picture Frames

Gardening tools

Custom m & m's

Cell Phone

Camera

Can Opener

Front Porch Swing

Appliances

Personalize Magazine cover prints

Digital Photo Frame

Engraved Photo Frame

Movies

Music

GPSSystem

iPod Touch

MP3 Player

Bathrobe

Personalized Cookie Jar

Chocolate

Personalized T Shirts

Magazine Subscription

Outdoor Furniture

Comforter

Monogrammed Towel

MonogrammedBathRobe

Wallet

Outdoor Grill

Home made cards

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

If you need further ideas or need to ship something, build a crate in Houston, or need assistance with Houston crating, please give us a call. And Happy Fathers Day from pack n send. 713 266 1450

Ocean carriers are predicting a slow year for imports.  With consumers holding on to their US dollars, imports in the United States  are still not where they were just a few years ago.

 Shipping companies are slowing the speed of their ships in order to reduce fuel prices.

European countries are working on bailing out both Greece and Italy.

 This comes at a bad time, since many shipping lines had increased the size of their ships. New orders for ships are delayed at this time.

 One concern at this time is that empty shipping vessels may have to remain in dock, taking up space while awaiting cargo. Some of the large ships are now sailing at below capacity.

 The bright side does appear in the  United States where US rail shipments are up over last year.

 Since shipping and imports are usually a leading edge  indicator of coming out of a recession.  While the US appears to be making progress, economies  around the world seem to have an effect on US worldwide shipping.

 The information listed above was taken Handy Shipping Guide wrote an article going into depth about the problems that carriers are encountering as well as predictions for the next year.

 Pack n send tries to keep our customers up to date on trends and economic predictions for the  shipping  and logistics industries.

The holidays are now getting quite close, and getting all those gifts to family world wide is becoming slightly more tedious. No one enjoys spending a fortune to get the gifts to their families, which is why the hunt for inexpensive shipping costs is beginning.

If you are one of the many wanting to find less expensive  shipping costs, you will be happy to know that it's actually possible and there are many ways you can minimize the amounts you spend this holiday season. 

One of the best ways you can greatly diminish the amount you spend for shipping is combining packages. If you have several family members in one local area that you're shipping gifts to ship them all to one location. By doing this you are reducing  the amount of packages being sent out, meaning less postal shipping costs. This is also a great way to ensure that your family is spending a little quality time together. 

Houston Company recommends that you should consider is shipping early.

By shipping early you won't have to pay the added costs for expedited shipping to ensure the packages get there in time. Most people are known to wait until the last minute, but the holidays is the worst time that you could do this. 

The holiday season is a time of year you want to enjoy as much as possible. The last thing you want to worry about is your family not receiving their gifts.

Look for a company that  dedicates themselves to cutting costs for you and also making sure that your family receives their gifts on time. It can be quite saddening to find out that they did not, so don't deal with this feeling this year. 

Make this a holiday season you enjoy to the fullest and have a reliable company  help you relieve all that gift shipping stress. Ask for a tracking number so that you can track your packages. While Christmas is a few months away, now is the time to get organized and select your shipping alternatives.

For more information about holiday shipping, holiday moving or freight shipping, please feel free to call pack n send at 713 266 1450.

Once again, another tax deadline has passed. CPA’s are now out golfing and taking cruises as a way to relax. 

What does this mean to everyone else?  It is time to shred old tax work papers, receipts and documents. As in years past, pack n send is offering a tax time discount on our shredding services.

Pack n send offers a tax time discount on our shredding services. Between October 24 and October 31 we will reduce our shredding price to 65 cents per pound.

Bring in all your old tax records, and let us shred them onsite.  The papers will then be bleached.

If you need help unloading, please let us know, and we are happy to assist.

And if you need help shipping anything domestically or internationally, we can help you with these services also.

 We offer pick up service and can ship small amounts of furniture anywhere in the world for you, our customer.

For more information on our tax time price helper, please call pack n send at 713 266 1450.

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

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

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

Some other reasons for vehicle shipping may include:

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

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

Door to Door Vehicle Shipping

Convenience and customer satisfaction  should be the companies highest priorities.

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

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

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

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

For more information about auto shipping both within the United Statesand internationally, please feel free to contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

Moving furniture can be a true trial for some, especially if they do not have the strength or vehicle to do it. This can pose some complications and leave you unable to move your furniture on your own. 

There are options available that could help you with furniture shipping more easily, which is a much better and stress free option for you. 

Shipping your Furniture Easily 

Furniture shipping has become a lot easier with the help of many shipping companies nationwide, but many of them require you to hit a certain freight load to ship. This isn't the case with Pack-n-Send. You can still utilize their shipping services with a less than load freight without being presented with an un-sightly fee. 

If you are worried that your furniture may get damaged consider having the items placed into crates or protected with various blanket protectors, styrofoam for smaller pieces and any other packaging protection that Pack-n-Send offers. 

Crating is a beneficial option for those delicate pieces such as glass items, antique items, stemware, paintings and any other damagable item. 

Options for Moving Furniture Long Distances

If you are planning a move consider having Pack-n-Send assist with the process. They offer many different moving options, whether it is a small move, long distance move or international. With an international move they could assist with international shipping to get your furniture at the new location easily. 

You won't have to deal with the worry that the items will not get there or will be damaged with the protection and security behind the crating, packing and shipping abilities that Pack-n-Send has been offering since 1981. 

So you're packing a box to ship an item. Seems pretty simple, right? Actually, packing a box for shipping is a science. You need to keep in mind the weight, size, and even how you tape it up. Here are four solid tips for packing a box for shipping. 

1. Choose the right box. Don't pick a box that's too large -- you'll end up paying much more than necessary for shipping costs. And don't skimp -- be sure your box is the right strength. There are different kinds of cardboard thickness. On the bottom of the box should be its weight capacity. The minimum weight limit should be two hundred pounds per square inch.

2. Tape it up right. Tape your box where the 2 smaller ends are folded first and then the 2 larger flaps after. That way you can have one whole strip of tape across the whole bottom and top of the box. Running the tape across a couple of times is a good idea as well as across the ends. Masking tape, duct tape and scotch tape are not strong enough to hold boxes with UPS and Federal Express. Packing tape is not expensive. It is worth getting a roll of clear or tan packing tape.

3. Make sure your box is full. All boxes should be packed fully. Leaving no extra space within the box is the best way to ensure safe arrival. If your box is too big, cut it down or fill it with paper. Imagine a 50 pound, 70 pound or 100 pound box landing on your box. Could it withstand the impact without caving in? This is surely one of the most important things you should keep in mind.

4. Use the right filler. Packing china and glass is tricky, but not hard. Double bubble wrap the item, pack it tightly in one box, then add it to a double wall box with a minimum of 2-3" of peanuts packed fully. The key is to add a shock absorber and cushion so your items arrive safely at their destination. If you have more than one glass piece, put several pieces into the first box, all bubbled with peanuts to fill any space that might cause the items to move. Then add it to your double wall box with peanuts on the top, bottom and sides. For larger boxes, you may need to sit on the boxes to close them when they're fully packed.

Imagine when these boxes get on a conveyor belt, one box after another, landing at the bottom, your box should withstand bigger and heavier boxes being stacked on top.

Use quality, strong boxes and tape, bubble your fragile items and pack the box fully. If you can sit on the box and it caves in a bit, add more filling. As full as you might think it is, it will shift during transit and lose a lot of its fullness by the time it gets to the destination.

Good luck and happy packing!

If we can answer questions about packing, shipping or freight, please call Pack n Send in Houston  at 713-266-1450. We sell discounted boxes and packing supplies in our Houston area storefront.

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Packing a box for shipping is a science. You need to keep in mind the weight, size, and even how you tape it up. Here are a few tips for packing a box for shipping. 

1. Choose the right size box. Don't pick a box that's too large -- you'll end up paying much more than necessary for shipping costs. Be sure your box is the right strength. There are different kinds of cardboard thickness. On the bottom of the box should be its weight capacity. The minimum weight limit should be two hundred pounds per square inch.

2. Tape it up right. Tape your box where the 2 smaller ends are folded first and then the 2 larger flaps after. That way you can have one whole strip of tape across the whole bottom and top of the box. Running the tape across a couple of times is a good idea as well as across the ends. Masking tape, duct tape and scotch tape are not strong enough to hold boxes with UPS and Federal Express. Packing tape is not expensive. It is worth getting a roll of clear or tan packing tape.

3. Make sure your box is full. All boxes should be packed fully. Leaving no extra space within the box is the best way to ensure safe arrival. If your box is too big, cut it down or fill it with paper. Imagine a 50 pound, 70 pound or 100 pound box landing on your box. Could it withstand the impact without caving in? This is surely one of the most important things you should keep in mind.

Imagine when these boxes get on a conveyor belt, one box after another, landing at the bottom, your box should withstand bigger and heavier boxes being stacked on top.

Use quality, strong boxes and tape, bubble your fragile items and pack the box fully. If you can sit on the box and it caves in a bit, add more filling. As full as you might think it is, it will shift during transit and lose a lot of its fullness by the time it gets to the destination.

 If we can answer any of box  packing questions, please call Pack n Send at 713-266-1450. We sell discounted  boxes and packing supplies in our Houston area storefront. Pack n send in Houston can also help you with our unpacking, freight and crating services.

By Jeremy van Loon -

A chunk of ice four times the size of Manhattan broke away from Greenland and may drift toward shipping lanes in the North Atlantic and off the Canadian coast, researchers said.

The 100-square mile ice island, with enough stored water to keep the Hudson River flowing for more than two years, split off from the Petermann Glacier last week, according to Andreas Muenchow, an associate professor of ocean science and engineering at the University of Delaware.

The ice is the largest to detach from an Arctic glacier since 1962 and follows the six warmest months on record. Glaciers in Greenland and Antarctica are melting faster than predicted, accelerating their march to the sea and adding to the rising ocean levels that threaten coastal communities worldwide, according to many scientific studies.

“So far, 2010 has been the hottest year on record, and scientists agree Arctic ice is a canary in a coal mine that provides clear warnings on climate,” said U.S. Representative Edward Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts and chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, on the panel’s website.

The ice island has been drifting in the sea lane between Canada andGreenland since Aug. 5, Muenchow said on the university’s website. It may block the channel, break into smaller pieces or hit land, he added.

Real Islands

The ice will encounter real islands in the Nares Strait and may drift along the coast of Canada’s Baffin Island toward Labrador, eventually reaching the Atlantic in about two years, Muenchow said.

The Petermann Glacier covers about 500 square miles. Researchers at the Byrd Polar Research Center at Ohio State University are monitoring a rift in the ice, according to NASA. Over a two-week period last summer, the glacier lost 11 square miles, NASA said.

Pack n send  has republished portions of  this article by Jeremy van Loon. We try and keep out customers up to date on worldwide shipping. During the past few months, the  pirate activity seems to have decreased while glacier activity has been on the increase.

For information about Houston shipping, moving, packing or freight, please feel free to call pack n send at  713 266 1450.

For those summer moves , pack n send  have a few handy moving  tips.

You can either use a traditional mover for in city moves, or use a freight company to load your items on a pallet and deliver to your curb. For small amounts of furniture, this may help you keep your price low.

Here are a few packing tips.

Start to pack early.  Do not wait until the day of the move to begin your packing.

When possible, pack one room from start to finish. Mark each box clearly with the room your box will be delivered to, as well as the items in each box.

Pack heavier items on the bottom of the box. Be sure to use lots of packing materials.  Peanuts, bubble and newsprint are a good start.  Newsprint is better than a used newspaper, as there is no ink to damage your goods.

If you have just a few items to ship, pack n send can freight your furniture.  We can even send your furniture via cargo over seas. We ship via cubic meters as well as containers.

For any moving, furniture freighting, or cargo shipping questions, please call pack n send at 713 266 1450.

Pack n send is happy to report new purchases in the freight industry worldwide.

 INDIA- Surat-based Siddhi Vinayak Logistics Ltd. (SVLL) has made the largest order for medium and heavy trucks by any single operator in India by purchasing 1,111 such vehicles from Tata Motors with all the vehicles to be delivered by March, 2012.

SVLL currently operate a fleet of over two thousand vehicles and advertise themselves as one of the fastest growing companies in the field of road freight transportation in the country, moving diverse products from steel and cement to military hardware and planned expansion into the perishable produce sector.

Mr. Vinod Sahay, Head of Sales & Marketing (M&HCV Trucks) at Tata Motors said, "We are delighted to receive this order and would like to thank SVLL for their continued trust in our brands. We will be commencing deliveries in this month and plan to complete the order by the end of this financial year."

Though the value of the sale has not been revealed it is thought to be in the region of 1.5 billion rupees (£20.5 million / $33.5 million).

Mr. R C Baid, Founder and Director of Siddhi Vinayak Logistics Ltd said that:

"We purchased the first Tata vehicle in 1988, and since then have been purchasing their trucks. We appreciate the quality of Tata products, customer engagement initiatives and their extensive service network. We would like to continue our association and expand our business with Tata Motors vehicles. It is in this light that we have placed a bulk order of 1,111 vehicles."

The sale is the latest success for Tata, which states that the company’s sales rose by 12% in May. With increased foreign interest from the likes of Daimler and Scania in the Indian truck market, maintaining its position with such customers as SVLL will be increasingly important for the Indian manufacturer.

 This article is from the Handy Shipping Guide. 

 For packing, shipping, moving, freight and cargo shipping, please feel free to contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

HONG Kong International Airport (HKIA), the world’s biggest hub for cargo, is evaluating the need for a third runway to accommodate the rise in freight traffic.

During the first quarter of 2011 cargo volume rose to 944,000 tonnes.

National airline Cathay Pacific also became the world’s largest international air cargo carrier. Cathay chief executive John Slosar says Hong Kong has become a victim of its own success as the two runways are likely to be insufficient to meet demand by 2020, rather than 10 or 20 years after that, as previously thought.

An increase in passengers and a new one-day record of 1,003 flights are putting on the pressure for a third runway. Cargo airlines say that in order to stay competitive the third runway must be built.

Every development is not without its controversy. To build a third runway would involve reclamation of 6.5km². This means the runway would be built on areas currently in the sea, which could have a negative impact on the endangered white dolphin.

The new runway is expected to cost about 80 billion Hong Kong dollars (US$10.3 billion). A public consultation period has just begun.

HKIA overtook Memphis (US) as the world’s biggest air cargo hub in 2010 due to exports from southern China’s Pearl River Delta.

Air Cargo News reported this on June 2^nd. This is good news for the worldwide freight economy.

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

 EUROPE – Volvo trucks has announced it has just launched their new Volvo FM MethaneDiesel truck. The new vehicle is powered by a combination of diesel and methane gas which according to Volvo could potentially reduce CO2 emissions from heavy and long-distance freight and logistics operations by a considerable amount.

The new trucks have already undergone field-testing with a number of companies in Sweden and the positive reactions to this has encouraged Volvo to commit to the new fuel, the first major European truck manufacturer to do so.

“The sales start of our methane-diesel model creates new conditions for the gas truck market. By using liquefied gas in an efficient diesel engine, we make it possible to use gas-powered trucks in heavier and longer-distance transport operations, making us the first manufacturer in Europe to do so,” says Claes Nilsson, President Europe Division at Volvo Trucks.

According to Volvo, the use of natural gas fuel results in a 10 percent reduction on CO2 emissions over a conventional diesel engine. However, compared with conventional gas-powered spark-plug engines, Volvo’s gas technology offers 30 to 40 percent higher efficiency, and this in turn cuts fuel consumption by 25 percent. This means that if a Volvo gas-powered truck is run on biogas, emissions of carbon dioxide would be able to be cut by up to 70 percent compared with a conventional diesel engine.

Powered by up to 75% natural gas or biogas the new Volvo’s engine is based on a conventional diesel equipped with a special fuel tank that keeps the gas liquefied and chilled to -140 degrees Celsius, and a catalytic converter. By using liquefied gas, more fuel can be stored in the tanks compared to if the fuel is compressed. This gives the methane-diesel truck a far greater range than that of traditional gas-powered trucks that utilise spark-plug technology. In a truck with a gross weight of 40 tonnes, the fuel tank holds enough gas for a range of up to 500 kilometres in normal driving.

The new Volvo FM MethaneDiesel is offered with a 13-litre engine producing 460 horsepower and 2300 Nm of torque. The fuel consists of up to 75 percent liquefied gas and the rest diesel, but the proportions can vary depending on how the vehicle is used.

In addition, should one fuel run out then the engine simply switches to the alternative, the driver only being made aware of this by lights on his instrument panel.

Though the initial sales of the new truck will be limited to Sweden, the UK and the Netherlands due to those countries more extensive network of natural gas refuelling stations, Volvo firmly believe that the potential savings for hauliers through greater fuel economy and the significantly lower prices of natural gas will soon the new technology much more widely accepted.

“Natural gas is attracting considerable interest in many countries and regions the world over. This interest is being largely driven by environmental considerations as well as by concerns over the secure supply of energy. In the USA and parts of Asia, Europe and South America, gas power is either already in use or decisions have been taken to invest in this power source. Thailand, for instance, is well to the fore with an established infrastructure and good availability,” says Lars Mårtensson, Director Environmental Affairs at Volvo Trucks.

Pack n send found this article in the Handy Shipping Guide. We are constantly on the look out for environmentally friendly business practices. For information about shipping, freight, moving, and containers from Houston, Texas feel free to contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

MOL Shipping Employees and Partners Raise Money for Tsunami Victims   JAPAN –

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines today reported that it has donated a total of about ¥55 million (US$680,000) to the Japan Red Cross Society and Central Community Chest for the Great East Japan Earthquake relief efforts.

MOL raised the donation among MOL Group executives and employees through a massive, group-wide effort to support victim relief and reconstruction of quake-stricken areas, in which many of them participated.

Immediately after the earthquake, MOL donated ¥50 million as a company and then launched the fundraising drive within the group. The donation initiative started in Japan, but soon MOL Group subsidiaries and affiliates, ship management companies, business partners, and others around the world threw their support behind the effort, with eventually a total of 88 companies took part.

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

 Pack n send continually look for freight and cargo companies worldwide who go above and beyond normal freight service.

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

Moving furniture can be a hassle for some business and individuals. You need both  the strength and/or vehicle to handle a move. This can pose some complications and leave you unable to move your furniture on your own.

Look for  available options  that could help you reduce your stress level when shipping furniture for both businesses and individuals.  

Ship Your Furniture Via Freight

When you have a small amount of furniture, it may make more sense to let a company pick up your furniture and then load it on to a wooden pallet. The furniture is protected during shipping and   delivered curbside at your residence or business. For just a little more the furniture can be unloaded and taken into your house or business.

Crating should also be considered when freighting items that are considered fragile or delicate.  High value paintings, sculptures and equipment can be crated.

Options for Moving Furniture Long Distances

If you are planning a move consider having pack-n-send assist with the process. They offer many different moving options, whether it is a small move, long distance or  international move.  With an international move they can assist with international shipping to get your furniture at the new location easily. Containers are available for international moves, as well as per cubic meter shipping

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

Finding a reputable store to list your eBay items can be time consuming. Consumers need to know the right questions to ask.

Does the store know how to place the correct title and category on your item?

Does the eBay seller list and ship your eBay item? Proper and timely fulfillment is essential to successful eBay selling.

Does the eBay seller only accept items that are allowed to be sold on eBay? If they're breaking eBay rules, their account could be suspended and your investment of time and money would be lost.

Does the eBay seller research each item to make sure they are both pricing your item correctly and checking on what prior items have sold for? Proper research is required in order for your items to sell and to make you as much profit as possible.

Does the eBay seller list multiples of the same items? You do not want your items to be bidding against themselves.

Does your eBay seller re-list if your item doesn't sell the first time? At this time, you can tweak both your price as well as your description.

Does your eBay seller have positive reviews from customers in past eBay sales?

Does the eBay seller take their own pictures, or try and copy pictures already on eBay? Stock pictures often do not show any special markings or enhancements of an eBay item. Customers need to see the exact item they're buying. Better pictures will always sell the product faster and usually at higher prices.

Make sure the eBay seller asks you for a truthful description. If an eBay item has defects or is not in operating condition, then the item needs to be listed with these defects. Buyers should know exactly what they are purchasing. A returned item due to dissatisfaction is not a good eBay sale. All blemishes and defects should be listed for any eBay item. If a computer screen is broken, this needs to be shown in the picture and described in the listing.

If you are trying to sell a car on eBay, does the eBay seller ask you to see the title before the sale? Do they let you know that the vehicle needs to be ready for a purchaser to see, touch and take the auto to a garage for an inspection?

Does the eBay seller have a secure, safe location to store your eBay items? Does the store provide an alarm system and carry insurance on their store. If you are shipping furniture, can the company you list with ship your furniture as freight.

These are just a few questions you should ask when researching a store that will sell your eBay items. Pack n Send has helped individuals sell their personal items and family estate profitably on eBay. If we can answer any of your eBay selling questions, please call us in Houston at 713-266-1450.

30-Mar-2011

EXCLUSIVE to Air Cargo News, Swiss WorldCargo reveals its 2010 performance and highlights what is in store for 2011.

Volume load factors for 2010 reached around 83 per cent, the company said, with the first two months of the year resting at an 80 per cent average.

Swiss WorldCargo only markets the belly capacity of the Swiss fleet, comprising 80 aircraft – 26 for long and 54 for medium and short haul flights.

The aircraft fall into two categories: widebody aircraft such as the A330-223 and A340- 300, which are used on long-haul flights and when fully loaded can carry up to 23 tonnes of freight in addition to passengers; and narrowbodies, which are used on short and medium-haul flights and have a maximum freight capacity of around three tonnes.

These capacities are augmented by the belly capacity of the Edelweiss Air fleet (3xA320, 1xA330-200 and 1xA330-300) and by a finely meshed trucking network in Europe and North America.

New Swiss WorldCargo destinations launched in 2010, thanks to the cooperation with Edelweiss Air, included Goa, Kilimanjaro, Mauritius, Plata, Pristina, Puerto, and Skopje.

New destinations to be launched in summer 2011 in cooperation with Edelweiss Air are Anchorage, Beijing and Beirut.

 Pack n send has reprint this article from AirCargo News as a service to our customers. Pack n send is constantly looking for upbeat news in worldwide shipping.

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

Pack n send has reprinted portions this article on the dot med website. This article was written  by: Brendon Nafziger, DOTmed News Associate Editor

  While in the past used medical equipment is shipped country wide,  and up north to Canada, we can for see shipments of equipment now heading towards Japan. 

 Pack n send ships medical equipment world wide, as well as freight, cargo and container of goods.

 For information about shipping medical equipment to Japan, please contact us at 713 266 1450.

BOOMING demand from Asia is keeping aircraft manufacturers happy, with the likes of Hong Kong Airlines and China Eastern Airlines ordering freighters at a rapid pace.

China will help the Asia-Pacific region account for a third of global plane deliveries over the next 20 years, Boeing said. Rival Airbus said it expects airlines in Asia to take delivery of 8,560 aircraft in the next 20 years, representing a third of the global total.

In early March, Hong Kong Airlines agreed to buy six 777 freighters from Boeing. Meanwhile, Boeing’s 747-8 freighter version has won 74 orders from customers including Cathay Pacific Airways, an Air China affiliate.

Also this month, China Eastern Airlines, which operates a mix of Airbus and Boeing freighters, has revealed a massive expansion plan of 250 extra aircraft by 2015. In four years the fleet will total 588 units comprising 531 passenger aircraft, 30 freighters and 27 utility aircraft. As of 30 June 2010, the Shanghai-based carrier operated 338 aircraft, comprising 320 passenger aircraft and 18 freighters.

 Pack n send continues to track the increase for freight aircraft orders.  With worldwide ecoconomies struggling to come out of the recession, good news is report worthy.

 The article above came from Cargo Shipping News and is the second time in less than a week that new aircraft orders have been reported.

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

 JAPAN

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

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

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

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

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

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

US – There are rumblings of discontent in Washington at the moment about the behaviour of the rail freight carriers, some of whom are being accused of monopolistic behaviour. At a recent hearing of the Surface Transportation Board (STB) rail freight customers demanded federal intervention in a move which may be seen to be taking the industry back where it was before the 1981 Staggers Act.

The Act removed government intervention and led to a recovery of an industry which had been in the doldrums for a decade whilst theoretically protecting against anti trust behaviour. Now, in the intervening years, there has been a degree of polarisation with buy outs and failures resulting in an almost baronial system with little competition on vast sections of track. Dozens of independent railroads have now been distilled down to a handful of mega carriers.

When Warren Buffet made his move for BNSF in 2009 critics said he paid billions of dollars over the book price and now those same opponents say his Berkshire Hathaway group has a monopoly over a large client sector which will be forced to pay a premium rate for cargo by rail as they do not have access to an alternative carrier.

Certain industries, principally coal, chemical and agricultural products, have the ability to appeal the rates they are charged before the STB but the waters are muddied by dozens of exemptions such as container traffic where competition is deemed sufficient and the Association of American Railroads, which represents such industry giants as BNSF, Union Pacific, CSX and Norfolk Southern will have a fight on its hands as the economic noose tightens on producers and consumers alike. Now the veteran leader of the Senate anti trust committee, Sen. Herb Kohl, 77, has this week sworn to make it a priority that his team push for more control over the behaviour of the rail carriers and they will need to defend themselves vigorously to convince the sceptics.

The general feeling amongst many objectors is that the pendulum has swung too far in favour of the rail companies. The industry reply is that not only have the train companies spent billions on getting where they are, the need for infrastructure investment is a pressing one and more regulation will simply lead to a poorer service for the future.

Pack n send is constantly tracking trends and news reports in the domestic and international freight markets.

This article appeared in Handy Shipping News. Pack n send is reprinting this as a service to our customers.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 Pack n send is located in Houston Texas. For assistance with your freight preparation, freight receiving, crating and packing please feel free to contact pack n send at 716 266 1450.

BOOMING demand from Asia is keeping aircraft manufacturers happy, with the likes of Hong Kong Airlines and China Eastern Airlines ordering freighters at a rapid pace.

China will help the Asia-Pacific region account for a third of global plane deliveries over the next 20 years, Boeing said. Rival Airbus said it expects airlines in Asia to take delivery of 8,560 aircraft in the next 20 years, representing a third of the global total.

In early March, Hong Kong Airlines agreed to buy six 777 freighters from Boeing. Meanwhile, Boeing’s 747-8 freighter version has won 74 orders from customers including Cathay Pacific Airways, an Air China affiliate.

Also this month, China Eastern Airlines, which operates a mix of Airbus and Boeing freighters, has revealed a massive expansion plan of 250 extra aircraft by 2015. In four years the fleet will total 588 units comprising 531 passenger aircraft, 30 freighters and 27 utility aircraft. As of 30 June 2010, the Shanghai-based carrier operated 338 aircraft, comprising 320 passenger aircraft and 18 freighters.

Once again, Cargo Shipping News has reported upbeat news about shipping in the Asian sector. This article taken from Cargo Shipping News does bode well overseas economies. Any increase in demand is felt worldwide. Pack n send continues to scour the web for upbeat information about cargo and freight.

 For packing crating, shipping, freighting or moving services from Houston, TX, feel free to call pack n send at  713 266 1450.

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

By David  Theis

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Last year's imports of $117

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

Rise in drilling equipment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 MORE than three-quarters of IATA members reported an increase in cargo business during Q4 2010, the association says amidst a cautiously positive forecast for this year.

While IATA members expect a profit for 2011, factors such as rising fuel prices mean confidence in further significant improvement has taken a hit, the association’s quarterly survey finds.

By November 2010 the volume of international freight tonne kilometres was up more than 20 per cent on a year-to-date basis compared to the same period in 2009. The recovery in traffic, driven by the pickup in world trade, has almost been as sharp as the fall experienced going into the recession.

Freight volumes reached a new post-recession peak in May 2010 but dropped back by mid-year as the restocking phase of the inventory cycle came to a close. Since then volumes have stabilised in line with the level seen immediately prior to the recession.

In the latest survey the proportion of respondents expecting further improvement in airfreight volumes over the 12 months ahead remains around 60 per cent – indicating that continued growth beyond restocking stimulus is seen as likely this year.

Expectations for cargo yields over the 12 months ahead point to stability with 57 per cent of respondents reporting ‘no-change’ likely. Freight growth is moderating back towards the rate of global trade growth while capacity is entering at a faster rate which will put downward pressure on load factors and temper further rises in yields.

Pack n send has reprinted this article from Air Cargo News as a service to our customers.

 Any article showing improvements and upward swings in the worldwide economy are good for both Houston shipping and shipping worldwide.

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

EUROPE – Flagship, the Pan European maritime transport project part funded by the EU, claim they have now developed software that can forecast the condition of a ship’s hull over time to help improve the efficacy of surveys and reduce the amount of time a vessel is out of service. The consortium of various stakeholders from the freight and shipping and academic sectors say their new hull condition assessment is designed to accurately predict the condition of a vessel’s structure, coating and components, enabling ship owners and operators to schedule maintenance in a more efficient manner and thereby reduce maintenance costs while improving safety at sea.

The system, known as Flagship-HCA is intended to extend the life of the existing fleet of Tankers and Bulk Carriers by up to five years, with a 10% to 20% reduction in service repair costs for ships throughout their life-cycle. One of the primary concerns for ship owners and Class societies is that of corrosion of the ship’s structure and this is the target of the new system.

Flagship-HCA includes three primary tools which enable the ship owner and classifier to exchange hull data in real time, based on crew inspections and maintenance work as well as periodic measurement campaigns. Firstly, the toolset includes the Survey Advisor Tool (SAT) which advises surveyors where individual ships are most vulnerable and therefore where they should concentrate their investigations.

Secondly, the Hull Health Programme Advisor (HHA) optimises the survey and maintenance programme taking in to consideration the vessel’s work schedule and the predicted structural integrity of the vessel. Finally, the Corrosion Parameter Prediction Tool which takes the results of a survey or set of surveys and update a database if corrosion parameters associated with every aspect of a ship’s hull – based on observed rules and results.

Designed to assist ship owners and surveyors Flagship-HCA enables ship owners to schedule vessel maintenance and ship replacement more accurately than has been possible to date. Its objectives include not only optimising existing asset lifecycle and investment decisions but can also provide the Class Societies with more robust data upon which to base their rulings.

The project was led by the BMT Group in the UK and was supported, delivered and trialled in conjunction with Marintek of Norway; Bureau Veritas and Sirehna of France, Germanischer Lloyd of Germany and Portline - Transportes Marítimos Internacionais, of Portugal. Mr Herman de Meester, Coordinator of Flagship, commented:

“Flagship has pursued the twin objectives of reducing still further both risk and the environmental impact of the world’s commercial fleet whilst generating the opportunity for real commercial benefits. Flagship-HCA is a tangible example of the maritime industry collaborating to improve performance and efficiency in everyone’s best interests.”

By extending the life of ships, we can all help our environment.  We have reprinted this article from the  Handy  Shipping  Guide as a service to our customers.

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

RFID technology is being tested and implemented for both freight and cargo shipping. Both location monitoring and temperature monitoring of shipments are being tested. Pack n send is supplying this article from Handy Shipping  Guide as a service to our customers.

 WORLDWIDE – Many freight forwarders and shipping lines are familiar by now with the relatively new technology known as RFID, radio-frequency identification. There are three systems employed in the identification of tags carrying chips loaded with whatever information is required; passive, active and battery assisted passive. Up to now their use has been limited to such things as identifying cargo to upload information such as current position etc. into freight tracking systems using mostly passive chips, but now the potential uses of these systems is being explored more thoroughly.

At the cutting edge of RFID is German company Siemens who are investigating in several different fields, all relevant to the freight and haulage industries. Since 2008 scientists at Siemens Corporate Technology have been exploring a research project known as SKRIBT — (German acronym for “Protection of Critical Bridges and Tunnels on Roads”) in which ten partners from government agencies, industry, and research institutes are participating in a three year scheme funded by the German Ministry of Education and Research.

Put simply when a truck hits a bridge, or ignites in a tunnel, the damage can be almost incalculable; when a truck caught fire in the Eurotunnel under the English Channel in November 1996 temperatures reached 1,000 °Celsius, causing immense structural damage and suspending full operations for six months. The problem is being addressed by using thermal imaging technology but the situation is greatly compounded when hazardous goods are involved.

By using new RFID transponders developed by Siemens, sensors can analyse the information on a trucks Hazchem plate which carries the relevant chip. This can be done several kilometres before the tunnel entrance and the information sent instantly to the tunnel control centre which is then equipped to respond in exactly the right way should an incident occur or to prevent the truck entering if other unsuitable goods are already transiting the tunnel.

The new system is ‘active’ and can transmit its signal to the unit’s reading device over a distance of around 50 metres as opposed to a conventional ‘passive’ system, with a six metre range, as is used in many cargo monitoring systems. The hazardous plate’s chip has a built-in battery and transmits in the high-frequency range of 2.45 gigahertz. To ensure the battery lasts as long as possible, the transmitter in the transponder sleeps until it’s woken by a radio pulse issued by the reading device at the checkpoint.

Siemens use a cryptochip employing an encryption technique they previously developed for passive RFID chips which ensures the RFID data cannot be intercepted or falsified. This is not the only way RFID is finding its way into the supply chain however.

In a separate project and in cooperation with other partners Siemens are pioneering an RFID system that provides continuous monitoring of sensitive consignments. The technology is already used by DB Schenker to monitor the condition of extremely delicate air freight cargo. Temperature of some items is the vital factor and the new chips react if this varies beyond predefined limits. The chips are currently being used in several German hospitals to monitor arriving blood supplies to ensure they have been maintained at a tolerable temperature and that they are within the usable dates.

It seems that RFID technology is only just starting to make itself felt within society and, once again, the freight and supply chain industry is liable to be at the cutting edge as it develops as was the case with other advances such as popularising facsimile machines, bar coding etc.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Related Content

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  Pack n send is reprinting this article from today’s Houston Chronicle. Since this will directly impact both incoming and out going ships, it is important to note that there will be cargo delays at the Port of Houston this week.

 By ZAIN SHAUK
HOUSTON CHRONICLE

A set of barges crashed into an electrical tower Sunday in the Port of Houston, prompting the U.S. Coast Guard to shut down most of the nation’s second-largest maritime shipping complex, possibly until Wednesday.

A towing vessel pushing three barges of scrap metal through the Houston Ship Channel about 6 a.m. hit a 300-foot-tall electrical tower, which carries lines across the artery, said Petty Officer Richard Brahm, a spokesman for the Coast Guard. No injuries were reported.

The crash happened at the narrowest point in the waterway, leaving three-fourths of the port’s terminals inaccessible.

“Maybe if it was wider we could have got boats around it, but it’s not, so it’s a logistical problem,” Brahm said. “It’s a bad place for it to happen.”

There was no risk of electricity-related injuries or effects to the power grid, which is owned by Houston-based CenterPoint Energy, because lines in the area were deactivated prior to the crash for maintenance work, said Penny Todd, a spokeswoman for the company.

CenterPoint was in the process Sunday of moving equipment needed to clear the steel tower and cables from the waterway — work the company expects will be completed Wednesday, she said.

The 25-mile-long port complex is a major economic engine for the region and in 2009 handled more waterborne tonnage than any port in the country, according to the Port of Houston Authority.

About 60 ships carrying $322 million in goods and resources — ranging from crude oil to finished products in containers — move through the port each day, said Chief Warrant Officer Lionel Bryant, a spokesman for the Coast Guard.

19 miles closed

Items shipped through the Port of Houston move to and from destinations in every state, which could mean delays for companies with vessels in the water.

Those ships will have to drop anchor and wait until the steel electrical tower, which was propped up by the barges after the accident, is removed.

At least eight ships were waiting in an anchoring area outside the port after the crash. Five others were waiting to leave.

The Coast Guard closed 19 miles out of the 54-mile-long ship channel, leaving more than 100 terminals — including those for oil giants Shell and Valero — cut off from the sea.

Further delays possible

The few accessible terminals are mostly for container ships and will not be usable by most companies that would need other infrastructure for loading and unloading or that had planned to arrive at terminals north of the crash site, said Tom Pace, presiding officer of Houston Ship Pilots, a labor association.

Three days of backups could result in further delays, even as traffic begins moving through the port again, Pace said.
“It’s going to take probably three days to get everything back to normal after that,” he said.

Crew members from the towing vessel, the T/V Safety Quest, were removed from the boat and tested for drugs and alcohol.

It was unclear how the accident occurred, but the tower’s location has long been known to ship pilots who work in the port, Pace said.

It was one of six towers in the channel, but was the closest to the preferred waterway for traffic.
“The one problem is the tower’s really close to the navigable channel,” Pace said. “That’s probably one of the reasons it had happened.”

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

As the holidays approach, it is a good time to list your unwanted items on eBay. This helps put extra money in your pockets for this holiday season.

 At pack n send our customers come from all over the world. Once we sell an item on eBay, we expertly pack it, do any customs paperwork and ship the item, all from one location.

 We prefer to use pay pal, as it is a fast and accurate way to pay. We also receive customer shipping information as soon as the sale is complete. We are notified as soon as the payment is made so that we can quickly ship out eBay items.

We are able to use freight lines for large eBay sales, and UPS and Fed Ex, and DHL  for the smaller items.

We provide tracking numbers to the purchaser.

Here are some quick ideas if you are listing your own items on eBay.

Always tell the truth. If there is a flaw, discuss it, take a picture of it and let a potential buyer know about it.  You do not want a purchaser to return an item because it was not what was in your listing.

Always answer emails immediately.  If possible post your email to show in your listing to everyone. This will prevent you from having to answer a question more than one time.

Try and make your listing as detailed as possible. This will  give the buyer more incentive to purchase an item from you.

For more information on eBay selling, freight shipping, or Fed Ex and UPS shipping please feel free to contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

 While US consumers have opened their pocket books, other countries such as Japan and China are still slow to import as freight and cargo US goods.   Imports of foreign made goods are coming into the United States at a faster rate than last  year. While the President envisions increasing US exports, there is no evidence that this is occurring at a rapid pace.

 Part of the problem appears to be the undervaluation of Chinese currency.  Once their currency is allowed to rise to a more realistic level, the Chinese will have the ability to purchase more goods. This will also of course  increase the cost to US  consumers of Chinese goods.

 While pack n send exports goods for businesses and inviduals, it also monitors currency flucuations around the world. As United States goods become  more reasonably priced in comparison to other countries goods, exports of US made goods will defiantly rise.

 This will be good for US workers and their families.

 For more information on exporting goods made in the United States, please contact pack n send at  713 266 1450.

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

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

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

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

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

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

US - Despite much wrangling the pollution statistics around the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles speak for themselves. Even critics of the way California has introduced clean air regulation, and these include trucking bodies who lost a Court appeal on Wednesday over the contentious issue of independents having to be employees of LA port approved organizations  must admit that the quantity of atmospheric pollutants in the air has fallen dramatically with newer or newly modified vehicles mandatory and improvements in  fuel grades employed by  companies.

Now the same fight is being taken on by other major ports around the States.

The next phase is to see a  nation wide standard for fuel. This is the only  way to ensure problems are not simply transferred around the country.

We have taken excerpts of this article from Handy Shipping Guide. Pack n send has been at the forefront of maintaining a clean environment since opening business in 1981.

For more information on both helping the environment and shipping, crating and freight, please contact pack n send  in Houston at 713 266 1450.

www.pack-n-send.com

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This article  from Business Week  highlights some of the dangers now associated with  freight shipping.  It discusses the measures being taken to protect both cargo and lives.

 The U.S. says it wants to find cheaper options to battle pirates off the coast of Somalia, as an international naval force has pushed the seaborne brigands from the 1 million square miles of the Gulf of Aden into an area twice that size in the Indian Ocean.

"The locus of pirate activity has shifted and we are trying to deal with it," Tom Countryman, the principal deputy assistant secretary of state for political   military   affairs, said in Washington today. "It's expensive, and that's why we feel strongly the need to pursue the lowest-cost options to deter piracy."

Warships from more than 20 nations have kept a shipping corridor open and nearly free of attacks for the 30,000 cargo ships that pass through it annually, Countryman said. There were 198 attacks last year, 50 of them successful, and seven vessels with 160 crew members are known to be held by pirates, the State Department said in an e-mailed statement. There's been only one successful hijacking of a ship in the Gulf of Aden since last summer, Countryman said.

Aerial drones, manned aircraft and satellite  surveillance  could help track shipping and pirate activity off the coast of East Africa, Countryman said.

Defensive Measures

Defensive measures taken by ship owners and crews are "the lowest-cost and most-effective way to deter pirate attacks," Countryman said. Measures can include using firehoses to fend off pirate skiffs, erecting barbed wire at entry points to the ship and   teaching   the crew to take evasive action when potential pirates are in sight.

Rebuilding Somalia's economy, shattered by two decades of civil war, and going after the organized crime syndicates that finance the attacks are the best ways to halt piracy, said Countryman.

"The economic situation in Somalia has led to a situation in which people will take these kinds of very high-risk efforts -- very high-risk criminal activities -- in order to feed their family," Countryman said.

"The people deriving the primary benefit are not the poor Somali fishermen," he said. "They are the capitalists who have financed the acquisition of boats  and put these young men into the risky position of endangering their own lives in search of some money."

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

www.pack-n-send.com

The Airlines PilotAssociation, Int'l and FedEx Express have announced that they have reached a tentative agreement on a new labor contract.

Details have not been released pending approval by both sides.  The negations were conducted since October 2005 under the guidance of the National Mediation Board.

For any questions you may have about FedEx shipping, domestically or internationally, please contact pack n send at  713 266 1450. 

The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach will receive a stronger surge in imports than expected in the first half of 2010, rising as much as 28% over previous year levels, as the long-awaited economic recovery continues to gather strength, according to a report released Monday by the National Retail Federation.

Overall, imports into the nation's major container ports is expected to rise 25% during the first six months of the year, compared with the year-earlier period.

The projection shows that at least some economists are expecting steady progress at a time when others are fretting over the possibility of a double-dip recession. Previous forecasts for the local ports and for the nation's busiest harbors for container cargo had predicted lukewarm improvement at best for the first half of the year.

But Hackett Associates, which tracks import data every month for some of the nation's biggest retailers, said that it was noticing positive signs from a number of indicators. One of those was the fact that the record number of ships that were laid up or idled for lack of work last year has begun to drop substantially.

"This forecast assumes that we are not in a double-dip recession and that a recovery is underway," said Ben Hackett, founder of the consulting firm. "The forecast for 2010 points towards growth."

The National Retail Federation, which had previously been quite cautious about the pace of the economic recovery, let go of those inhibitions Monday.

"This is a dramatic turnaround over what we've seen during the past two years," said Jonathan Gold, vice president for supply chain and customs policy for the retail federation.

Gold cautioned that increases in import volumes don't mean that retailers will record the same improvement in sales. "But retailers are clearly expecting to move more merchandise this year," he said.

Hackett's monthly report, called Port Tracker, covers imports at the ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach - the nation's largest - as well as Oakland; Seattle; Tacoma, Wash.; New York/New Jersey; Virginia; Charleston, S.C.; Savannah, Ga.; and Houston.

Those ports handled a combined 1.1 million containers in December, the latest month for which actual numbers are available. That was unchanged from November but represented a 2.6% increase over December 2008.

Hackett said those numbers broke a 28-month streak in which monthly import totals were lower than the same month the year before. In 2009, the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach handled 6.75 million and 5.1 million cargo containers, respectively, their lowest totals in several years.

• n Ronald D. White

 Article on Improved outlook for imports taken form the L. A. Times

If you are looking at importing into the United States, or exporting worldwide, please contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

http://www.pack-n-send.com/

John Tillis has returned to head up his companies operations after a one year leave of absence.   AABC has been serving Houston and the surrounding area  for over 25 years. To congratulate John directly feel free to call him at 713 877 8118.

 John started the business in 1986 as a telecommunications equipment company, and built the business providing, "reliable telephone service". 

Through the years, his business has grown and his  product offering now includes, surveillance systems, business telephone systems, complete audio/visual solutions.

AABC is  a leading supplier of all Panasonic Solutions including the KXTDE, TDA and NCP product lines. WeLink Systems. AABC  is also a Cisco Select Certified Partner and a Dell Gold Certified seller.

AABC Communications is also a Panasonic Enhanced Communications Solutions Certified Dealer.

AABC Communications holds many other certifications including  3M Fiber Optic, APC Select, Valcom, Vodavi and Triad. 

AABC services and sells all business telephone system sand telephone equipment. They also sell and service voicemail systems from industry leading manufacturers. As short list of their systems: Avaya, Executone, Samsung, Nortel, Panasonic, Toshiba, Tie/Nitsuko, Vodavi, Inter-tel, Telrad, Comdial, NEC Polycom, Plantronics, Mitel.

Pack n send has handled AABC Communications shipping needs for the past 24years.

Once again, welcome back John!!

Please feel free to contact pack n send at 713 266 1450. http://www.pack-n-send.com/

Mardi Gras always falls on the Tuesday that is 46 days before Easter... always the day before Ash Wednesday, which is the start of Lent... February 16, 2010 - but that actually marks the end to all the "serious" partying. It's the season of revelry before Mardi Gras that draws the big crowds and one name says it all... Carnival! Carnival officially begins on January 6, which is known as Twelfth Night or King's Day, so named because it falls 12 days after Christmas on the day the Wise Men are said to have reached Bethlehem. By now it should be clear that the world's biggest party is also rooted in religion... well, amen to that and hallelujah, too!

Carnival celebrations fall into two categories: public and private. The private celebrations are balls held by clubs or Krewes as they are known. Some Krewes are open to everyone while others are very exclusive and made up mostly of FONOF (fine old New Orleans families). The public celebrations take the form of parades, sponsored by the very Krewes that hold the balls for members only... and much the same as last year, this year's celebrations will embrace as many people as possible. New Orleans is still a city in "recovery" and that includes "recovering" its people.

There will be however more parades this year than last! New Orleans' many Krewes have for the most part reassembled, redecorated and rededicated themselves to Mardi Gras. If you're looking for up to the minute information on the Krewes and their parade dates, check MardiGras.com... you'll find all things Mardi Gras right there!

Mardi Gras 2010 marks the 154th year of the Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans. This year also marks another step in the giant plan to bring New Orleans back, and that includes everyone who made this city great... visitors and locals alike! If Mardi Gras can be a conduit for just a little healing... well then, why not party on and spread a little cheer just like past generations demonstrated when Mardi Gras returned after other tragedies... like the World Wars, for instance! Still... and for the very first time, the city's party image must also be balanced by one of financial responsibility. Bummer... but a reality nonetheless!

At least the colors of Mardi Gras have remained untarnished: purple, green and gold, chosen long ago in 1872 by that year's Rex, or King of Mardi Gras . In 1892, the colors were given meaning - purple for justice, green for faith and gold for power. A special "cake" is also celebrated (and eaten) during Mardi Gras and Carnival Season: the king cake. Sweet, roll-like dough is shaped into a big circle, cooked and brushed with purple, green and gold sugar or icing. Then a plastic baby, representing the Christ child, is tucked inside. Whoever gets the piece of cake with the baby must, by tradition, provide the next king cake... (and avoid choking as well)!

"Laissez les bon temps roulez" has never meant more in the city that never sleeps, and one thing's for sure... this year's party will be bigger and better than last... and that's a sure sign of a much needed return to normalcy, though the disaster that was Katrina will not soon be forgotten! One phrase still echoes throughout the Quarter, "It is the PEOPLE that make New Orleans great!" OK... we keep hearing that we are an integral part of the party... even of every day life in New Orleans, so it is more important than ever to support the city that recognizes our value! So, let's all meet in the Quarter and have a whole lotta fun... day and night... sound like a plan? Taken from trlpsmarter.com

Pack n send has just shipped hats, banners and t-shirts for Mardi Gras promotions in New Orleans.

If you are going to Mardi  Gras and need your promotional items shipped, or just need to ship some extra luggage, please contact pack n send at 713 266 1450. We ship freight, and cargo world wide. We can also blanket wrap your furniture.

http://www.pack-n-send.com/         

US - The fourth quarter results for the two American rail freight giants were no better than anticipated. It is still likely that the sector will slowly recover, and indeed take a larger slice of business from the trucking community, but such events cannot happen overnight. North America still has a lot more investment to make in its rail freight and inter modal infrastructure before shipping via rail cars becomes preferable to trucks.

For truck moving, you might want to look at furniture shipping via truck or on pallets using freight companies.  For small moves, there are companies that have no minimum weight or dollar amount.

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

With rising inflation and higher cost of oil, it should be no surprise that FedEx is raising their rates by 5.9%. These rates are usually announced by FedEx and UPS annually, so it's nothing too out of the ordinary. The rates apply to less-than-load shipments, so pretty much anything you send through FedEx unless it's a very large freight shipment. Read more at ABC News.

Good news for shipping freight out of Houston and other US cities.

The earthquake in Haiti is a tragedy beyond proportion. We are happy to hear of the UPS donation of a million dollars in free freight services offered to Haiti. UPS is offering these freight services through the Red Cross, UNICEF, and CARE in order to help deliver aid and supplies. Twitter rumors started popping up that UPS was offering the services for free to individuals to ship to Haiti, but this is not true. Be sure to give what you can to help the people of Haiti. We hope and pray for them.

Read full article. 

Have you been someone following all the hype behind online stores and want to get involved with it? Now the opportunity is even easier then before with the sell and ship options available from Pack n Send.

Ebay is one of the largest online auction websites world-wide with millions of sellers and buyers. Becoming a seller doesn't have to be the most complicated thing anymore. Many people look into starting an Ebay business each day, and many more don't know where to begin or how to get started. 

Make Ebay Shipping Easy

With Pack n Send we'll take all the hard work out for you. We will take the time to research the items you want to sell, get photographs of the items, list the items, get you top dollar for the items and lastly, ship the items to their buyer for you. We will help you get your Ebay listing seen and sold at an astounding amount. 

Houston Ebay Shipping Services

For those located in Houston, Texas you can now take advantage of Pack n Send's Houston Ebay shipping. Our shipping services have been designed to help you get exactly what you need at a price you'll be able to afford. 

If you don't actually have anywhere to store your Ebay listings while you are waiting for them to sell consider making you of Pack n Send's inventory storage options. Pack n Send can store your inventory within their local warehouse until the Ebay listings are sold.

We want to make the overall process for you uncomplicated. It can be hard keeping things organized and on time, especially if you have large amounts of sales occuring each and everyday. Let Pack n Send make the process easier for you so you can enjoy your Ebay business even more and get all those Ebay listings selling. 

Time is everything when it comes to Ebay. You want to ensure your items are shipped quickly and the price is affordable. This is possible when you have Pack n Send assisting you with the overall process. 

The holidays are now getting quite close, and getting all those gifts to family world wide is becoming slightly more tedious. No one enjoys spending a fortune to get the gifts to their families, which is why the hunt for cheap shipping costs is beginning.

If you are one of the many wanting to find cheap shipping costs, you will be happy to know that it's actually possible and there are many ways you can minimize the amounts you spend this holiday season. 

One of the best ways you can greatly diminish the amount you spend for shipping is combining packages. If you have several family members in one local area that you're shipping gifts to ship them all to one location. By doing this you are diminishing the amount of packages being sent out, meaning less postal fees. This is also a great way to ensure that your family is spending a little quality time together. 

Houston Company recommeds that you should consider is shipping early.

By shipping early you won't have to pay the added costs for expedited shipping to ensure the packages get there in time. Most people are known to wait until the last minute, but the holidays is the worst time that you could do this. 

The holiday season is a time of year you want to enjoy as much as possible. The last thing you want to worry about is your family not receiving their gifts. Don't have this worry this year and do all your holiday shipping with Pack n Send. 

Pack n Send dedicates themselves to cutting costs for you and also making sure that your family receives their gifts on time. It can be quite saddening to find out that they did not, so don't deal with this feeling this year. 

Make this a holiday season you enjoy to the fullest and have Pack n Send help you relieve all that gift shipping stress. We will do everything we can to get your packages arrive on time and do it at a better price then your usual postal services. Christmas is right around the corner, so it is time to get those gifts out now before it is too late and we are working our way into New Years.

Having family all over the globe can pose a problem during the holiday season. There are many ways you can cut the costs and ensure that you get everything to its destination on time.

For those that are not overly familiar with international shipping, be aware that packages can take 2-3 weeks to arrive at their destination, so shipping ahead of time is key. When you give yourself the needed time to get things there in time, you'll be a lot less worried. 

Another thing that you'll want to consider is the weight of the items you are shipping. A lot of postage is done by weight and distances. If you are shipping multiple items over seas try shipping everything together if possible. 

Getting your gifts to arrive on time is important and with Christmas only a few weeks away you really should consider getting everything sent out very soon. Most items going internationally will have to go through customs as well so do not go above and beyond on wrapping just in case things have to be opened. 

Also, you want to have your packages labeled displaying exactly what is in your packages. This will diminish the need to open up your packages and won't destroy any custom packing.

If you need international shipping this year, consider having Pack n Send assist you with the process. We offer several options to get your packages shipped on time, safely and securely at an affordable price you will love. Make sure to check our list of Countries we ship to, to ensure that we can ship to the location you need.