Pack n send has been following the plight of ships that are attacked by pirates.  Almost like the old wild west but on the open seas.

Unfortunately, pirates have been taking hostages and then holding them for ransom. Shipping companies now have armed men on many ships.. During the last year, the number of hostage taking instances has been on the decrease.

Yahoo news www.yahoonews.com  reported today that one of the highest ranking pirates has announced his retirement. Mohamed Abdi Hassan has decided to retire. If he can persuade others to retire also, the costs to ship inventory via ocean should start to decline.  Weapons and private  security companies does cost the shipping companies money. These charges are passed on to the ultimate consumer.

The fact that shipping lines are better able to protect both personnel and cargo may be one of the reasons that this retirement has been announced.

This is a good sign for the shipping industry as a whole. At pack n send, as a Houston shipping company we try to keep our customers informed about events affecting worldwide shipping. We have listed below the countries that we ship to. For any questions about container loading or international shipping, please feel free to contact us at 713 266 1450.

Albania
Algeria
American Samoa
Andorra
Angola
Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Baruba
Belarus
Belize
Belgium
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bolivia|
Bonaire
Botswana
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brazil
Brittish Virgin Islands
Brunei
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
|Chile
China
Colombia
Congo
Congo Republic of
Cook island
Costa Rica
Croatia
Curaco
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
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
Georgia
Ghana
Gibraltar
Ginvea-Bissau
Ginvea-Exquatorial
Greece
Greenland
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guatemala
Guernsey
Guinea
Guinea Republic
GuyanaHaiti
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran-Islamic Republic of Tersey
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Ivory Coast
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan, Kenya
Kiribati
Korpa
Kosovo
Kosrae Island
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Libyan Arab Jamahiriy
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macao
Macedonia
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
MMarshall Islands
Martinique
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mexico
Micronesia
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Morocco
Mozambique
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
Netherlands
Netherlands Antilles
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Nive
Northern Mariana Islands
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
|Palau
Panama
Papa New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Phillipines
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
QatarRepublic of Nevis
Reunion
Romania
Rota
Russia
Rwanda
Saba
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
Syria
Tadjikistan
Tahiti
Taiwan
Tanzania
Thailand
Tinian
Tonga
Tongo
Tortola
Trinidad and Tobago
Truk
Tunisia
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
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwearshall Islands, Albania
Algeria
American Samoa
Andorra
Angola
Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Baruba
Belarus
Belize
Belgium
Benin
Bermuda,Bhutan
Bolivia|
Bonaire
Botswana
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brazil
Brittish Virgin Islands

Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Libyan Arab Jamahiriy
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Tanzania
Thailand
Tinian
Tonga
Tongo
Tortola
Trinidad and Tobago
Truk
Tunisia
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
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwearshall Islands

Albania
Algeria
American Samoa
Andorra
Angola
Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Baruba
Belarus
Belize
Belgium
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bolivia|
Bonaire
Botswana
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brazil
Brittish Virgin Islands
Brunei
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
|Chile
China
Colombia
Congo
Congo Republic of
Cook island
Costa Rica
Croatia
Curaco
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
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
Georgia
Ghana
Gibraltar
Ginvea-Bissau
Ginvea-Exquatorial
Greece
Greenland
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guatemala
Guernsey
Guinea
Guinea Republic
GuyanaHaiti
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran-Islamic Republic of Tersey
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Ivory Coast
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan, Kenya
Kiribati
Korpa
Kosovo
Kosrae Island
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Libyan Arab Jamahiriy
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macao
Macedonia
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
MMarshall Islands
Martinique
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mexico
Micronesia
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Morocco
Mozambique
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
Netherlands
Netherlands Antilles
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Nive
Northern Mariana Islands
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
|Palau
Panama
Papa New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Phillipines
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
QatarRepublic of Nevis
Reunion
Romania
Rota
Russia
Rwanda
Saba
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
Syria
Tadjikistan
Tahiti
Taiwan
Tanzania
Thailand
Tinian
Tonga
Tongo
Tortola
Trinidad and Tobago
Truk
Tunisia
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
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwearshall Islands, Albania
Algeria
American Samoa

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The electronics should be packed as follows:

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

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

Ask if the company offers onsite packing, crating and shipping.

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

Does the company you choose offer full value coverage in case of loss or damage during the pick up, packing and shipping process? Can the company move your electronics via moving if the situation dicates this.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 We monitor environmental improvements world wide. 

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

Once again pack n send is able to report new purchases for airplanes used for freight transpiration.  As reported by Air Cargo News, Qatar airlines has ordered two new 777’s.  This combined with its previous order bring the total to five new air freighters.

 These planes are both fuel efficient and cost twenty per cent less in operating costs. It is  nine teen percent lighter, and this translates into the cost savings.

 Qatar’s first order for 777 came in just 2007.

Pack n send continually monitors worldwide purchases both airplanes and cargo ships.

 The past few months have provided a continuation of the ordering improvement that began in the fall of last year. Freight and cargo shipment are a prediction of the worldwide economic environment  Seeing companies continually  increase orders in these areas is a positive economic signal.

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

Pack n send is monitoring freight  and  cargo shipments both within the United State and worldwide. While we specialize in Freight Shipping and loading and shipping cargo, we also like to keep our customers informed of industry trends. This article taken from Handy Shipping   Guide highlights new strengths seen in US shipping markets.

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

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

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

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

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

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

If you need to move small amounts of furniture from one city to another, it may be less expensive to freight the furniture than to put it on a truck and move it.

Furniture freighting involves securing the furniture on a pallet, surrounding the furniture with protection and stretch wrap, and shipping the furniture via truck to its new city. Antiques can be shipped this way, as well as office furniture and household goods.

As an ultimate price saver, the furniture can be delivered on a pallet to your curb or loading dock, and you can unload it. Of course you have the option for the freight company to unload the pallet and bring the furniture into your home or office.

Furniture is shipped this way to market.  By securing your furniture to a pallet, there is minimum human contact with the furniture. The furniture is moved via lift equipment. Items are custom packed for safe and secure shipping.

This is just another way to save money when shipping with Pack n Send. Do you have furniture to move somewhere in the country? Contact us for a free furniture shipping quote. We can freight your furniture anywhere in the country, or any where in the world.

 Please call as at 713 266 1450.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Make your reservations now for this rich educational experience.

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

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

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

For more information about shipping, packing, crating and freight forwarding in Houston, Texas, please call pack n send at 713 266 1450.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pack n send has re published this article as a service to our customers. For information about freight shipping Houston, and packing and unpacking services in Houston, please contact us at 713 266 1450.

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

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

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

Some other reasons for vehicle shipping may include:

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

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

Door to Door Vehicle Shipping

Convenience and customer satisfaction  should be the companies highest priorities.

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

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

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

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

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

 Pack n send is posting this article from the Houston Chronicle.  This is the most current update on the closure of the Houston ship channel.  While it was anticipated that the ship channel would be open this morning, it looks like there is a slight delay.

 Ship Channel closure could be lifted today

By ZAIN SHAUK and JENALIA MORENO
HOUSTON CHRONICLE

Problems clearing electrical tower delayed plans to reopen sooner

 After encountering unexpected difficulties Tuesday in clearing a damaged electrical tower from the Houston Ship Channel, workers hope today to end a three-day bottleneck at the Port of Houston.

At least 70 ships, including 33 oil tankers, were waiting Tuesday to leave or dock at the port. The U.S. Coast Guard cut off access to about three-fourths of the 150 terminals Sunday after a tug pushing three barges crashed into the 300-foot-tall electrical tower.

An average of two dozen vessels move through the port daily, generating about $322 million in economic activity.

Houston-area refiners receive crude oil shipments through the channel and have said that so far they've been able to continue operations using oil already on hand.

"Certainly having the Ship Channel open will improve conditions for everyone and we're eager to see the channel opened as quickly as possible," said David Harpole, a spokesman for LyondellBasell.

Valero had not expected a crude shipment before today, and a spokesman said its operations were not affected.

Unexpected delays

The Coast Guard and CenterPoint Energy, which owns the tower, had hoped to reopen the channel Tuesday night, but faced delays in cutting down some of the 14 cables — including 12 high-voltage wires — from the damaged structure, which was leaning precariously on one of the barges involved in the collision

An investigation continues into the cause of Sunday's accident.

Tuesday afternoon, a crew of 40 using four barges, two cranes and three tugboats was removing a cable from the tower when the cable hung up on other equipment, one of several unexpected delays, said Capt. Marcus Woodring, the Coast Guard's sector commander in the Houston-Galveston area.

"That's going to take a little while to untangle," he said. "It's not a showstopper, it'll get untangled, but it's just one of those unforeseen things."

No electricity was flowing through the lines.

After removing the cables, CenterPoint was expected to begin an operation to sever the steel tower from its crumpled base in the waterway, Woodring said.

"We have a shearing tool — like a hydraulic cutter — that hopefully will cut through the legs very easily and then we'll be able to lay the tower down on a barge," he said.

"We have a shearing tool — like a hydraulic cutter — that hopefully will cut through the legs very easily and then we'll be able to lay the tower down on a barge," he said.

Some optimism

Meantime, shipping companies awaited word on when they can resume transiting the channel.

"Every day that goes on, it gets more and more serious and there are more backups," said Niels Aalund, vice president of the West Gulf Maritime Association, which represents 183 shipping industry firms. Still, he said, "there's optimism that this can get opened up quickly."

Buffalo Marine Service, a Houston bunkering company, continues to work in terminals that remain open in Galveston and Texas City. But its business in the closed area of the channel has come to a halt.

"If there aren't any ships coming in that need fuel, we don't have much work to do," said company Vice President Chuck King.

For information about Houston shipping, crating and freighting, please contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

SOMALIA – In yet  another  pirate attack, the most southerly reported this year so far in the region, a UAE owned tanker was seized around 100 miles South of Dar es Salaam after unloading its cargo of bitumen at Mombasa in Kenya. The attack follows three previous attacks this week on freight vessels off the Tanzanian coastline.

The vessel was once again Panamanian flagged and was manned by an all Indian crew of 15 according to local reports. We have had no word so far from the vessels owners Bitumen Invest. The ship is the MT Asphalt Venture an asphalt carrier en route to Durban when radar observation showed her turn suddenly and set a course for Xaradheere, about 300 miles north of Mogadishu on the Somali coast.

We have no reports of any contact with the vessel at this time since she altered course early this afternoon. With the seasonal increase in pirate raids, vessel owners and operators are warned by the  authorities to be extra vigilant and take all possible precautions against attack.

Pack n send found this article in the Handy Shipping  Guide. Since we ship worldwide freight and cargo, we constantly monitor the shipping lines throughout the world.  With ships being detained on a regular basis, we look for lines that offer the best possible routes.

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

Pack n Send is reprinting this article posted in the Handy  Shipping Guide.  Seeing the United States plan ahead and have freight systems ready when up date to the Panama Canal is complete is quite an accomplishment.

It is  true; they do thing US – It’s s bigger in the States. In the olden, golden days of pioneering it was the railroads that opened up the country enabling the shipping of vital supplies to all parts of the territory, no matter how remote. This week saw the first freight containers carried on a tortuous, winding route through the Appalachian Mountains to Columbus, Ohio on a track that previously could only cope with the old, low height, coal carrying gondolas.

In an ambitious project costing almost $200 million (train operator Norfolk Southern put up half the money, matched by the federal government with a little help from the state authorities in Ohio and Virginia) they scooped out twenty eight tunnels, shifting power cables and strengthening bridges to accommodate rail cars loaded with double stacked shipping containers, cutting a day off the transit time and saving the nations roads from around 150 truckloads, half a double stacked freight train load.

The entire project, known as the ‘Heartland Corridor’ is part of a battle to upgrade and improve services and increase competition with road haulage services and to prepare for the $5.25 billion worth of improvements to upscale the Panama Canal which will be completed in 2014-15. The canal operators are enlarging capacity in an attempt to increase traffic before the viability of the North East passage becomes a reality for many of the freight carriers.

Norfolk Southern intend to seize their share of the extra containers carried in via Panama, as do intermodal rivals CSX in Florida who have a similar tunnel excavation scheme in progress to increase their own efficiency.

 For more information about freight shipping within the United States and international cargo shipping, please contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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