| Americans who take jobs overseas are faced with | | | | prior to booking the load). |
| the monumental task of moving an entire household | | | | Household goods and personal effects can be |
| across an ocean to another country. Many people | | | | shipped internationally in 20 foot standard containers, |
| understandably take the opportunity to scale back | | | | 40 foot standard containers, and 40 foot high cube |
| their possessions but still have more than what can | | | | containers. Generally, only 75-85% of a container's |
| be shipped by a parcel carrier. | | | | volume is utilized for household goods transportation. |
| Fortunately, international freight shipping can be a | | | | While some international transportation companies |
| relatively simple answer to this problem. Especially | | | | (carriers and/or forwarders) can arrange to pack, |
| when the shipper has access to instant comparisons | | | | wrap and load a family's household goods, it is less |
| from lots of great carriers, when they shop | | | | expensive for the shipping family to do as much as |
| companies using the Internet. | | | | possible themselves. A complete inventory should be |
| The first thing a family will need to do is estimate the | | | | kept as items are wrapped, packed and placed in the |
| volume of household goods being shipped. After the | | | | container. This will be necessary to comply with the |
| volume is determined, the family will pick the best | | | | carrier's requirements and legal requirements and will |
| sized container for the shipment. A container is a | | | | also be helpful (and necessary) in the event of a |
| large metal box (similar to a semi-trailer or train box | | | | damage claim. |
| car but without wheels) used to hold ocean freight. If | | | | After the family's household items are transported |
| a family does not have enough volume to fill a | | | | across the ocean by sea-going vessel, they are |
| container, they can shop for quotes on a | | | | delivered to a container yard at port. From the port, |
| less-than-container (LCL) price. In an LCL shipment, a | | | | the chosen freight forwarder will have arranged for |
| family's household goods will be placed in a container | | | | inland trucks to load the container and deliver the |
| with cargo belonging to someone else for transport. | | | | goods to the family's new overseas home. |
| If the household goods are sufficient to fill an entire | | | | There are a lot of details involved in a successful |
| container, the container will be delivered to the | | | | overseas household goods shipment. Families would |
| family's home for loading and then taken by truck to | | | | be well-served to allow themselves time to plan each |
| a container yard where it will await shipment. A family | | | | step of the moving process in advance. This careful |
| can even choose to ship its automobiles (although | | | | planning, along with a little research, will allow a family |
| this should be specifically discussed with the carrier | | | | to enjoy a trouble-free move. |