Logistics involved when moving and shipping your belongings overseas

Relocating to a new place is always a strenuous activity. It does not matter how far you are going. The fact that you have to pack all your belongings and pay for all the moving costs is by itself a demanding task. Due to the cost involved, you will need to look for cheap moving boxes that will secure your things. When moving overseas, the boxes are not enough; you will need a container to store your valuables and ship to the designation port. This guide concentrates on the logistics involved when shipping your car to a new home overseas. For car shipping, you have two options, using a roll-on roll-off or a shipping container.

The roll-on roll-off option

Commonly knowns as Ro Ro, this method is more like moving in a ferry. Your car will be driven at the port few hours before your departure or few day prior. The car will be parked outside the port area in a common parking lot in an open space till departure day. There is no inspection needed upon loading your car. No one will take note of the condition of your car before the transport. You will only get insured for a total loss because there is no documented damage condition of your car. Vehicles are loaded and braced into position in the hull of the ship.

Container shipping method

Here cars are delivered to a shipping company warehouse. It will then be loaded into a shipping container that is reserved for your car only or into a bigger container that will accommodate your car and other goods that are headed to the same destination. Your car is immediately loaded into the container and remains there till departure day. The sealed containers are loaded into a ship with supervision from your shipping company.

Which method is more affordable and fast?

With Ro Ro, you will incur few expenses since your vehicle share port fee and customs fee with other vehicles. The human labor involved with Ro-Ro is minimum thus reducing the overall cost of this shipping method. But the price gap may be narrow when you buy an insurance cover for your car during the transit period. When using a shipping container. Your car will take time to arrive at your destination. Especially when you ship in a consolidated container that carries’s other goods together with your car. For Ro-Ro, less time is consumed, you can drop off your car to the port and board your flight. For container shipping, you can drop your days before your actual departure.

Which one is more secure and safe?

With a shipping container, the vehicle is more secure. To start with, the container is sealed meaning the car will not be damaged during shipping. Your vehicle will be under close supervision from the shipping company, and finally, the car is stored indoors and well braced at all times. Upon arrival at your destination port, the vehicle will remain protected until you are ready to come pick it up. Unlike in Ro Ro where the car sits at the terminal outdoor waiting for your arrival.

While shipping your car, it is essential to be conversant with the shipping company’s operating terms. You also need to document the condition of your vehicle with pictures that are time stamped just in case the car is damaged while in transit.