International Relocation : What’s The Best Way To Ship Your Belongings?

The logistics of an ordinary house move can be complicated enough, which is why many people call in the professionals. But what about moving abroad, or moving half-way across the world? The same goes for shipping large or bulky items. It can be a challenge just getting a wardrobe or a piano across London or New York, never mind overseas.

International shipping, even long-distance like from London to New Zealand or Australia, can actually be a surprisingly smooth process as long as you plan in advance and pick the right shipping company.

But while the process might seem quite straightforward from the customer’s perspective, there’s an awful lot happening in the background, especially for the last mile delivery. There are many players involved, from shipping companies and handlers to freight forwarders. It would be a nightmare to deal with them all individually. This why it’s a really smart idea to use a full service international shipping expert to handle everything on their behalf.

Here’s our guide to understanding what happens during a typical international move or large shipment…

Step 1 – Collecting the shipment

The first step happens at your home city, where a shipping or removals firm will take delivery of the shipment. It will be collected from your property (or a destination of your choosing) and delivered to the outbound port. Before this happens, all the details involved in arranging the shipment will be finalized by your shipping company. You should get a timescale of when to expect the item(s) to arrive at its destination.

If you aren’t shipping a large volume of items, the shipping company may use the services of a freight forwarding company. This company consolidates the cargo from multiple customers into one container. This will then be booked in directly with a shipping line. Freight forwarders may also handle customs clearance or other services.

Step 2 – The shipping process

Now it’s time for your shipment to get on the move! Once your shipment has cleared export customs, it is ready to be shipped. This part is taken care of by the shipping line, who will load up your shipment and transport it to the destination country.  Shipping turn-around times have improved a lot in recent years. London-based international shipping company Kiwi Movers estimate that shipments should now take weeks rather than months to arrive at their destinations. When they ship goods from London to New Zealand or Australia – one of the longest routes – it typically arrives at its destination port in 10-12 weeks.

Step 3 – Customs clearance

An unavoidable part of international shipping is customs. Your shipping company will make sure that all your documentation is correct to get your items through customs, including organizing the payment of any associated customs costs.

Step 4 – Delivery to your chosen address

When your shipment has cleared customs and is on home soil, it’s the turn of a local agent at the destination port. This agent, part of a trusted network of global handlers, will arrange for your shipment to be loaded up and delivered to the address of your choice. Then the move or shipment is complete!