Moving overseas means packing up your home, organising transportation, maybe finding a job or a place to live, and so on. You must also find out how to move everything. Moving personal things from A to B in a moving van is significantly easier. You’ll need to learn what you can and cannot send in an ocean container, complete the paperwork, clear Customs, load your stuff into the container, and secure it for the journey. With so much to do, you’ll be delighted to hear one thing is taken care of when you move: personal effects obligations. Not if you follow the requirements and provide the required paperwork.

When exporting household items overseas, your shipping firm will schedule a container delivery. The cheapest alternative is to store the container for two or three hours. If you need additional time, you may pay for an extra hour, two hours, or even a few days. Before making these plans, check with your local government to see if any rules ban specific trucks from accessing your neighborhood. These limitations are rare in the US, but you should verify. If a truck isn’t allowed on your street, you can load the container in a nearby church parking lot.

If the truck is allowed, find an accessible, legal, and safe spot to park it, especially if it will be there for a long time. This shouldn’t be an issue if you have a large driveway. In a city, finding a parking location big enough for a shipping container may be difficult. A permit may be required if you want to store the container overnight.

A container parked on the street for several days is a hassle for many drivers, regardless of space or municipal restrictions. What if an inattentive motorist crashes into the box? It’s the trucker’s fault. A container on an urban street requires you or your forwarder to find a transportation firm ready to accommodate.

To reduce loading time, prepare everything to be moved and seal it before the container arrives. Prepare as much as you can at the front entrance or in the garage for easy removal. You, not the shipper or the driver, must load the container. Make sure you have adequate assistants. As you load, make a note on your list where each item goes. So Customs may rapidly check particular items.

A shipping container, unlike a moving vehicle, has no ramp. A ramp is required if you use dollies or hand carts to load the container. Straps prevent objects from slipping and breaking during shipment. Wrap the straps around the container’s floor and roof hooks. Some clever shippers build a second level within the container with a plywood floor for safer loading and fastening.

Despite your efforts, there is always a chance of harm. Inquire about property insurance coverage. When your container is ready, the driver seals it, registers the seal number, and hauls it to a train station or directly to the port. Check read our guide on how to send personal things overseas to help you remember all the processes.