Insider Tip #3 -- Lift Vans, U-boxes, etc.

Hi, this is DD again, this time to discuss some alternative shipping methods for your household items.  Hope this helps you.

Lift Vans (also called “Van Packs”) are large wooden crates that are used for shipping items.  They are used for international shipping as well as domestic. They are about 7 feet high by 7 feet long by 4 feet wide.  They hold about 200 cubic feet of goods. You can ship multiple lift vans if you need to (each lift van holds about 1 room of a typical household, but we would have to get more details from you in order to make more precise calculations of how many lift vans you might need). You probably won’t want to use more than two lift vans, as they can be very cost efficient up to that point, but after more than two vans, other more cost efficient options might be available.

If you want to use a lift van, give Moving Connections a call. Our movers will come to your residence or business and load the items directly onto a lift van in the truck, or they will load your items onto the truck and take it to the lift van warehouse, where it will be loaded, banded, and shipped.

Lift vans can be a cost saver for smaller shipments, so be certain to call us before booking a move.

Lift vans are a door to hub or door to door service. There is an extra charge for door to door service.

U-Boxes is a service provided by U-Haul and is a good option for storage or for moving small households. With a listed storage capacity of 257 cubic feet, U-Boxes will handle most students’ studio apartments. Their weight capacity is 2,000 lbs.

Their interior dimensions are 95” by 56” by 83 ½ “, (56 inches wide at the door, 95” deep, and 83 ½ inches high), so they can hold most of your goods. They are covered with vinyl in order to be water resistant.

If you just need to store some goods for a short or long period, these can be a good option, too.  U-Haul can store your items at your location or they can put them in their own secure storage facility. They also offer short term storage, such as between semesters, which can be very convenient for students. And they can store and ship to a hub or to your door.

To find out more about U-Haul containers (U-Boxes) or other U-Haul services, just type in uhaul.com on a URL line to go to their website, or call 1 (800) 788-3683. To make reservations, call 1-800-GO-UHAUL (1-800-468-4285).

Other Moving Container services: there are a number of companies that offer storage and moving options using larger containers (larger than lift vans or U-Boxes) and at least two offer three sizes. The construction and weatherproofing on these can vary, and some can be used for international shipping.

LCL (Less than Container Load) shipping to overseas destinations can be quite involved. Unless you’re prepared to pick items up at a port facility and pay the customs fees, you will want to get door to door service.  This is known as “door to door LCL service” and the rate you are quoted should include customs house broker fees and cartage fees.

If you have just a few items to ship overseas and none of your boxes exceeds 70 lbs. (for most countries) or 79” or 108” girth plus length (again, depends on the country), you can send your items via Priority Mail. This can be an economical way to send your items, but do be aware that a number of things might not be insurable.

Also, you cannot send anything via the mail that is liquid, flammable (including anything that has alcohol in it, and this includes perfumes or colognes, etc.), hazardous, perishable (such as foods), or lithium batteries.

Exceptions to the lithium battery rule are such things as cell phones that have the batteries in them. As this is posted, the U.S. Postal Service is not sending any Samsung Galaxy 7’s with the batteries in them, however. Lithium batteries not in a device are prohibited.

In addition, each country has a list of specific items that are prohibited and these can vary greatly from country to country. Cigarettes, unsigned credit cards, coins of any kind, and even unfinished wood can be prohibited (unless you provide a certificate of fumigation for the wood – this is to protect the forests of foreign countries from invasive pests such as pine beetles, termites, and diseases, etc.). So it’s best to check with the Post Office to find out what items are mailable to any particular country before packing them. 

You will also have to fill out “long form” customs slips that tell what the specific items are inside each package, the price for each, and their country of origin (where they are manufactured or made). It’s also best if you weigh each item with a postal scale because the weight for each item is also required on the customs form. 

You should use multiple forms for each package instead of trying to squeeze in multiple items on each line of a single form.

If you have any questions, you can visit your local post office, or you can go online and visit usps.com for further tips and specifics.

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Next Time: “Insider Tips” for packing items and loading trucks.