International Packing

International shipments require specialized attention, and are handled in one of three ways – via lift vans, steamship containers or air freight boxes.

Lift vans are international wooden shipping crates. Steamship containers are steel containers that come in a limited number of sizes. The volume of a shipment will determine the size of container utilized. Air freight boxes typically are used for smaller shipments, or for items that need to arrive at the destination within a short time frame.

Professional Movers.com moving/relocation coordinators will help determine which method of transportation and which size containers are best suited for your international move.

Packing for international moves requires specially sized boxes and handling. Because boxes are loaded into crates or containers, boxes used for international moves are sized accordingly. Professional Movers.com can assist in selecting the correct sizes and number of boxes.

When your items are prepared for an international move, items are carefully wrapped and padded before being placed in a crate or container. There are specific methods and procedures used for packing and loading furniture and other household goods for an international move.

Items transported in international moves must go through customs clearance at the port of arrival. After the shipment is cleared by customs, the items are delivered to the destination location or placed in storage until the international shipment is ready to be delivered.

While the idea of packing your own belongings is tempting, it should be left to our specially trained, professional international movers. We have the experience, expertise and moving supplies to protect your goods from the extra stress of international air and sea shipments. Additionally, we can help you adhere to the stringent shipping requirements and heightened security measures in the current global environment.

Here are some of the basic tools, moving supplies and moving boxes your Professional Movers.com international packers and movers will utilize to pack your belongings.

Tools, Materials & Moving Supplies
Unprinted newspaper and tissue paper (newspaper ink can soil some items)
2″ plastic tape (to assemble and close cartons)
Utility knife and scissors
Permanent markers

Types of Boxes Used for International Packing

1.5 Cubic Foot Book Box: Use for heavy or dense items including books, records, shoes, canned goods, kitchen canisters, small appliances and hand or power tools.
3.0 Cubic Foot Medium Box: Good for toys, lampshades, pots and pans, kitchen utensils, etc.
4.5 & 6.0 Cubic Foot Large Box: Good for large, lightweight items such as pillows, bedding and toys. Do not overload these moving boxes.
Stand-Up Wardrobe: -Equipped with a bar for hanging clothes, curtains and draperies. The bottom is not designed to support weight; do not pack other items in the bottom of these cartons. Lay-down style wardrobe moving boxes are also available.
Dish Pack Boxes: Specially designed with available cell dividers for transporting dishes, glasses, bowls and other kitchenware. Also good for lamps, small pictures, knick-knacks and light appliances.
Mirror Boxes: Telescoping, large and small sizes. Provides extra protection for mirrors, large pictures and glass tabletops.
Mattress Boxes: Available in crib, twin, standard, double and queen/king sizes.
Custom Crates: Wooden crates can be custom built in various sizes. These crates are ideal for marble, large glass table tops, chandeliers, antiques, statuary, trophies and other large, bulky or delicate items requiring extra protection.
Brown Paper Padding: Provided for furniture and larger items. All non-packed or crated items will be padded using the highest quality materials available on the market today.

Packing the Professional Movers.com Way

Professional Movers.com packing staff can ensure that your belongings are properly protected for your move.

Here’s how we go about packing the right way:

All packing materials, moving supplies and cartons will be new
All china, glass and crystal will be individually wrapped prior to packing
Cartons will be taped across top, bottom and all sides
All rugs and carpets will be rolled and wrapped
Customer’s name, room and contents will be marked on each carton

All items not suitable for packing will be padded for transport. These items include furniture, large bulky pieces and large appliances. Such items are paper padded and, where items require additional protection, double wrapping and crating may be used.

Proper padding requires the following steps:

All furniture will be dismantled, if appropriate
All hardware (nuts and bolts) will be placed in plastic bags before being put in the master hardware moving box
All furniture will be wrapped in a minimum 3-ply paper pad
Corner pads will be used to provide additional protection
All paper pad seams will be sealed using export vinyl tape
Skeleton or full crates will be used on awkward or fragile pieces

Getting the Most for Your Money

In determining the cost of your shipment, we consider its density – the combination of its weight and cubic volume. Large, odd-shaped items decrease space-efficiency and increase the cubic volume of your shipment. So, to minimize the cubic volume and help keep your costs down, there are certain items that may not make sense to take.

For example: