6 Steps for Shipping
Expedition Vehicles Overseas

Hello Again Overlander and welcome!

This is part 2 of “6 Steps for Shipping Expedition Vehicles Overseas”.  Last time, in part 1, we revealed the shipping methods available and the most recommended one for expedition vehicle shipping.

But once you chose the shipping method one of the biggest factors in having success on your overseas shipping is hiring the most reliable carrier company.

The 2 nd Step for Shipping Overseas – Choosing a Carrier

There are several Carrier companies in the market. Please see below some links of carries that can give you support on shipping expedition vehicles overseas.

Wilh. Wilhelmsen — Website: www.wilhelmsen.com

Grimaldi Group — Website: www.grimaldi.co.uk/

SeaBridge International — Website: www.seabrdge.com

Shipmyvehicle — Website: www.shipmyvehicle.com

Ship OverSeas — Website: www.shipoverseas.com

Schumacher Cargo Logistics — Website: www.schumachercargo.com

Auto Car Shippers — Website: http://www.autocarshippers.com

Accord Overseas — Website: www.accordoverseas.com

Carex International Shipping Company — Website: www.carexshipping.com

United Auto Transport — Website: www.unitedautotransport.com

Overseascarshipper.com — Website: www.overseascarshipper.com/

Alison Shipping International Inc. — Website: www.allisonshipping.com

When choosing a Carrier company, we recommend that you inquire about their US department of transportation (DOT) and Motor Carrier (MC) numbers, which confirm that they are legally licensed to carry your expedition vehicle. You could also go to www.safersys.org and use the numbers listed to find out about the company’s safety records and other related information.

By our experience there are some difficulties that you may encounter when hiring a shipping company, and that you need to be aware off. Some carrier companies may not suggest to you the cheapest and shortest shipping routes. Some Companies may sell you RORO but ship your expedition vehicle using flat rack and often companies may not deliver your vehicle on the day scheduled.

In order to make sure that the carrier is offering a reliable service, once the carrier company suggests the port of departure and the international arrival port, look at the world map and discuss with the carrier representative possible route alternatives. They may be trying to sell out a less full ship rather than the best route for your vehicle.  Make sure to find the route that has the least amount of port stops, and is the shortest and least expensive route. Pricing often changes based on space availability, so the shortest route may not be the least expensive one.  If the carrier cannot provide you a good route, try another carrier.

After choosing your shipping method, become familiar with the ship’s name, type, and specifications. If you chose the RORO method, make sure that your ship is a RORO or car carrier ship type. If you want to learn more about the ship specifications, go to www.e-ships.net, where you can find information about ships, companies, world ports and a sea distances. Ask your carrier representative for a registered user-name and password so that you have access to more specific information and  verify whether or not the ship is a RORO. For sample information go to http://www.e-ships.net/samples/ship.htm and choose the carrier and get more detailed information to help verify that the services that you are paying for are the services that you will get.

In order to verify the day of the ship arrival, you can call the carrier representative or go to www.vesseltracker.com , where you will be able to find your ship location in real time. This will show you how long your vehicle still has left to arrive at your destination port. Choose the carrier that can guarantee the arrival date that was scheduled.

The best carrier company is the one that provides detailed and specific information about its carrier license number, shipping routes, alternative shipping routes, ports of call information, ship specifications, and scheduled arrival date.

And that closes Part 2 of our shipping guide, but we are not quite done. In 2012 we are going to cover what we usually don’t like to do, spending money: Shipping rates and fees.

There is a lot of misunderstanding when it comes to paying overseas destination port fees and the best way avoid mistakes is to be well prepared.

Until Next time,

The GXV Team

6 Steps for Shipping

Expedition Vehicles Overseas

Fellow Traveler,

Welcome to the first part of Global Expedition Vehicles “6 Steps for Shipping Expedition Vehicles Overseas” guide.  Do you have an awesome Expedition Vehicle, but you have only driven it on local off-road trails and on domestic expedition trips because you are unsure how to take your 4×4 Expedition Vehicle to a foreign country?  Shipping your Expedition Vehicles overseas should not be overwhelming and time consuming when you have the right planning.  Based information from other Overlanders and our international shipping experiences and research, we have put together a “6 Steps for Shipping Expedition Vehicles Overseas” guide.

Please feel free to ask questions and add some comments about this topic. We want to know your experiences!

The 1st Step for Shipping Overseas – Choosing a Shipping Method

There are several methods for shipping an Expedition Vehicle. The three main methods are Container, Roll-on/Roll-off (RORO), and Flat Rack shipping. Container shipping requires that your vehicle fit in a container, i.e. Land Rover, Land Cruiser or smaller pickup-up with a camper.  Roll-on/Roll-off is the most secure method of shipping larger Expedition Vehicles. With RORO, your Expedition Vehicle is driven on and off the transport vessel via ramps, secured to the car decks and protected from the wind and sea water. (Sometimes you may be allowed to drive your own vehicle on or off – just ask nicely!)  Technically, you are not allowed to ship personal items in your expedition vehicle, but spare tire and factory fitted accessories are allowed.  Some people do ship personal goods but at their own risk, since it is not covered under ship insurance.

Another method is by Flat Rack. Your Expedition vehicle is placed on a rack that can hold up to 88,000 pounds and then loaded onto the transport vessel.  This method allows the ship to carry many more items by stacking the racks.

The shipping option that we prefer most is RORO because the chances of getting your 4×4 Expedition Vehicle damaged are lower.  Using the RORO shipping method your vehicle is placed inside the car deck, secured by a series of straps and kept safe, clean and dry.

When using Flat Rack shipping, there is a possibility that your Expedition Vehicle can get scratched and dented by the cables used to lift the rack. Sometimes the shipping company will grab the Off-Road vehicle without using the rack, causing damage to the vehicle. There is also a high chance that they can drop the vehicle from a height, instead of placing it properly on the vessel’s dock or even placing it out on the deck.  Your vehicle will also be exposed to the wind and salt water while at sea.

Finding a Carrier company is easy; simply Google “shipping overseas carrier” and you are going to find thousands of results.

But how can you choose the most reliable and professional one that will better serve your needs?  The next part of our guide is all about selecting the right Carrier and identifying which one provides the best and most reliable services.  Once you chose the shipping method, one of the biggest factors in having success on your overseas shipping is hiring the most reliable carrier company.

The next part of our guide is all about selecting the right Carrier and identifying which one provides the best and most reliable services.

Until next time,

The GXV Team