shipping a car overseas [Archive]

Anonymous

08-11-2000, 09:29 AM

: Does anyone know how long approx. it takes to ship your car overseas to
: hawaii when you move, also your furniture, thanks angie

Your transportation office on post should be able to tell you exactly.

Will say that when I transferred there in the late 70's it took at least six weeks for my car to arrive, two months for the furniture. Coming back the car took 8 weeks and the funiture four months. It depends on what port they ship out of and how full the ship is. I know of people where it took six months before they saw their furniture.

Those who shipped their vehicles out of New Orleans instead of San Francisco took a lot longer.

The reason it takes so long is because they are sent on ships. They don't send the ships out empty, so they have to wait until the ship is full.

Will also advise that you have absolutely nothing that can be taken out of your car. As much as they try to keep stuff secure, if it's lose, it will be gone. Take pictures of every angle of your vehicle inside and out. That's the only way they will pay for damage. Check your engine before driving off. Our spark plug wires had been lifted and replaced with damaged ones.

Same with your furniture. Keep an accurate accounting of what goes into every box. Take pictures of your stuff, again to be able to prove damage. It's also a good idea to wrap all your furniture in plastic. Sometimes the stuff sits on the docks while waiting for a ship to load. This can be days and if it rains as well as damage from salt water, can ruin your furniture. Had a friend who lost everything that way.

If you have anything of value, take it with you personally or leave it behind. I'm talking of things like jewelry and the such. Prebox your small stuff and completely surround it with tape (the whole box). That helps prevent tampering and keeps your small stuff from laying around lose.

These are just a few hints for packing for moving overseas.