Freight Forwarding advice fm USA

[Riley]

Off B'Stormers, I have located at a reasonable price, an inventory of 'specialist-prepared' engine parts to suit an experimental homebuilt project and am now looking for advice as to how to get it to OZ at a price I can live with.  I'm aware that there are businesses in the US who offer pick-up, crating, export documentation & shipping and would like contact from anybody here in Aust who have recently had a successful transaction in this regard.  Along with the stringent AQUIS packing materials requirements, who can school me on what they were required to do and what firm (in or around Atlanta, Georgia) that I might utilize to get best results.  'Boxed-up' components would approx equate to the size of two cartons of beer and would weigh approx 70kg.  FedEx scares me so airfreight is out of the question and speed of shipping is not of the essence.  All suggestions would be most welcome.  Thanks in advance.   Riley

 

 

[fly_tornado]

you want to go via container? try a car import mob, they usually load stuff into the boots of the cars. your parts just need to be clean. 

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

Fedex do pre done box sizes for weight and they dont seem too expensive on the airfreight  UPS do the same...that would be the easy way..then they do all the GST etc and on engine parts I highly doubt AQUIS will be interested at all

 

 

[onetrack]

Customs and AQUIS are interested in every single thing that comes into Australia, and every incoming parcel is X-rayed, and often pulled apart, and every vehicle imported, is half-stripped to check all cavities.

 

I've known blokes who had to pay good money to put cars back together after Customs and AQUIS half-wrecked them, checking for asbestos, drugs, weeds and seeds.

 

Riley - 70kg is probably the most awkward size to ship. It's termed LCL (Less-Than-Container-Load), and shippers have minimum charges for every shipment, meaning small shipments cost big $$'s in relative terms.

 

Then, if you ship this 70kgs shipment in a seatainer (even inside a vehicle), there's a multitude of port charges, handling charges, security charges, bonded warehouse costs,, etc, etc, - ad infinitum. These charges really add up.

 

Shipping in a car boot involves a substantial amount of liaison with the car importer - a need to organise for your shipment to go to where the car is located, and additional (double) handling costs - both ends.

 

One big thing to keep in mind, is handling size. If you can break the shipment down into 3 or 4 parcels, it can be handled by hand. Around 25kgs is the point where the shippers demand a forklift for handling - at every handling point.

 

I wouldn't reject air freight out of hand. The important thing to remember is that air freight gets away from the "port rorts". However, air freighters will have a minimum charge per shipment of around $250.

 

You will find, if you go directly to an air freight company here, for a quote, without an account with them, you will be reamed a completely new cloaca.

 

But if you can find a company in the U.S. who runs an account with air freighters, you will then get a far more reasonable charge.

 

The mail/parcels system may possibly be the best method, if the parcels meet the postal maximum dimensions and weights.

 

The secret is to find a crating operation in Atlanta (or an American internet friend in the area!), who will crate or pack the items intelligently (and securely) to meet shipment rules and regulations.

 

Be aware that asbestos is a huge bogey in Customs/AQUIS eyes. Any shipment that even raises a slight suspicion of asbestos will see your shipment stripped, torn apart, and banned from entry, if even a sniff of asbestos is found.

 

Gaskets, clutches, brakes, and insulation are all typical areas where Customs/AQUIS will home in like a heat-seeking missile.

 

Talk to a local freight forwarder who does machinery shipments, they will give you useful advice.

 

$1000 in value is the break point for needing a permit prior to importation. Under $1000 - no permit needed - over $1000, a permit is needed, prior to importation.

 

Universal Customs Brokers

 

 

[BirdDog]

I have shipped many items from many countries that have both weighed heaps, and also valued high.  There are 2 ways.  You do all the work (and save some money) But you need to know what you are doing - or get a freight forwarder to do it.  You do nothing, but it will cost you more.

 

Anything coming by sea, will have a bunch of fees added.  It's unavoidable, no matter who ships it. 

 

If you ship it by air, it will most likely cost you more, but it's the easiest way.  

 

My last big shipment was my new Prop from Woodcomp in a decent sized timber crate.  It came by air.  Customs had a real good look at it etc, but after paying the GST etc, it was released and delivered to my door.

 

My advice - if you have never shipped anything by sea, get some assistance - or you might end up with a rude shock at the end of it.

 

If you can get it shipped by someone like Fedex, or TNT Global, they will charge you a fee for door to door service.  They will contact you for an Duty and Tax at the border, then once paid with a credit card, it will turn up on your doorstep.

 

Cheers

 

J

 

 

[Downunder]

I brought in similar in a LCL. Probably took up less than 10% of a container but recon I paid 3/4 of a full container.

 

And don't let me get started on the 16 or so "port" charges.....

 

Overall I saved bugger all on air freight, lots of paperwork, stuffing around and it took months longer to arrive.

 

It would have actually been far cheaper to wrap and send each individual part by mail.

 

You live and learn.

 

There are specialist airfreight companies besides the usual fedex etc out there but I think 70kg will never be economical. 

 

What could be a great buy in the USA might turn out to be more expensive than new here......after delivery.

 

 

[Blueadventures]

Off B'Stormers, I have located at a reasonable price, an inventory of 'specialist-prepared' engine parts to suit an experimental homebuilt project and am now looking for advice as to how to get it to OZ at a price I can live with.  I'm aware that there are businesses in the US who offer pick-up, crating, export documentation & shipping and would like contact from anybody here in Aust who have recently had a successful transaction in this regard.  Along with the stringent AQUIS packing materials requirements, who can school me on what they were required to do and what firm (in or around Atlanta, Georgia) that I might utilize to get best results.  'Boxed-up' components would approx equate to the size of two cartons of beer and would weigh approx 70kg.  FedEx scares me so airfreight is out of the question and speed of shipping is not of the essence.  All suggestions would be most welcome.  Thanks in advance.   Riley

Hi Riley  Have you tried Aust Post's 'Shopmate' service from USA to Au.  You can consoludate to a maximum of 5 parcles at max 22kg each; your size will fit thier max requirements.  May work for your needs.  Cheers Mike

 

 

[Geoff13]

If you decide to go with seafreight, use and Australian based agent. 

 

An Aussie based agent will cost you more, there is a very good reason for that, he will save you more.

 

Australia have very particular rules and overseas agents rarely understand them all.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

being in Perth, deal with a Perth based company. It pays to shop around, freight companies are sketchy as heck. 

 

 

[Downunder]

being in Perth, deal with a Perth based company. It pays to shop around, freight companies are sketchy as heck. 

It will be hard in my opinion to find a local comany (freight forwarder) interested in a small private "sea" shipment.

 

They will do it, but milk it for all its worth....

 

The best option would be to put it in a container that is already coming to Perth, such as someone bringing a car over and they are paying for a full container.

 

Another option would be to go on a holiday and bring it back as luggage. 35kg each split between two people.......Not cheap a holiday for two to the usa,  but atleast getting some value for your money. And possibly no gst..... remembering you pay gst on ALL costs (purchase and shipping) plus a fee for them to recover that gst.

 

Fedex or dhl fee was 50 to 80 dollars from memory, just to pay the gst over the phone on CC......

 

I tried the Auspost "shopmate" service and found it expensive and would not use it again. 

 

Savings were minimal and found it more of a consolidation of costs into one bill, rather than consolidation of items into a cheaper package.

 

It could be a very effective service but auspost "price gouge" it heavily.

 

I still had to pay local usa rates (from the companies I bought off as well) to the usa warehouse, then wait for evertything to arrive and be registered on the shopmate system. Shipping to Australia was quite long and the items did not turn up together.....

 

 

[onetrack]

One problem I had with "Shopmate" (despite having had numerous successful shipments previously), was when I purchased 2 new small (9Kw) hyd motors from a bloke in Florida and had them sent via Shopmate.

 

The Shopmate operation is based in Portland, Oregon, and once the hyd motors arrived there for transfer to the Shopmate forwarding system, I got a note from them, stating that the "items were leaking oil, and could not be shipped".

 

I got them to send me photos, and I couldn't see any oil leaking out. I texted the bloke in FL and he assured me he sent hyd motors all around the world without any problems - and my motors had been packed the same as everyone elses.

 

Shopmate were insistent that the parcels were leaking oil and could not be shipped. They gave me two options - agree to have the motors dumped - or arrange to send them by road anywhere in the U.S.

 

I wasn't about to have 2 perfectly good, brand new hyd motors worth $1200 dumped, just because some Shopmate operator was being super-picky.

 

Fortunately, I have a good Internet mate (Paul) in OR, not far from Portland and the Shopmate operation - so I got Shopmate to send the motors to Paul for "cleaning" and repackaging.

 

Paul advised me he couldn't see any oil leaking anywhere - so the Shopmate crew were just being anal about the whole deal.

 

Paul repackaged the motors, sent them back to Shopmate - and Shopmate promptly forwarded them to me, with no problems.

 

However, the whole exercise left a bad taste in my mouth over Shopmates rules, and the exercise of those rules to stupid levels.

 

Their refusal to ship initially cost me another $50 in charges, plus some extra to cover Pauls efforts. I am very careful now, about what I ship through Shopmate. 

 

 

[fly_tornado]

Oregon has no sales tax, that's why shopmate is one of dozens of package/freight forwarders based there. The sale to an Oregon address avoid those taxes

 

 

[Riley]

Many thanks for all the good (and bad) info re: US/OZ surface shipping.  It eventuates that the vendor of the inventory is a Delta Airlines employee and is currently investigating if he can ship under 'heavily-discounted'  employee's rates.  Apparently Delta only fly into Sydney so I'd still be up for road freight to Perth.  I'm sweating on his response with numbers.  cheers    Riley

 

 

[onetrack]

Riley, once you get the items into Sydney, go to Temando to get a competitive freight quote. Temando are a freight agency who put your order out in the freighting marketplace, and the interested parties come back with instant quotes.

 

You get multiple quotes instantly, and you can either select one, or ignore all the quotes - or come back another day, to see if the quotes have improved.

 

Be aware that quotes are cheaper if you specify a business address both ends - cheaper if you tell them you have a forklift on site both ends (when boxes/crates are over 25kgs) - and the quoted prices vary from day to day, depending on how full the truck is, and how keen the freight operation is.

 

I have used Temando for several years, and have no complaint with their operation.

 

Temando Fulfilment Portal