Shipping - Loading Your Container

Hello, how are you?

Cyprus is going to be very quiet over the next two weeks. Traditionally, the island’s national holidays start on Monday. It’s perfect timing due to the heat.

Let’s continue with shipping. This week I’m covering loading your container. Depending on the amount of possessions you are shipping, the container may be loaded at your home. If you have enough belongings, it’s always best if you can do this, as you can observe the whole procedure from start to finish. You watch your possessions go into the container and you watch the container being sealed.

If you are shipping by “Groupage” – in other words a “part load” because you don’t have enough possessions to fill a container, you may find that a small van comes to collect your crates and boxes instead.

If this is the case, the crates and boxes are taken away to a depot and then they are loaded into a container, which you will share with others. This means you can’t observe the process and your possessions are double-handled - meaning the margin for error is greater.

If you feel nervous about this and need peace of mind, just ask your removal company for advice. A good removal company will usually let you follow the van to the depot and let you see your possessions being transferred to the container they will be sent overseas in.

But how do you know everything will be safe and secure?

Well, if your container is packed outside your home, the removal company will seal it in front of you. Each container has a security code number on the seal and this should still be in place when it eventually reaches you at your new home.

If the seal is not in place when it arrives, this means one of two things. Either the container has been broken into (very rare), or Customs have inspected it for some reason or another. The latter is normally the case.

Another question I’ve been asked is how long does it take to pack and load the container?

As this is dependent on the amount of possessions you are taking, your removal company will advise you. It also depends on whether you are packing your own possessions or the company are. If the removal company are packing for you, they will need to come to your home before the container arrives. This can often be a few days before. Then on the day, they simply pack all the boxes into the container and off it goes to your local dock to await shipping.

By the way, it’s quite normal to feel very nervous and often quite emotional when the container is finally driven away. Your new life is about to begin and mixed feelings will be felt at this stage!

Next week I’m going to cover packing and unpacking – there will be lots of hints and tips on how to make sure breakages are kept to a minimum.

Well, that’s it for now, have a super weekend

Best wishes

Jackie