Packing, The Foundation of a Successful International Move

Imagine constructing a house. The whole process starts with planning, then the foundations are built and finally the house itself is built. If you were to compare an International Move to this process, packing would be on the same scale as laying the foundations.

What's the big deal?

You must be shaking your head now and thinking: "Packing? Really? Is it really that big of a deal?" The answer is "Yes, it is that big of a deal". The importance of packing is that it is a stage in the beginning of a long process that requires planning ahead and affects the success of the whole process all the way to its finish line. In addition, good and well planned packing can save you money.

How does packing better save me money?

To answer this you must know what happens with your packed household goods when they leave your residence. If your shipment is an LCL (less than container load / shared container) shipment, when the movers leave your residence they will transport your goods to a warehouse, your shipment will then be palletized and loaded into a container.

This container is simply a huge metal box in a shape of a rectangle. All of your boxes, furniture and any other goods are now palletized. This means that they are grouped as efficiently as possible and fastened to pallets so they will have a safer journey. Your belongings may create some “dead space” on the pallet or pallets. For example furniture and a lot of different sized boxes will create more “dead space” than more uniform shaped items. The better you pack your belongings, the more efficiently the space on the pallet will be used. Packing well may be more cost efficient since you are charged for the actual space, or volume, that your goods require out of the total container.

If your shipment is an FCL (full container load / designated or exclusive container), usually the case when you have a very large shipment, your goods will be loaded, braced and secured in the container but they will not be palletized. You are paying for the complete volume of a container even if you do not fill the container completely.

How can I pack better?

You could pack on your own or have your international mover pack your belongings. If you choose to pack on your own, you must remember to pack in as many similar sized boxes as you can. The advantage of having your international mover pack is they are very experienced, they know how to pack, they use the proper materials; they will perform this task much faster and in the most efficient way. You might even want to use this time for other tasks regarding your move.

A point worth mentioning with regards to packing is insurance. If you have your international mover pack, your shipment can be insured for loss and damage. If you do your own packing, your shipment can still be insured but for loss only.

Whatever you choose to do, remember that packing is the foundation; good packing will give you the advantage and will bring you closer to a smooth and successful move. The decision is in your hands.