Deciding to ship a car overseas is always a significant choice as it relates to immigrating or moving a vehicle to another nation. One question that arises with this frequently is whether personal items can be shipped using the car’s trunk as storage space. Answering this question is not straightforward as it requires considering the shipping company’s policies and the destination country’s laws.
This article will detail the pros and cons to solving the problem of using your vehicle to transport goods, as well as the hurdles you may encounter along the way.
Are Items Considered Personal If Packed in the Car?
Using the boot space in this manner may seem beneficial for a person that requires multi-country travel; however, from a practical point of view, it is ill-advised. For practical reasons, shipping personnel do not permit storing items in the vehicles booth. This limitation is partially the result of the factors listed below.
Legal Boundaries: Considering the various international treaties, countries drawn into their law have tight KPIs while allowing entry of goods. The use of a vehicle could overly complicate the process leading declare it as contraband meaning that the vehicle is undesirable for customs.
– Insurance as an Issue: Most auto transport corporations offer insurance for the vehicle alone, not for any contents within. If the contents are misplaced, damaged, or are stolen, your may not be insured.
– Space and Weight Restrictions: Cars are already stuffed tightly within shipping containers or on RoRo (Roll-on/Roll-off) vessels. For a car, his personal effects add space problems and can alter the weight balance, which can raise shipping costs or even cause harm during transport.
– Control of Personal Items: Especially for protracted international travel, personal effects can be problematic from a security point of view.
Nonetheless, some firms might permit a small quantity of personal items, but assuming this is the case, always confirm with the car shipping firm as well as the regulations of the destination country.
Options Other Than Vehicle Incorporated Item Shipping
While not the most convenient option, actually shipping items in a car, there are processes to move belongings alongside a vehicle when the vehicle is used internationally.
- Utilize a Shipping Container
Some companies offer a finishing touch when shipping cars by allowing customers to store limited personal items within the car during the trip. However, limitations apply, and clients most likely will not benefit from this option unless they are renting an entire container for their vehicle and personal possessions. Here are a few considerations:
– Limited Space: Remember that space restrictions are pretty tight. The primary aim of the container is to house your car safely, so any personal items must take secondary importance. Do note that the space you’re allotted will be considerably smaller than you might expect.
– Increased Costs: As is the situation with most things, additional costs may also arise when trying to use a container for personal possessions. Extra labeling and customs paperwork may also need to be printed for the items which will be held within the container. As such, each item will incur extra charges and the process may become more complex, depending on the items being shipped.
- Air Freight for Personal Items
In cases where other personal items need to accompany the car, but cannot physically be placed inside, air freight services serve as a viable option. Although air forwarding has its merits, the same cannot be said for ocean freight, so be mindful of which route you are using. Air forwarding allows for the car to be loaded and sent directly for ease of customs processes and care.
- Using A Relocation Shipping Company
When relocating internationally, there are some companies that specialize in relocation shipping. These companies provide full-service shipping, including household goods, personal effects, and cars. Usually, this service guarantees the separate shipping of the car, while personal belongings can travel alongside the vehicle.
Customs Issues and Restriction of Shipping
In the case of shipping personal belongings in a vehicle, the customs policy greatly influences the action. Every country has specific regulations on what is permitted for entry as part of your shipment. Such regulations include:
– Duty and Taxes: Most countries will expect payment of import duties and taxes on items entering their domain. Personal items tend to complicate this process as one may be forced to declare them as taxable goods.
– Items That Are Restricted: Specific items such as alcohol, firearms, or food may be restricted or outright prohibited from entry into some countries. Shipping these items could either slow down the shipment or incur penalties.
– Other Restrictions In Terms Of Value or Weight: Some or no value can be placed by some countries on goods intended for personal use resulting to limited declaration.
To prevent delays, make sure you are well-versed with the customs policies of your destination country. For guidance on what can or cannot be shipped, consult with your car shipping company.
Why some shipping companies don’t allow personal effects.
As previously discussed, the majority of car shipping companies do not permit personal effects to be packed in vehicles. Here are the reasons why:
Insurance
The lack of personal effects cover for shipping companies is primarily due to insurance contracts, which by default limit the coverage to the vehicle. Should anything happen to the car or the belongings inside, the shipping company would not assume responsibility.
Operational Restrictions.
Putting personal items in your car increases difficulty in the execution of its loading and unloading. Bags can slide around and get damaged, or cause damage during transit. Particularly with regards to containers and ships, personal items require packing, securing and protecting from shifting during transport. If improperly packed, these items can inflict damage to the car itself.
Customs Risks
Foreign items in the vehicle may lead to delays at customs, and the need for more thorough inspections and the possibility of fines. Inspectors of customs may need to open the vehicle for inspection which could lead to delays or complications escaping from prohibited items.
Best Practices for Shipping Your Car Overseas
In order to avoid problems regarding personal possessions, here is how to make your experience as smooth as possible:
– Speak with the Shipping Company: Check with your car shipping company before assuming there are no restrictions to what people put in the car. Some companies may have guidelines or exceptions for specific shipments.
– Employ Safe Methods When Shipping Personal Items: Ensure to use air freight services or household goods shipping services. These methods guarantee the safety and legality of the transportation of personal belongings.
– Keep in Mind Potential Additional Payments: The shipment of personal possessions will incur additional costs irrespective of whether it is via a larger container, air freight, or increased fees for customs clearance.
– Keep Everything: Document separately each item that is shipped independently of the car. This will assist in streamlining sentry’s customs and ensure proper documents are kept in the eventuality that an item is misplaced or damaged.
Car Shipping Services: A Recommended Solution
Although shipping a vehicle overseas may seem convenient, placing personal items will not be advisable because of customs rules, insurance intricacies, and logistical nightmares. Look into air freight, relocation shipping, or container shipping for personal items.
If you are looking to place a quote for your car shipment, check out Shipping Cars. They have a tailored range of services such as shipping your car overseas, and you can speak to a professional to walk you through the steps.