Economy Of How Much?

On November 10, 2011August 2, 2015 By International Shipping ExpertIn Shipping Services

How Much? How Much? How Much? How Much? How Consumers and businesses are flocking to the internet to shop around for the lowest prices, international shipping service is no exception! But be careful what you wish for the cheapest shipping rates are not always the best option!

Economy Impacting Shipping Industry:

Consumers are being squeezed hard these days, spending is being cut, inflation is up and cost of everything is going up! Fuel cost increases are affecting the transportation industry and forcing airliners and carriers to raise their rates to offset the rate hikes and drop in volume! Consumers are reacting to this phenomenon by limiting their International shipping to bare minimum and utilizing Ground transportation. Air Express Shipments have been reduced dramatically. Consumers are using email and PDF files to share documents almost instantly and they have almost no need for the Post Office or Overnight shipping.

Shipping Quote: How Much?

Consumers and businesses are using the internet to shop around! Don’t count on customer loyalty factor here. It is all about How much? Cost concerns are driving Shipping Quote request volume to historic levels. Everyone is looking for the same thing: Low prices! Shipping companies are realizing that answering these quote requests is big time-wasting exercise. Often, shipping companies will spend time and resources to get the customer a quote but 90% of the time, customers are just shopping around for lowest price or trying to get a written quote to force other vendors to lower their shipping quote. Customers often play shipping companies against its other.

Shipping companies cannot afford to pursue these leads anymore, they are time-consuming and they often do not generate revenue for them. When they do, the margins are so low that the shipping companies lose money in long run. Often consumers won’t bother giving accurate dimensions or weight to calculate the shipping rate, “Just tell me how much will it cost to ship a medium box to Africa?” Shipping companies can not just pick a number and hope for the best, shipping quotes MUST be accurate or close to it if you want to end up with a happy customer.

To compute a shipping quote, customers need to provide:

Destination Information: City, State, Country
Size of shipment Length, Height, Width
Weight of shipment.
Content of shipment: Make sure it is allowed by international standards.
Value: Insurance and Tax values.
Preferred method of shipping: Ground, freight or Express
Packaging.

At Neighborhood Parcel, we take quote requests seriously and we do our part in providing accurate quotes within 48 Hrs whenever possible. However there are occasions where we do not answer quotes, here are few examples:

Incomplete Requests.
Prohibited commodities.
Shipping to restricted areas.
Inaccurate Data.
Bogus requests.
Complex logistics.
Low Margin projects.

College Move Out Service

On May 12, 2011August 2, 2015 By International Shipping ExpertIn International Moving, Shipping Services

College Move Out Service

Looking for College Move Service in Boston MA area? Remember that day you moved into your college dorm at the beginning of the school year and everything looked so…clean? Well the time has come to an end. Time to dismantle your tower of empty energy drink cans. Yes, college move out day is just around the corner and summer vacation can’t come soon enough. We know, because we were college students too one day.

College Move out day is one of the biggest sources of college roommate angst. Our Moving service makes it easy to move out to college or move back home. From our on time pick and delivery of your packages to state of the art tracking system of your valuables; we do college moving like no other while saving you time and money. Here are a few ways to get through the process College Moving pain-free:

Start packing early.

Bit by bit you should be starting to pack up stuff you won’t be needing over the next couple weeks. Not only does this make for less work on move out day, but if you share the same room it makes it less crazy if everyone isn’t scrambling to pack and move things at the last minute. We can provide you with college moving kit that contains all needed supplies to pack your dorm room. The contain will include boxes, tape and address labels.

Determine a time when everyone is still there to clean.

Some schools will charge students an extra cleaning fee to all students who share a room if they leave it behind in bad condition. Even if they don’t charge you a cleaning fee, it’s still the respectful thing to do to leave the place spotless. Determine a time after papers and finals are over for all your roommates to chip in on cleaning your place. When you make it a group effort it can get done quickly and you aren’t the only one burdened with the cost of cleaning supplies. Nothing is worst than having to be the last one to move out and be stuck with a gigantic mess to clean up.

When packing for your college move, it is best to create a list of all of the items that you will need. This list may include clothes, books, pictures, posters, dishes, room décor and electronics. Leave expensive valuables or family heirlooms behind. Try to pick items that will help you to feel at home while also serving as necessities for everyday living. Refer to the following list for examples:

Pack the books that will help in studying only for the classes for which you are registered.
Bring only a portion of your room decor (posters, pictures, pillows or other accessories), as your space is typically cut in half.
Opt for portable music players with a docking station instead of a stereo, or playing music through your computer.
Purchase a television that is cable ready with built in players.
Rent a refrigerator from campus or purchase one once you arrive on campus.
Leave behind any furniture, unless it is small and compact.
Purchase lightweight plastic dishes as opposed to glass or ceramics.

Boston MA area College students are moving from a house to a dorm or one bedroom of an apartment. Your room will be multi-functional serving as a sleeping area, living area, study area and even dining area. Choose to bring the items that will help with this ease of transition between uses.

It is not as common for families to hire movers to relocate their child’s belongings to a college campus. In all likelihood you, your parents, or your friends, will be helping to move you out of your parents’ home and into your college home. Pack sparingly to adjust for this factor. You may conserve space in the moving vehicle by only bringing seasonal clothes, cutting your shoe collection in half or opting to buy a laptop instead of packing your desktop. Remember it is always possible to ship forgotten items or to pick something up the next time you are visiting home.

For more information about our college move out or moving services, call us at (978) 851.0199 or book online here

FedEx International Shipping

On May 11, 2011September 13, 2016 By International Shipping ExpertIn Shipping Services

FedEx Shipping Center Tewksbury MA

Neighborhood Parcel of Tewksbury MA is your nearest FedEx Shipping center if you are located in Dracut, Lowell, Tewksbury and Wilmington MA. Neighborhood Parcel staff can help you package and ship your last minute gifts, FedEx pre-paid returns and

Determine if the country you’re shipping to considers your product a document or a commodity.
Whenever you ship internationally, you should always begin by determining if the product you’re shipping is a document or not. Although the question seems straightforward, different countries classify documents differently, and those classifications can be confusing.

Generally, a commodity which is typed, written or printed matter with no commercial value is treated as a document. Typically, this type of commodity does not require a Commercial Invoice. If the commodity you’re shipping is part of a commercial transaction or has commercial value, it may be considered a non-document or commodity, thus requiring a Commercial Invoice.

To be sure about your commodity’s classification, check the Country Profiles feature on FedEx Global Trade Manager. For assistance determining the documents needed to accompany your international shipments, use the Find International Documents tool on FedEx Global Trade Manager.

FedEx International Shipping Service

In addition to finding the right documentation for your international shipments, you can also prepare, store and reuse customs documents online with the FedEx Document Preparation Center on FedEx Global Trade Manager. Your shipment information is even transferred right into FedEx Ship Manager^® at fedex.com so you can quickly complete your shipping label.

Provide an accurate and detailed description of your product.
One of the most common reasons for customs delays is an inaccurate or vague shipment description. A good description answers the following questions:

What is it?
How many are there?
What is it made from?
What is the intended use?

Poor description	Good description
Parts	Two steel springs for woodworking machine
Gifts	Unsolicited gift: One men’s knitted sweater (100 percent cotton)
Samples	200 cm x 400 cm nylon carpet samples for demonstration
Documents	30 pages of legal documents

Provide the proper classification for your product.
Whether you’re importing, exporting or both, you need to properly classify your products under the Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) codes to meet the U.S. and foreign governments’ customs requirements.

All of the import and export codes used by the U.S. are based on the HTS. The HTS assigns six-digit codes for general categories. Countries that use the HTS are allowed to define commodities at a more detailed level than six digits, but all definitions must be within that six-digit framework. The U.S. defines products using 10-digit HTS codes. Export codes (which the U.S. calls Schedule B) are administered by the U.S. Census Bureau. Import codes are administered by the U.S. International Trade Commission. (From FedEx .com)

Stop by our office or give us a call today (978)851-0199

Ship Barrels To Africa

On January 13, 2011August 2, 2015 By International Shipping ExpertIn Container Shipping, Ocean Shipping

Barrel Shipping To Africa

Shipping Barrels or Fiber Drums to Africa can save you time and money, these barrels are made of strong fiber and can be secured with strong lid to protect the contents of your shipments. Ocean shipping of these drums and barrels to Africa can save you up to 70% OFF DHL and FedEx Rates. This is the most affordable way to ship barrels to Africa and save.

Barrel Packaging

Fiber drums come in 55, 20 Gallon capacity, the drums are easy to transport and will be correctly labeled for shipment.

20 Gallon Drums has a capacity of 300 LBs. It weights 10 Lbs empty.

55 Gallons Drums has a capacity of 400 LBs and weight 17 Lbs empty.

Ship Barrels To Africa

This is the most cost effective way to ship Household items, Clothes, electronics to Africa, cost savings from 60 to 75% and transit time ranges between 4 and 5 weeks.

With ocean shipping, customers pay for the cubic space and not necessary the weight. So you can load these barrels all the way with clothes and household items to maximize your savings. We have included these price listing to give you an idea on cost to ship barrels to Africa, cost excludes Customs Duty Taxes and Broker fees. Based on One Cubic Meter (1CBM = 3 x 55 Gallon Drums)

Nigeria, Lagos ($750.00 1^st CBM $600.00 each additional)
Kenya, Mombasa ($750.00 1^st CBM $600.00 each additional)
Cameroon, Douala ($750.00 1^st CBM $600.00 each additional)
Morocco, Casablanca ($750.00 1^st CBM $350.00 each additional)
Ivory Coast, Abidjan ($750.00 1^st CBM $600.00 each additional)
Ghana, Tema ($750.00 1^st CBM $600.00 each additional)
(CBM = Cubic Meter)

To get started and request an International Shipping Quote: (978)851-0199

International Shipping Containers

On December 3, 2010January 17, 2019 By International Shipping ExpertIn Container Shipping, International Moving, Ocean Shipping, Packaging Service, Shipping Services

Freight Containers Specification

Besides commonly used 20’STD, 40’STD and 40’HC ocean freight containers, there are numerous of other types of sea containers including 45′ High Cube, Open Tops and Flat Racks sizes of 20′ and 40′ etc. However, as a rule, these types of sea freight containers are subject to equipment availability from Steam Ship Lines (or direct carriers or International Transportation Companies). In certain circumstances, it can be limited. Then, if you ship a regular cargo by sea, we suggest planning your sea freight shipment by using one of these three types of Ocean freight containers below.

20′ Standard Sea Freight Container

Interior Dimensions (L x W x H): 5.919 m x 2.340 m x 2.380 m (19′-5” x 7′-8” x 7′-9′ 1/2”)
Door Opening (W x H): 2.286 m x 2.278 m (7′-6″ x 7′-5 1/2″)
Tare Weight: 1,900 kg (4,189 lbs)
Cubic Capacity: 33.0 cbm (1,165 cubic ft)
Payload* :22,100 kg (48,721 lbs)

40′ Standard Sea Freight Container

Interior Dimensions (L x W x H): 12.051 m x 2.340 m x 2.380 m (39′-6 1/2”x 7′-8” x 7′-9 1/2”)
Door Opening (W x H): 2.286 m x 2.278 m (7′-6″ x 7’-5 1/2″)
Tare Weight: 3,084 kg (6,799 lbs)
Cubic Capacity: 67.3 cbm (2,377 cubic ft)
Payload*: 27,397 kg (60,401 lbs)

40′ High Cube Ocean Freight Container

Interior Dimensions (L x W x H): 12.056 m x 2.347 m x 2.684 m (39′-6 1/2” x 7′-8 1/4”x 8′-9 1/2”
Door Opening (W x H): 2.340 m x 2.585 m (7′-8″ x 8′-5 3/4″)
Tare Weight: 2,900 kg (6,393 lbs)
Cubic Capacity: 76.0 cbm (2,684 cubic ft)
Payload*: 29,600 kg (65,256 lbs)

FCL is an abbreviation for “Full Container Load” for Import and Export cargo to and from the USA. This term is commonly used to describe an Ocean freight service that is designed for ocean freight shipments of cargo where shipper has exclusive use of sea freight container. Usually, the containers are loaded by propositional international movers and sealed at the shipper’s facility. Then it transported by ocean, rail and/or truck directly to the point of final destination.

Shipping Terms:

Port to Port:

The economic solutions for International shippers looking to save money on their international move. If you are a college student or just someone who looking to save money this may be the best solution for you, with receiving terminals in all major cities you can drop your shipment off at the nearest warehouse or port facility and pick it up from the port or terminal of your destination. This is the most economical way to ship your goods overseas. The customer is responsible for any duty taxes, broker & storage fees.

Door to Port or Terminal:

This service is for the customers that are not near a local terminal or does not have means of transportation to deliver their shipment to the nearest warehouse. We will arrange pickup of your household goods at your residents and transport them to our consolidation warehouse in Tewksbury MA, Boston Warehouse or port of exit. We offer a basic freight pick up for self-pack customers as well as full packing and loading services if needed. The shipment will go to the nearest port of destination where the shipper would arrange for their own pickup and customs clearance of their cargo. Please make sure to give us enough advance notice to arrange for a door pick up. For a free quote, visit us here

Warehouse to Door:

This service is for the customer that is near a local terminal that would like to save money on the moving or trucking charges but would like to have the shipment delivered to their door at the destination. The shipper would need to drop off the boxes at the warehouse and we will handle the door delivery, offloading, customs clearance and removal of debris. Customer will be contacted by the broker to clear shipment and pay any taxes or fees prior to delivery to their destination.

Door to Door:

International Door to Door service is designed for busy people that what to leave the shipping to the professionals. We specialize in the export packing and shipping of household goods and personal effects, automobiles, boats and general cargo. We handle customs clearance of all cargo as well as door delivery and offloading worldwide.