containers from U.S. to australia? Any trusted companies to recommend? cost estimate??

I know this is primarily for those from the UK, but I am finding it's not a very straightforward thing to find trusted/recommended container companies. Maybe I'm not looking in the right places. I am wondering if anyone has some suggestions from experience, or even a list/site/blog/whatever they can point me to. Or if all else fails, how do you recommend I search for this?

I am just really nervous about trusting any of these companies as I know nothing about any that show up in my google searches.

I really just want to start figuring out the cost for different size containers to see what we might want to bring or not. So if anyone has rough cost $ estimates please just throw some numbers at me, I'd greatly appreciate that too!

Not sure if this helps or not, since I am moving from Melbourne AU to Toronto CA, and not sure what part of the US you are in. But it may give you a rough idea.

This is what I have been quoted by the company organising my shipping(part of a relocation through my company):

5.5CBM - $7717 USD

8.85CBM - $8629 USD

20 foot container, not shared, 6 - 8 weeks transit.

I did seek out some quotes myself from other companies, some quite a bit cheaper but then realised they where shared containers and could take much longer to arrive depending on how long it took to fill the container.

Others not that far off or a bit more expensive, but that was because they charged for the full 20 foot container and not what space I took up.

I still find the whole think odd as did not get any real helpful answer from my shipping company.

I should add, since I moving the opposite way from you and also facing the same dilemma. Other expat sites I use, I see similar questions asked and by myself also.

TV - lets assume you have a flatscreen. You would need an external TV digital box and a transformer, well for my TV I would need one for Canada.

Work out if the cost of replacing it is worth the cost of shipping, but they are not bulky items. Another thing I found when I used the digital TV boxes, they would not scale properly with my TV, so in the end ditched them. Not sure if it was because they where no name brands.

My DVD player supports both 110 and 240V, but these are regional so you may not be able to play DVD's bought in Australia.

Anything with a motor in it, and depending on the wattage will need a higher rated transformer ie things like Hoovers, Sowing Machines, Juicers, Power tools and the like.

Because of the different power frequencies I have read sowing machines from the UK run slightly slower in Canada.

I have seen a large number of people taking their expensive hoovers and other electrical items to Canada due to the cost of replacing them after they move.

I will be taking a number of items with me and will buy a couple of transformers and then wait till they die. But the downside is I will need to wait up to 2 months without them

Some other things to consider, maybe think of some power extension cables, power strips which could mean you do not have to buy too many transformers or plug adapters.

I know this is primarily for those from the UK, but I am finding it's not a very straightforward thing to find trusted/recommended container companies. Maybe I'm not looking in the right places. I am wondering if anyone has some suggestions from experience, or even a list/site/blog/whatever they can point me to. Or if all else fails, how do you recommend I search for this?

 

I am just really nervous about trusting any of these companies as I know nothing about any that show up in my google searches.

 

I really just want to start figuring out the cost for different size containers to see what we might want to bring or not. So if anyone has rough cost $ estimates please just throw some numbers at me, I'd greatly appreciate that too!

The FIDI website (http://www.fidi.org) is a good place to start when looking for reputable international removal companies as it provides a list of pre-vetted movers certified to international moving standards.

Another site which i've seen mentioned a few times for US movers to check out reviews is movingscam.com

You don't have to use a company in the USA if you don't want to, many of the major movers that you'll read reviews of on this site and others will also offer services to and from lots of destinations worldwide, always worth asking if you have a preferred mover in mind. If they can't help they might be able to recommend someone they would vouch for.

hope that helps?

thank you for the responses. I'll check out the fidi site.

Has anyone any experience with international van lines?

My stuff is certainly not even worth $7000 (we have not accumulated much, and other things are on their last legs).

I'm not needing much space, even 2-3CBM would be adequate (even if it's slow shipping, it'd be nice to bring a few things over - xmas tree, non essentials and the like).

Any ideas on cost for a slow, shared container that is on the rather small side?

I'm seriously thinking that I should just box up some things under the 62" linear inch guides of the airlines instead of looking into containers. Pay a couple hundred dollars, since I found recently they do accept cardboard boxes as luggage.

thank you for the responses. I'll check out the fidi site.

 

Has anyone any experience with international van lines?

 

My stuff is certainly not even worth $7000 (we have not accumulated much, and other things are on their last legs).

 

I'm not needing much space, even 2-3CBM would be adequate (even if it's slow shipping, it'd be nice to bring a few things over - xmas tree, non essentials and the like).

 

Any ideas on cost for a slow, shared container that is on the rather small side?

 

I'm seriously thinking that I should just box up some things under the 62" linear inch guides of the airlines instead of looking into containers. Pay a couple hundred dollars, since I found recently they do accept cardboard boxes as luggage.

As I am looking into this more, I was going to use a company called send my bag(works out cheaper than excess baggage), but found TNT do this service kinda similar called economy express delivery. It appears to work out a bit cheaper, 3 medium boxes, for more stuff than the box and bag I was going to send. It would take around a week.

https://www.tnt.com/express/en_au/site/home/how-to-ship-parcel/shipping-services/express-parcel-delivery.html

Move cube from seven seas may work for you:

http://www.sevenseasworldwide.com/en-au/moving/movecube/international/

The TNT website, you can input you home and destination, put in the number of boxes and sizes and they will give you a price.

Move cube, you can do an online quotation to get an idea. A shared container will take longer usually as they wait till its full before shipping.