If you are moving overseas, you may be shipping your belongings by sea. This is typically the most economical way to get large items, such as furniture and cars, from one country to another. If you are going this route, you may be looking to hire a moving company that offers port services to help you ship your items out or retrieve them when they arrive. 
 

If you have never hired a mover for port services, you may have many questions about the process, and Ed’s Moving & Storage has the answers!

What Are Port Services?

Port services consist of many services needed to ship or retrieve your belongings from a U.S. port. Port services include various services, all of which are necessary to help you send your items from one port to the next, as well as the services that help you retrieve your items. This includes hiring a company to pack and crate your items, prepare them, and ship them.
 

Packing items to be shipped by sea takes extra attention because if they aren't packaged correctly, your items will be damaged by the salt water and the sea air while being shipped. Beyond packaging and shipping your items, port services also include handling the paperwork and customs forms that accompany international shipments.

Who Needs Port Services?

If you are moving overseas, you need to decide whether you are moving your belongings with you or selling them and buying new ones. If you only move with clothes and essential papers, you may wish to ship your belongings via air to your new location. 

However, if you are moving large items or a lot of items, you may need to ship them via boat. Those in this situation need to utilize port services to ship their belongings off and retrieve them once they arrive at their new destination. 

What Are the Benefits of Letting a Mover Handle Your Port Services?

Can you ship your items from one port to the next on your own? Yes, you can, and there are benefits to hiring a moving company to assist you that often outweigh the challenges of doing it on your own.
 

Correctly Filled Out Customs Forms

Filling out customs forms can be challenging. If you don't fill out the forms correctly, you may experience delays in sending or retrieving your items. Customs forms vary from country to country, so even if you have a friend who has shipped items overseas unless they shipped to the same country as you, they most likely had different customs forms than what you'll need to fill out. 
 

Working with an experienced company ensures that your forms are completed correctly, removing the worry of the paperwork not being ready or complete when it's time to move. 

Properly Packed Items

Water, especially salt water, can damage your belongings. Special care and attention need to be put into packing items transported overseas to protect them from rain and salt water. A moving company that specializes in port services ensures your items are packaged correctly, keeping them protected from water damage.
 

Peace of Mind

Moving from one place to the next in the U.S. can be challenging, but moving overseas comes with extra stress. Hiring a moving company to handle port services for your large items removes some of the stress and lets you put your energy into learning about the new city you'll be living in and worry less about your belongings.

From Interstate to Port Services, Ed's Moving and Storage Can Help! 

If you are moving to the Tacoma, Washington, area and are looking for professional movers to help you, call Ed's Moving and Storage. We are a moving company that can assist you with port services, military moves, home, apartment, condo moving, packing services, and climate-controlled and secure storage facilities. 
 

Call us today for a free estimate, or message us online to schedule services for your upcoming move.