Guide on Shipping Containers From Jamaica to UK

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Choose the Right Container Size

Make Sure Your Items Fit

Containers used for shipping vehicles and household items that are too large to fit in a package or barrel come in a variety of sizes, but the most common are 20 and 40-foot. Of course, this is measured from the outside, and the actual inside space where your items will be contained for shipping is slightly less.

A 20-foot container has room for one vehicle and a few personal belongings.

A 40-foot container has room to accommodate two cars and a few additional items.

A standard 20-foot container measures approximately 5.88m long by 2.32m width and 2.34m high. A 40-foot container measures approximately 12m long by 2.32m width and 2.37m high.

There is also a high cube container that measures slightly larger in height only.

Additionally, there are special containers. You may want to use a refrigerated, or flat racks/Flatbed container if your household goods require special refrigeration treatment or are of an odd size.

Fill a Container or Share the Space

There are two basic ways to ship using a container: FCL and LCL.

FCL Full Container Load means that only your items are shipped inside. Containers used for shipping are often a bit more spacious than what you actually need.

LCL Less than Container Load shipments allow you to partially fill a shipping container and share the open space with other shippers. LCL shipments sometimes actually cost more than FCL shipping per unit of freight because freight agents prefer to fill a container as it’s easier to figure out duties and custom fees. When the container compartment is shared, they have to figure out how to bundle the items inside.

Pack Your House and Vehicle

Know How to Pack Your Entire House and Car

When you realize you will be moving, the most efficient way to pack up your items to get them ready to ship to Jamaica is to hire a shipping company to come and pack up your household goods and vehicles. Otherwise, you will need to pack everything up yourself and get it to either Kingston or Montego Bay port.

If you pack your own items, be sure to use grade A packing materials. Protect any fragile items with extra care in packing. Wrap and package each item, weigh and measure every piece, prepare a packing list, and make sure you never send any prohibited items.

When Your Container Arrives in the UK

Clearing Customs

When an FCL shipment arrives at the port it is unloaded from the ship and delivered or stored at the warehouse. With an LCL shipment, there are additional steps of consolidating the different shipments, processing multiple documents, and sorting goods for each customer.

Applying for ToR Relief

If you are a resident of the UK who has been living in Jamaica, in order to import your personal belongings, pets, or private motor vehicle back into the UK, you will need to apply for a Transfer of Residence ToR relief.

Other situations that are available for a ToR relief are those goods that belong to students who have been studying in Jamaica, are part of a spouse’s trousseaux when they come to live in the UK or are wedding gifts up to a certain value.

The ToR relief is part of the customs procedures known as the Community System of Duty Reliefs CSDR which provide relief from customs duty for specific circumstances. This can only be approved by the customs authority of the place where the goods will be used. You will need to apply for the ToR relief before your goods are shipped to the UK.

Insure Your Valuables

Make Sure Your Items Are Protected From Damage

Even the best packing job secured inside a durable container can go wrong when crates are being picked up and moved with forklifts, stacked on top of each other, shipped across an ocean and then once again moved using a forklift.

The best way to make sure your items are completely protected is to insure them against damage and loss during shipping. Ask about cargo or all risk marine insurance. Most insurance covers your goods from the point of collection of your cargo to the point of delivery. You will also need to list a full valuation of everything you ship, and it doesn’t hurt to also take good pictures of each item you are shipping.