Hawaii Shipping Guide

Learn more about moving to / from Hawaii

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Hawaii Shipping Guide

There are a lot of things you need to know before you actually move to Hawaii. Beyond the technical aspects of the relocation, you will need to learn about job opportunities, about the cultural diversity and about the various islands. Take as much time as you can to learn both about the differences between the Hawaii and the mainland and about the relocation process before making your decision.

About Hawaii

In Hawaii one can find immigrants from all over the world and from such culturally diverse locations such as Mexico, Brazil, China, Canada and Thailand. The natural beauty and magnificent beaches of Hawaii make it one of the world’s most loved tourism destinations. The economy is largely based on tourism. Job opportunities include unique offers in fields such as oceanography and marine biology.

Hawaii residents are also close to other popular tourism locations such as Australia, New Zealand and Micronesia.

About Shipping to Hawaii

Shipping to Hawaii involves the completion of several stages: pick up by a container in the mainland, transportation to the port, shipping and delivery to the local destination in Hawaii. This means that relocation services will need resources on both ends.

Most large sized shipments will be shipped via container. Container sizes are normally 20’ or 40’. There are also 40’ high cube containers available for larger sized shipments.

Most professional Hawaii shipping moving service providers will either provide you with a full container price, meaning the container in its entirety will be exclusively available for your use, or with a consolidation service in which you will be allowed to combine your shipment with several others in order to reduce costs.

It is important to deal only with relocation specialists that specifically handle shipping to Hawaii to make sure all aspects of the relocation, both on the mainland and in Hawaii will be completed successfully.

Hawaii Shipping Guide
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Hawaii Shipping is a complex process that involves many stages. This makes it very different from regular local or long distance moving, so even those of you that have moved several times in the past and feel that they know everything there is to know about the subject may need to learn more and make adjustments. In this guide we will try to focus on the most important aspects of Hawaii shipping in the hope of allowing you to receive better estimates and prepare better for your relocation process.

Hawaii Shipping is different because it combines various elements from different types of moving. The first and foremost fact that you need to learn is that shipments are moved by sea via containers. While this may not sound like such a dramatic difference maker, it divides the process into several parts and makes the packing and preparation process different. The most obvious difference is the fact that your goods will be transferred several times, from your residential location to the vessel, from the vessel to the delivery truck and from the delivery truck to the destination. This means that everything must be packed and crated in a way that will ensure a damage free move. It also means that you will want to deal with a professional mover that has a lot of experience and is able to handle all aspects of the relocation from A to Z.

We will take a look at the various aspects that make Hawaii shipping such a complex process. The next section will deal with packing procedures, we will then talk about how you can select a reputable mover followed by how to understand your moving estimate. The last entry will be a summary of all the important points that were raised in this guide.

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In this second part of our Hawaii shipping guide we will examine the packing processes that are involved and how you can prepare better for them. As we mentioned in the first part, shipping to Hawaii is a process that involves many stages and as such required quality packing and crating that will ensure no damages will occur.

Most professional moving service providers will recommend that you will use their services to do all the packing. When you take a look at all the stages involved as well as take into account insurance factors, you will probably agree with them. When professional movers pack your goods, not only do you reduce the chances of incurring damages, you can also purchase a full coverage insurance policy. Especially is you have an expensive shipment, you do not want to be without an insurance policy and the basic liability valuation, which is 60 cents per pound per item will probably not be enough.

Movers will bring all the boxes and materials with them and pack everything from A to Z for you. You can also use wooden crates, which are sometimes called vaults by professionals for better security. However, bear in mind that the wooden crates will take more space on the container and since Hawaii shipping is charged by volume they may increase the volume and the price.

If you decide to do some or all of the packing by yourself, make sure you start early and use only good quality materials. While in local moves you can use second hand boxes, for Hawaii shipping and international moves it is recommended to use only new boxes. You can order boxes online or from your moving service provider. Also, make sure you begin the packing process early enough to make sure you will be ready for the moving day.

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One of the most important aspects of Hawaii shipping and any other type of moving and shipping is selecting a reputable moving company. While on the surface this may appear easy enough, this may actually prove to be the trickiest part and the most difficult decision that you will need to make. Virtually all moving companies and all Hawaii Shipping service providers will claim to be reputable. Some will even point out all the disadvantages of other movers and claim to be the only honest ones on the market. So how will you actually be able to sort out the good from the bad?

First of all you need to remember to check yourself each and every one of the claims that the mover makes. Anybody can open a website and claim that he has the greatest and most reputable service since moving was invented so don’t necessarily assume that a nice looking website means a reputable moving company. You will need to check the reputation, the experience and the size of the moving operation you are dealing with. You will also need to receive guaranteed and prices in writing to avoid misunderstandings, never rely on oral promises and make sure you have each and every promise the Hawaii shipping mover gives you backed up in writing.

Also, make sure that you fully understand the moving estimate and how charges and additional charges may be applied. Part 4 of this moving guide will deal with how to get a clear estimate and how to understand it.

Getting actual references is another great way to check the reputation of the mover you are dealing with. Some companies will agree to provide you with contact information and exchanging emails or even calling actual customers may do wonders to ease your fears and doubts.

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In the previous Hawaii shipping guide section we spoke about the importance of selecting a reputable moving company. One of the most important associated factors is getting a clear and easy to understand estimate. While all Hawaii shipping moving service providers use the same methods, many of them will present the estimate in different ways.

The first thing to understand is that Hawaii shipping is done either via full containers or as a partial load. If you are receiving a container price it means that the moving company will send a container to your location, normally a 20’ or a 40’ container. This container will be exclusively yours. While this means that you will not share space with anybody else, it also means that even if you fill up only half of the container space, you will still need to pay for all of it.

The partial shipping option means that your goods will be combined with several other shipments in order to keep the costs down. For example, if you are shipping only thirty boxes then you will definitely not need a full 20’ container and you will be charged only for the space your boxes will take on a consolidation container.

Whether a full container or a partial shipment, make sure you get a complete price that includes packing charges or possible packing charges. Also, you need to check if prices include the loading and offloading of the truck or the container and whether there are any other surcharges involved. Don’t take anything for granted and make sure that everything is mentioned clearly in the written estimate that you received. Make sure that the company’s license number, logo and details appear on the written estimate you are provided with. If you do not understand the estimate, check with your relocation consultant and don’t sign up before everything is clear.

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One of the most important aspects of Hawaii shipping and any other type of moving and shipping is selecting a reputable moving company. While on the surface this may appear easy enough, this may actually prove to be the trickiest part and the most difficult decision that you will need to make. Virtually all moving companies and all Hawaii Shipping service providers will claim to be reputable. Some will even point out all the disadvantages of other movers and claim to be the only honest ones on the market. So how will you actually be able to sort out the good from the bad?

First of all you need to remember to check yourself each and every one of the claims that the mover makes. Anybody can open a website and claim that he has the greatest and most reputable service since moving was invented so don’t necessarily assume that a nice looking website means a reputable moving company.

You will need to check the reputation, the experience and the size of the moving operation you are dealing with. You will also need to receive guaranteed and prices in writing to avoid misunderstandings, never rely on oral promises and make sure you have each and every promise the Hawaii shipping mover gives you backed up in writing.

Also, make sure that you fully understand the moving estimate and how charges and additional charges may be applied. Part 4 of this moving guide will deal with how to get a clear estimate and how to understand it.

Getting actual references is another great way to check the reputation of the mover you are dealing with. Some companies will agree to provide you with contact information and exchanging emails or even calling actual customers may do wonders to ease your fears and doubts.