Who will be performing origin services at my current residence?
Cartwright International has a dependable network of reliable agents worldwide to conduct local services.
This is my first international relocation. How will my belongings be packed?
When the packing team arrives at your home, your personal belongings will be placed in appropriate cartons or containers. To protect your goods from damage, items will be individually wrapped in paper pads, or padded fabric, as needed. Made of shock-absorbing fiber, the paper pads are used exclusively for international relocations. The fabric pads serve as protection for fine surfaces during the move.
Can I move my houseplants or food?
Unfortunately, houseplants are not allowed in international shipments. Please make arrangements for someone to tend to your plants while you’re away or donate them to a friend, family member or charity.
How will my shipment be loaded?
Once your shipment has been completely packed, it will be placed inside one or more containers, depending upon the weight of your shipment. The type of containers selected will depend on the mode of transportation, the size of your shipment and your destination. A lift-van, which is what we typically use, is a wooden container with skids that is normally loaded by a forklift. Lined with water-resistant paper and caulked to prevent leakage, lift-vans range in size from 185 to 210 cubic feet; steamship companies supply the containers. To transport small shipments by air, the most common containers used are tri-wall boxes. These are very large triple-layer corrugated cardboard boxes that range in size from five to 100 cubic feet.
I have some items that I am especially concerned about moving. How can I prepare them for the move?
In the moving industry, items having a value of more than $100 per pound are known as “articles of extraordinary value.” All “articles of extraordinary value” in your shipment must be listed on the High-Value Inventory form, which will be given to you by the origin packing agent to complete. If an article of extraordinary value is not listed on the form, it may be harder to prove its value should it become damaged. If you have items that you feel are of value exceeding the norm, discuss these items with your origin agent and plan to fill out a High Value Inventory at the time of your move. To protect yourself financially, take pictures of your furniture and valuables as proof of ownership in the event of loss or damage. In addition, photograph anything that might need to be disassembled for transit so the destination crew will know how to reassemble the items.
Why did the moving company give me so many days to pack and load my shipment?
Couldn’t they have been here for one full day rather than two or three half days? Your shipment is assigned a certain number of days to pack and load based upon the total estimated weight. Due to scheduling conflicts, the mover is not always available when the packers are finished packing. This sometimes leads to delays of one or more days. Moving in the off-season will lessen the likelihood that you will have to wait for such services.
I am at my destination and would like my shipment to be delivered, whom do I contact?
You will want to contact your Transportation Office (Inbound Traffic) to make final delivery arrangements once you have obtained housing. Please call them and give them your delivery address, as well as any directions, or accessorial information they may need (i.e. Is there a long distance between the front of your residence where the truck would park and your front door? Is there ample room to safely park a tractor-trailer unit?)
How long will it be until I receive my goods at destination?
Delivery times and dates are always subject to outside factors like increased industry demand, port blockages, pandemics, worker shortages, and weather. However, under ideal circumstances, depending on your destination, after the origin agent picks up your goods, you are often looking at 1-3 weeks for your goods to arrive at the destination port. When your goods arrive at the destination port, barring any exceptional circumstances, it typically takes 3-5 business days for the ocean line to release your goods to be picked up by your port agent. From there, again, provided that there are no hiccups and that the shipment is progressing under typical timeframes, estimate 1-3 weeks (depending on destination) for the port agent to deliver your goods to the destination agent. When your goods physically arrive at the destination agent, they will contact you to schedule delivery to residence on their/your earliest available date.
What if my shipment is late?
Your shipment must be past its RDD, or Required Delivery Date, and must be late due to Carrier liability in order to qualify for a delay claim. A delay claim (or Inconvenience Claim) is only paid for items actually presented with a receipt and only for items deemed necessities. Please contact Cartwright at militaryclaims@cartwrightcompanies.com to discuss.
What if I experience damage?
In the event that your possessions get damaged during transport, you must retain all items and packing materials that you are claiming. Please see instructions on our website or email us at militaryclaims@cartwrightcompanies.com for more information.