Before pickup

Prioritize

To make sure that the correct goods are taken.  

Make lists and labels, and physically separate by priority and destination (if there is more than one delivery.)   If you cannot physically arrange your goods according to priorities and destinations, make a map of your house showing groupings of different priorities and destinations.  During and following the packing, make sure that the packers are following your instructions.   You must do this WHILE the packing is going on.

Once goods are loaded in the shipment, it may be too late or expensive to take them out.     The last chance you will have to confirm the correct items were taken and left is before you give the tip–go around the house and make sure everything you wanted to have taken was taken and everything you wanted to have left was left.  Take your time!       Make sure what you want shipped is shipped, and what you don’t want shipped is not.

No matter how tired everyone is, don’t rush–this responsibility is yours alone.   If you have properly prioritized, labelled, and/or separated your goods, this will be much more simple.   Use DNS (do not ship) labels and inspect the site thoroughly before truckers leave.  Do not rush.     During the entire time the packers are at your home, one of your team (family and friends) should be circulating to make sure that priorities, DNS, and destination labels are respected.

Then do a “walk around” of the house to make sure that they correct things were taken and left. 

Stickers and lists

Priority 

Making priority lists and putting stickers on items with their priority will go a long way to making sure the right things are taken.

Clear, bright labels that stick and multiple copies of lists.

#1   Must go 1st priority,      #2  Ship if Possible          LB   Leave Behind.

Destinations

MB master bedroom    BR1  1st bedroom     K kitchen    ST storage    2A   2nd address

Marine Insurance Lists… not later than 2 weeks before pickup

For LumpSum

No list required unless…

A.  Goods/sets to insure above $3,000

B.   General contents of self-packed boxes to insure up to $300 each.

OR leave them unsealed so  packers can check, repack as needed, seal, and NOT mark as PBO (packed by owner).  Then they will be covered fully and all-risk by your Lumpsum.

For Comprehensive Valued Inventory

A.  List of all items and their replacement values at destination.

B.   General contents of self-packed boxes to insure for loss and theft only up to $300 each.

OR leave them unsealed so  packers can check, repack as needed, seal, and NOT mark as PBO (packed by owner).

There is a surcharge for lists presented after pickup.

Block out spaces for the truck within 25 meters of your home entrance– 3 spaces  for LCL (less than container load),  4 for a 20’ container, 6 for a 40’.    If unavailable, costs for distance and/or shuttle will apply.

How many movers should I expect?     2-6

Can I count on them for accurate communications?    Information from movers—is unreliable.  Similarly assume that information or instructions given to moving teams will not be correctly understood–check and confirm their understanding and their work repeatedly.

Truckers/movers are NOT a reliable conduit for information and instructions–not for receiving or for giving.  Therefore, follow our instructions religiously and ask any questions asap.

High value items that  must not be taken (e.g. jewelry, passports, drugs..) Keep them on your person or remove them from your home.

Contacts    Make sure you have cellphones of the crew, their manager, and Kef managers.

Crew   To ask them to notify you 45 minutes before anticipated arrival.

Crew Manager    If the crew is not satisfactorily responsive to requests.

Agent owner/manager   If the crew manager is not responsive.

Kef   If neither the crew nor the manager are responsive, we are on call 24/6 for urgent matters.

If you are having goods delivered to our warehouse:

1. Let us know what, when, and how to expect goods.
2. For self-delivery, arrange a specific time with the warehouse
3. Label goods with name and control number
4. Make certain you or your delivering agent receives and keeps a signed warehouse receipt noting  what, how, and when goods were received as well as any exceptions, incorrect, missing or damaged items.
5. Confirm goods appear correctly on packing list

Goods picked up from a storage warehouse.   Someone who knows the goods (i.e. what goes/stays/goes elsewhere) and can make decisions must be there at all times.    If delicates are present, packers must inspect, repack as necessary, and not mark those boxes as PBO—packed by owner.   Risk:  goods take up too much or too little space.    Remedy:  prioritize, label, and arrange as noted above.

Electrical Fixtures—Do not assume packers will remove them; use an electrician.

Filling drawers— Unless the packers specifically allow it, do not pack goods in your dresser drawers.   Unless the goods are very light and the dressers very strong, the drawers could be torn apart.

Crating     Packing, crating, and palletization can each add 10-25% to the volume.     Factors that can make the total figure much higher, even over 100% are:   1.  Goods with a wide variety of shapes and sizes can result in large sections of unused space and more settling, as in a cereal box.   2.  Crates under 200 cubic feet have a greater likelihood of unused space, usually at the top.   There are fewer options of ways to combine items  3.   Delicate goods need isolation,  often leaving empty space above and around them.

Lift Vans are crates that are not built to the size of goods.    Though crates provide the best security against breakage and loss, they are the least efficient use of space.  If goods do not fit perfectly into available crates, there is more unused space than on pallets.

Your forwarder might have crates of  75, 150, 200, 220 or 250 cubic feet, though 200 is most common.  Inside measurements of a standard crate are 84” W, 84” H, 45″ D. Externally in meters:  2.2m W x 2.2m H x 1.2m D.  Depending on the forwarder, crates may be standard procedure or by special order.

DURING PICKUP

Who must be present during packing and loading?     Two or three people who know the grouping of your goods and can make decisions must be there at all times.  At least one must be able to sign.

Completeness of Shipment       Make sure what you want shipped is shipped, and what you don’t want shipped is not.  No matter how tired everyone is, don’t rush–this responsibility is yours alone.    Use DNS (do not ship) labels and inspect the site thoroughly before truckers leave.  Do not rush.    During the entire time the packers are at your home, one of your team (family and friends) should be wandering around to make certain that priorities, DNS, and destination labels are respected.

If goods are mistakenly loaded or left behind and you do not correct it before they are loaded,  it could be expensive or impossible to fix.  If  the truckers are not loading according to your priority, let them know immediately.  If there is any issue with their responsiveness, call their manager and Kef.

Can I help packers?  No, that would put your goods, yourself, and your insurance at risk.   Instead, confirm the correct items are packed and the correct items are left behind.   If they are not loading goods according to your priorty, let them know immediately.   If they have already loaded goods, there could be charges for unloading and reloading.

Documents

• Insurance Lists –  Get lists (high value and/or comprehensive) to Kef office 2 weeks before packing.
• Payments – Pay Kef, not packers or other agents.
• Inventory – Review, sign and keep a copy of or photograph the original of the packing list before the packers leave.
• Bill of Lading – This is sent directly to Kef in digital form

Mistakes.   For damages to goods or surroundings, mistakes about what is loaded, or any other issues— tell the movers, manager, and Kef immediately.    Record them on the packing list or other document co-signed by the crew leader.  Correct mistakes early!

What if goods do not fit in the container?   You may choose to leave them, send an LCL (less-than-container-load) shipment, or go to a larger container (not an option for “live load”, only  if goods are brought to a warehouse.)

Packing Lists   Packers make a numbered list of contents, naming items, noting who packed them and any defects.  CP = carrier packed.  PBO = packed by owner.   PBS = packed by supplier.  CU = contents unknown.    Compare this with the list of contents you prepared and the volume estimate.   Please study this page, About Volume Estimates.  If there is a physical packing list at pickup, check it, sign it,  and keep a copy.   This goes to customs,  and you use it to verify you received everything.  If there is only a digital copy, review it for accuracy and completeness.