Storage

Whether you need storage before or after shipping, Kef can arrange what you need to make your Aliyah as smooth as possible.

Shipping after Storage

Once you give instructions to ship, your shipment may not go out immediately.  If an LCL (less than a container load), there could be a wait of some weeks before the container is full enough to merit shipping.   Stored container loads pose other challenges.  If instructions are to take everything, and the volume estimate was high or low by more than 5%, as they often are, you are stuck with goods that won’t fit or unused space in your container.  Also date and time of loading from storage has a greater risk of surprise delays.  

Storage—Self, Port, and Commercial

Self-storage

Billing is for usable space occupied–usually by the room, whether or not the room is full.    If you are allowed access, your marine insurance will end, though you can purchase insurance for fire and burglary.  If you are denied access, marine insurance is free for the first 30 days after arrival and can be extended.   

Commercial storage

No key.   Limited access.  Billed by usable space, not by room.  Twice the price of self-storage, but up to 30% less billable volume.    Important for high value goods, or where you want access without giving up your marine insurance. 

Port Storage

LCL (less than container load) shipments have 28 days free at port

Full container storage

Leaving the goods in the original container quickly becomes expensive, since you pay both container rental and port storage. 

Storage in a shipping container

After clearing, contents are transferred to an empty 40′ container in a guarded area.    For the contents of a 40′ container, it is less expensive than commercial storage, avoids triple handling (unload into storage, reload from storage, unloading at delivery), since the container is used for delivery, and allows marine insurance to remain intact (for free for 2 months after arrival in the country) and to be extended.  

Partial storage

You can store part and deliver part of your shipment. Well before the packers arrive, sort, label, and divide the parts of the shipment.  Label with destination, and make separate packing lists for each destination.

Unplanned Storage

Shipping documents and information are often late and inaccurate, and the shipments themselves can be early or late.   Delays also result from congestion of vessels, trucks, and delivery teams, and missed connections.  If your documents are not fully prepared and presented well in advance of the shipment’s arrival or you cannot accept delivery when available, there could be expensive delays.  

Do what you need to do ASAP—whether opening a file at Customs (for import shipments with rights), supplying documents, or making payments.    Expect some days of port storage charges and container rental.   

Containers arriving in Haifa and sent by rail to Ashdod get 2 days of free storage once there.   Shipments arriving in Haifa to be cleared and delivered from there are given 4 days.  It can still take a week to clear through customs and deliver a container, even without special problems, though often it is quicker.