| Customs Rules | Carrier's Rules | Reading Rates | Avoiding Mistakes |

SHIPPING VEHICLES

Any motorized vehicles that require DMV registration (auto, trucks, motorcycles, mopeds, jet skis, ATV’s) are considered by U.S. Customs (and Foreign Customs) as motor vehicles. Shipping motor vehicles abroad is subject to certain special procedures related to customs and safety issues. Those procedures make shipments containing motor vehicles slightly different from shipping general cargo.

Motor vehicles can be shipped by sea in two ways:

• RO-RO - "Roll On/Roll Off"; a term for wheeled cargo, which is driven on and off the vessel as automobiles, trailers or railway carriages.
  
  
  
  
   
• Loaded and secured in sea multimodal containers. A vehicle only or consolidated with other vehicles or another type of cargo.    
  
  

Notice: Motorized vehicles will not be permitted to move as LCL freight. This is due to U.S. Customs Regulations that will not recognize any warehouse as an exam site for inspection.

GENERAL CUSTOMS REQUIREMENTS FOR SHIPPING VEHICLES OVERSEA

Custom regulations require the original title along with at least three copies (non-notarized) of the title, front and back. These must accompany the vehicle to the port of origin. If there are any liens against the vehicle, a notarized letter from the lienholder authorizing the export of the vehicle must also accompany the vehicle.

If owner of vehicle, as in the vehicle title, cannot accompany the vehicle to the port of departure, then the owner must issue a power of attorney to the person or company that represents the vehicle’s owner before customs in the port of departure.

The original title must be presented to the destination customs. If a vehicle had been sold to the consignee (recipient), then bill of sale must be presented at the destination as well. I.e. as soon as your vehicle had passed customs at origin, in order to avoid extra charges at the destination due to lack of proper documentation, mail all original documents to the consignee without delay.   

If vehicles are being shipped in a container, then doors of the container must not be sealed and locked at a time when a customs officer checks the vehicles and its VINs inside of the container. Easy access for the customs officer to vehicles and its VIN numbers (as a rule on the left side under windshields) must be provided. Otherwise, the loaded container will be rejected to the shipment by customs and require to be returned to a loading dock for the reload. While loading and securing vehicles in containers we strongly recommend considering to hire a quality loading company experienced in shipping vehicles oversea.   

CARRIERS REQUIREMENTS. SAFETY ISSUES:     

RO-RO – as long as vehicles are not on trailers (cars, trucks etc) then it must be filled with gas, but no more than 1/2 tank of gas (1/4 is recommended). All keys must accompany vehicles.

It should be in running condition for roll on/roll off service. As long as it is not in running condition then extra charges related to towing not-running vehicles on/off the vessel will apply.

As long as your vehicle is on a trailer (boat, jet, motorcycle etc) then safety requirements are similar to shipping vehicles in containers. See below. 

Vehicles must be completely empty, except for factory installed equipment.
 
VEHICLES IN CONTAINERS – unlike with RO-RO all fluids must be drained and fumes purged from the gas tank, the battery disconnected and the battery terminal cables secured.

You may not leave keys inside of vehicles. You can use salons and trunks of cars as an additional room in the container load. However make sure that VIN is not blocked for the view when a customs officer will match it with the title. 

READING RATES FOR SHIPPING VEHICLES

RO-RO SHIPPING – there are no standards in Ro-Ro rates structure. It differs depending on type of vessels and carrier’s standards.  

Since Ro-Ro vessels desks designed for shipping different types of vehicles (small size cars and excavators for example) then in general price quotes are based on cubic feet (or cubic meter) measurements depending on type of vehicle. Mostly rates per CBF (CBM) vary depending on size of vehicle shipped.

Notice that vehicles will be measured at the port. If they differ from the measurements given by the shipper, additional cost will apply on the total price initially quoted. Your total ocean freight will be calculated as a total volume of your vehicle in CBF or CBM multiplied to the rate per CBF or CBM depending on type of vehicle.

Exemptions can be rates for shipping cars Ro-Ro. It can be a lump sum per vehicle depending on its size. For example: Cars up to 600 cubic feet of total volume and up to 1.6 meters high - $1,300 lump sum + BAF & CAF etc.

There are special cube tables from carriers exists. As long as a shipper provides make, model and year of car, the total volume for the car in CBF or CBM will be defined and offered for the ocean freight rate calculation.   
 
SHIPPING CARS IN CONTAINERS – rates can be as per:

1. Ocean freight for FCL container for shipping cars
2. Per car consolidated in container OR per container with cars loaded

1. OCEAN FREIGHT PER CONTAINER: It means that shipper is completely responsible for stuffing and securing cars in containers. Read this rate as a FCL – Full Container Load rate. Often FCL rates containing vehicles will include an additional surcharge. Certain carriers do not accept shipping cars in containers.

2. OCEAN RATE PER CAR CONSOLIDATED IN A CONTAINER WITH OTHER CARS:      
Usually cars will be consolidated in a 40’ High Cube container. Sometimes it can be most convenient and economical way to ship cars overseas. However this service is not always available. This rate will include loading and securing cars in container by a professional quality loading company.

Shipper (or freight forwarder on shipper’s behalf) should arrange delivery of automobile(s) to a parking lot of quality loading company and leave it there along with all required documents. As long as cars are ready to be loaded in containers, this quality loading company should take care of everything including passing origin customs formalities. As long as vehicles had passed customs, all shipping documents will be returned back to shipper or (by shippers request) forwarded directly to consignee or to destination receiving terminal.

Depending on sizes of cars it can be up to four cars shipped in one container, but usually it can be three or even two only.

If you ship only one car, then ocean freight rate should be offered as a lump sum per car depending on make, model and year, i.e. its dimensions. For example: Toyota Corolla, 2004 - $750 lump sum + BAF & CAF etc. 

If you ship numerous cars deferent makes and models then rate should be offered per container including most efficient way for your cars staffing. I.e. be specified how many particulars cars will fit in a particular container. For example: 1 x 40HC containing two Dodge Neon, 2003 and one Chevrolet Cavalier, 2006 - $2370 + BAF & CAF etc, including stuffing cars in the container and customs formalities.

AVOIDING COMMON MISTAKES:

A. Original title at origin and destination

The original title must be presented to the destination customs. If a vehicle had been sold to the consignee (recipient), then bill of sale must be presented at the destination as well. I.e. as soon as your vehicle had passed customs at origin, in order to avoid extra charges at the destination due to lack of proper documentation, mail all original documents to the consignee without delay.   

B. Be aware of origin and destination charges

As a rule rates offered include port fees in at origin. However, should your vehicle need to be stored at the port of origin or at a parking lot of quality loading company for any reason (i.e. lack of proper documents, waiting time for your other vehicles coming to be consolidated in the same container etc), storage fees are the responsibility of the shipper.

Most of the time prices in quotes do not include storage fees, handling and custom related charges and fees at the overseas destination.

C. Shipper’s responsibilities on shipping documents

In respect of dealing with freight forwarder, shipper should clearly understand that he/she is responsible for description and legality of commodity and sufficiency of documentation submitted to an international shipment.

Carrier’s bill of lading, final document that acts as title to the shipped goods, as a rule states ‘SHIPPER'S LOAD AND COUNT’ and ‘SAID BY SHIPPER TO CONTAIN’. That means that the carrier (and a freight forwarder who represents this carrier) is not responsible for information provided by shipper on his commodity. 

A freight forwarder should guide shipper in complexity of international shipment procedures. However, it is shipper’s responsibility to provide all necessary documents related to his shipment that will be required by origin and destination country officials.

Below is the list of common used documents required to be submitted when you move a vehicle oversea:

• The original title along with at lest three copies (non-notarized) of the title, front and back.
• Liens against the vehicle (if applicable), a notarized letter from the lienholder authorizing the export of the vehicle
• Bill of sale (if applicable)
• Power of attorney to the person or company that represents the vehicle’s owner before customs (if applicable)
• Bill of Lading – Carriers transport document. Shows cargo routing, consigner, consignee, cargo description, etc.