Overseas Removals - Buyers Guide

Overseas Removals Terminology

Overseas removals, like anything in life, has its own language when it comes to industry talk. Knowing the terms and meanings of some of the more commonly used words employed when referring to overseas removals will make it easier for you to follow a conversation and to know what the other person is talking about. Here we have compiled a quick guide to the lingo currently en vogue to the overseas removals sector.

Access: Refers to how easily your home is to approach for removal teams. If there are trees in the way, parking lots, steep stairs, narrow roads, etc… you can expect to pay more than the basic price for removal services.

Agent: The person assigned to helping you plan and organize your move. Generally there are two agents involved the agent in your home country and the local agent in the new country who will be charged with your shipment upon its arrival and until you are prepared to pick it up.

Bill of Lading: The document that includes all of the pertinent information related to the shipment of your belongings. It also includes your tracking number and serves as the contract with your carrier.

Binding quote: The quote given by your removal company based on as accurate an estimate as they can provide. This quote cannot be changed and you cannot be charged more for the services – although if the move costs less you will not be paying less either.

Bonded Warehouse: The place where goods are held before they are cleared by customs.

Chargeable Weight: The weight airlines use to determine how much you will get charged for air freight.

COD: Cash on delivery. Basically the person to whom the goods have been shipped must pay for them when they are delivered – no credit, just cash.

Consignee: The person receiving the goods that have been shipped.

Container: The vessel that will be holding all of your belongings. They look like trucking containers and are generally either 20 or 40 feet in length.

Crate: A case made out of wood into which you can pack your goods.

Cu ft: Cubic Feet.

Cu M: Cubic Metres.

Customs Clearance: What must be done by the customs officials in the receiving country before your shipment will be allowed to enter the country.

CWT: Charge per 100 pounds.

Declared Value: The value given to your belongings for shipping purposes. The declared value is what would be used for any insurance claims if something were to happen to your shipment.

Destination Agent: The agent charged by the removal company to take care of your shipment when it arrives at its destination until you are able to come and claim it.

Export Wrapping: The method used to wrap goods or pack items before shipping.

FCL: Full container load.

Groupage: What shipping companies do if someone needs to ship something but does not have enough stuff to fill a container. You belongings are packed with other goods going to the same place. It is less expensive than renting your own container.

Insurance Certificate: The document issued by your insurance company that you must have in case you have to file a claim.

Inventory: A complete list of everything you packed for shipping.

LCL: Less than a container load.

Marine Insurance: The insurance given to cover shipments being made by sea over long distances.

Origin Agent: The agent in charge of your shipment from your point of departure.

PBO: Paced by owner.

Routing: The route that a shipment will take to get to its ultimate destination.

Shipper: The person who is sending their belongings overseas.

SIT: Storage in transit.

Survey: The estimate given to you when an company representative visits your home to see what needs to be shipped.

Transit time: The amount of time it will take between your shipment leaving your city of origin and being delivered to its ultimate destination.

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The form was easy to fill out and took only a few minutes. It was easy for me to find the service I needed, and I quickly heard from a couple of helpful companies.

Angelica, Buyer
Milan, Italy