Shipping your vehicle overseas?
FAQ's Frequently Asked Questions
Thanks for your question. Please take the time to review our free on-line guides, to find answers to your basic questions.
Sefco customers will receive specific instructions, documentation and guidance pertinent to their specific situation.
If you are not yet a Sefco Export customer, then fill in our instruction form - send in your deposit, and become one!
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"FAQ's" - our site has many answers to your questions.
Please review our Fact Sheets and Preambles to find answers to your general questions.
- Go to: www.sefco-export.com/sitemap.htm#roro
- Ro-Ro Car Shipping Fact Sheet: Ro-Ro Facts
- Ro-Ro Vehicle Shipping Preamble: Ro-Ro Preamble
- Ro-Ro Ship Photo Guidebook: Ro-Ro Ship Photos
- Containerized Vehicle Shipping Preamble:
Containerized Auto Facts
- Thinking about importing your car into the USA? See: Car Clear
- Steps to take... about vehicle shipping:
"Car Advice"
- Want to know if you can include personal effects inside a car?
Please go to: Steps to take... "Ask us"
- Should you "self-clear" your original title with US Customs for export - or use our service to help arrange?
Please see: Informal Advice - clearing your title for export
- How many cubic feet is my car?
Read:
About Volume - RoRo shipping is based on the size of the vehicle.
- Can I fill up my car with personal effects?
Read: Steps to take... "ask us" - RoRo shipping lines will not accept liability for any extraneous personal effects left inside a vehicle.
- Can I travel as a passenger on the same RORO vessel as my car?
Answer: No. Read: RoRo Facts
- RoRo vessels do not take passengers. We do not make arrangements for people to travel on board freighter ships.
"We only more inanimate objects". For advise on pet transport, click here.
Often, the very few freighters that do take passengers will be container-ships with very limited accomodations and
the cost is expensive (first class cabin prices run in the thousands of dollars).
It will be much cheaper to fly to your destination.
- Please read through our free on-line guides to find answers to basic questions.
Are you just doing research? Do you want to get a shipping rate
for sending a non-standard vehicle (not a passenger car) that you do not actually own?
Are you thinking of only shipping your non-standard/oversized vehicle several months from now?
SS line rates are only good for 30-days at a time.
Our rate confirmations are based on the best currently available ocean freight rates, and
any change when it is time to actually book the shipment will have to be reflected in our invoice.
Every non-standard RoRo shipping rate
(RV, buses, large trucks, etc.) must be specifically re-confirmed with the SS Line.
It may be better for us to give you a rate estimate only if you do not currently own
the vehicle and if the shipment will not occur within the next 30-days.
Due to high-demand, a minimal deposit or retainer is required for a shipping file to opened
in your name.
Sefco Export professionals will be able to spend time providing current rate confirmations,
detailed guidance and advice for non-standard requests
(anything not already shown on our on-line rate grids), provided we have at least a good faith retainer.
For details, please click here.
Our rate grids are shown on our site map.
- If you have a non-standard
request, our sales department will give your situation our preliminary export review. Beyond an initial response, Sefco will need to receive our minimum retainer
in order to properly service your account.
Please send in your deposit/retainer or service fee as specified by our sales department.
For more information are this and our ESR-Export Shipping Report service, please go to:
Sefco - ESR service
- For special project consultations and commercial projects (non HHG/PE-household goods, personal effects or auto exports) please go to:
Commercial Trade Services
- Sefco Export customers get:
precise answers, guidance and action to address a specific export being undertaken.
- To become a Sefco Export customer please go to:
Car Advice and
To Proceed
- Fill in our instruction form:
Quote - Contract form and send in your deposit:
payment amount
- A customer will have sent in their signed contract with deposit, to get the ball rolling.
If we are to have qualified personnel dedicate attention and time
your upcoming export, a deposit or retainer will need to be in-hand prior to initiation of our work.
Work includes communications and information services:
best routing advice, carrier rate confirmations (valid up to 60-days), direction concerning
export packaging/preparation, physical handling, documentation review.
Our professional services include various optional accessorial services,
for which there will be an additional charge.
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What are "accessorial services"?
Accessorial services include:
automobile service (pickup, loading / unloading), new liftvan crates,
art crating, motorcycle crating, piano handling and crating / uncrating,
heavy safe or equipment handling, oversized goods hoisted
from roofs or out windows, extra location pickups, stairs over
2nd floor / walk up flights, shuttle service for difficult access
(van / dollies with labor), dis-assembly or re-assembly of
complex furniture, long carry, "cherry picker" outdoor elevators,
crane service, mechanical hoisting / rigging, electrical work,
carpentry services, SIT-storage in transit, abnormal
export customs clearance, special trip couriers. Such accessorial
services may be needed at either the origin or destination delivery address.
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Our auto-export department can arrange for US Customs export
clearance of your car title, provided it is free and clear of any liens.
Export customs clearance of documents at origin is not the same
as import customs clearance at destination.
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A rate for export packing assumes a normal mix of household goods and personal effects.
Extra charges will apply for excessive and extra-ordinary packing:
for example, packing an entire 20 or 40-ft container-load of fragile china (no furniture).
- E-economy service door to door FCL containers are to be self-cleared at destination. Customers can opt to use a 3rd party customs broker at destination to assist with clearance and you should pay for this cod collect direct to the selected broker at destination. If Sefco is to help select and arrange for a 3rd party customs broker in conjunction with our E-Economy service, a $ 250 p/a fee will be required. To learn more about this please click here.
For more information on our E-Ecomony and P-premium service, please click here.
- Read more about accessorial services, by
clicking here.
Sefco Export can arrange for such things, but it comes at an added cost.
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If we are to export clear your vehicles title / paperwork with US Customs,
vs. you self-clearing when you deliver the vehicle to the pier,
average cost is $ 175 per title (per vehicle cleared NY/NJ, Baltimore ports; $250 port Miami/Houston; $300 port Hueneme, Ca.) subject to confirmation/acceptance
by our auto department.
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All documents are sent via USPS airmail or USPS first class,
unless courrier service is requested. Give us your FedEx account number
for expedited document delivery service, billed to your own account.
If billed to Sefco's account, the following additional charge will apply:
Domestic / International FedEx handling cost plus $ 45
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If you don't collect your vehicle / goods from the destination port -
and instead opt to use one of our overseas destination agents,
contractors, or subcontractors to perform and render additional services,
such as...
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overseas pier pick-up and in-land delivery to a terminal or residence
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physically loading / unloading vehicles into containers
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crating / uncrating for export
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use of an outside car-carrier trucker to pick-up a vehicle
from a US inland origin point to transport it to a US pier for export
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packing of loose items that may not be suitably prepacked for export
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extra waiting time by a "live-load" container trucker,
beyond the normal free time stated in advance
(normal time = 2 hrs free waiting time in most US and European locations,
unless otherwise specified)
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use of 3rd party contractors or unusual handling, e.g. electricians,
carpenters, piano handling or heavy safe movers
or any other extra-ordinary operational service not specified in the normal
services agreed, offered by advance quotation, there will be additional charges.
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Our rate quotations will typically list any optional origin or destination services,
so you can choose accordingly and let us know of your preference.
Current Accessorial Cost
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| FCL containers from Europe to the USA |
| Container Type |
20 ft |
40 ft |
| Invoice handling fee |
$ 25 |
| EU export customs clearance |
EU 180 |
| Container sealing fee *1 |
Depends on the origin location |
| GRI *2 |
$ 150 |
$ 200 |
| AMS filing fee *3 |
$ 60 |
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All containers have to be sealed prior of sailing; usually it will be
taken care of by SEFCO's approved export packers / movers.
In the case of PBO-packed by owner containers, where there
are no export packers / movers prepaid for and arranged through SEFCO,
our overseas port agent will have to find someone that is authorized to seal
the container. The additional charges are confirmed on a case by case basis,
depending on the origin location.
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GRI-steamship line general rate increase:
This applies to all HHG-household goods, P/E-personal effects shipments.
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AMS-Automated Manifest System:
The United States Customs Service will permit certain companies to submit
advance cargo manifest information via AMS.
The new 24-hour Advance Cargo Manifest Declaration regulation, which Customs
began enforcing Feb 2, 2003, requires ocean carriers and NVOCC's to submit
detailed shipment manifest information 24 hours before loading at a foreign
port. The AMS certification allows the company to protect customers from
disruption to their supply chains, or possible penalties associated with not
conforming to the 24-hour rule.
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