IamA international shipping expert. I help people ship cars and goods all over the world. AMA!

Obvious question: biggest thing you've ever arranged to be shipped?

The biggest thing is a pay hauler. It's enormous- used in rock quarries serving the purpose similar to a dump truck. It has to go roll-on-roll-off (Ro-Ro). This ship is basically a floating underground parking garage with sections 100 yards long that raise and lower to accommodate much larger cargo.

One of my dreams in life (assuming I hit the lottery) is to ship my car over to Japan and drive on the Wangan highway.. coming from the US what would be a ballpark cost and what kind of red tape would I have to go thru?

Congratulations on your lotto win -if costs still matters you will be pleasantly surprised as shipping to Japan is relatively inexpensive- There's so much cargo coming to the U.S. that ships return empty. You can expect somewhere in the neighborhood of $1000. As far as red tape there would be none on the U.S. side. All that's required is the original title of the vehicle. On the import side - it would be considered a "temporary import" and you'd just be required to acquire a bond which the Japanese agent would easily be able to arrange for you. When you're ready for your quote you can visit us here - http://www.cfrrinkens.com/contacts-formular

how many times have you found people trying to ship drugs in a car or other big item?

are you responsible for checking the cargo?

Interesting question- being that we are CTPAT certified - Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism. We are required to do a certain amount of investigating for contraband of cargo before it leaves port. We have never actually found any contraband / drugs here in the states however recently one of our containers arrived to Holland and to our surprise there was a backpack full of narcotics on top of one of the vehicles in the container. If you can picture ocean containers stacked upon each other on their way overseas - there is no way to open the door once a container's on top. Essentially - in our care - we do everything possible to protect the cargo and with compliance.

so, in your best estimate a fair amount of drugs are shipped using these huge shipping containers...

No, I don't believe that. There are so many security measures and the containers are rarely left unguarded so it would be very difficult for someone to smuggle contraband.

thanks, I was just asking for a friend...

My pleasure.

Hey Joey,

I've been thinking about moving to Australia for my job, and had some questions about the logistics of moving my vehicle to Australia...

I'm on the East Coast and was wondering, would it make sense to drive my car to CA and ship it from there? Or is it cheaper to ship from an Atlantic port?

Also, if I ship my car to Australia, how can I be sure it will meet the requirements for Australian law (safety, emissions, etc.)?

Sorry if these questions seem basic, I just haven't done much research on it...thanks!

Essentially it makes sense to take the vehicle to the east coast - from west coast the transit time is faster, the shipping cost is cheaper on the west coast. If you don't mind making the drive - it's worth it in terms of cost. Our company actually uses an enclosed truck transport service - from NY, NJ area, to Los Angeles. You can estimate $900. In terms of requirements - you can speak directly with us and we can provide that information with you upon consultation. Thanks for the great questions!

How did you get license to transport things overseas?

I am not sure what license you're speaking of. Anyone can transport things overseas- they just need to prove ownership and use a licensed NVOCC. If you're looking to become an NVOCC then you would submit an application to the federal maritime commission.

Possibly moving to London in a couple of years. Does your company offer a door-to-door service where you pack everything (household and cars), ship overseas and deliver to doorstep?

Absolutely. Door-to-door, white glove service is always available in all countries. The first step is to contact us and we'll send someone to your house to do a visual inspection of the goods in order to determine the size of the move. The cost for moving overseas is based on your cubic foot total, whereas the cost to move, say, from N.Y. to L.A. is based on weight.

What question were you hoping to be asked in this AMA?

Am I single?

Hi, Joey!

I move around quite a bit (military family) and I have a couple of questions on shipping internationally, so here we go:

-what's your policy for any damage that may occur to shipments? -do you ship globally, or just certain regions?

We do ship globally from and to any location in the world. Damages due to negligence on our behalf, as a company, would be covered 100%. Damages that occur within a container- the customer would hold all responsibility. You can read my response about insurance in the question prior. Damage happens. We pride ourselves on our low damage, thanks to our revolutionary steel loading system. You can check out how that works here - https://www.youtube.com/user/RinkensInternational?feature=watch Not only does that protect your car it also protects any other cargo loaded into the same container.

Interesting! I'm curious to know though, is there a relatively large market for shipping cars and say flipping them in the U.S.??

Good question. It depends. The market is dependent upon the current exchange rate of the country you're looking to purchase vehicles from. There was a time when the dollar equaled the euro, and it made sense to purchase Ferrari's in Europe and ship them to the U.S., even after getting your DOT certification there was still profit left to sell the vehicle. Currently the market is favorable for those who wish to buy a U.S. vehicle and get it to their country. So in addition to the economy... it depends on the type of vehicle. For example a classic right-hand drive Mini Cooper in the U.K. is fairly common but in the U.S. it's a rarity, thus the value is higher. In short, the market for the U.S. is really specific to rare vehicles and the overseas market is larger.

Who is liable for damages if my car that was shipped ended having scratches on it when it arrives at the final destination. My insurance company or you? What type of proof do I need? Does that happen often?

Provided that the vehicle was delivered scratch-free and you have documentation confirming that it is scratch-free - and you have a condition report at the destination that shows scratches then the marine insurance would cover this claim. Scratches can be a difficult claim. Often it's about who's inspecting the vehicle at the port. One's interpretation of a scratch is different from another's. Small scratches are harder to claim and prove. Most insurance companies do not cover transport - so you'll want to check with them first and inquire about marine insurance. Our shipping company is backed by an insurance company that you can choose to use if you ship your car through CFR Rinkens. The premium for marine insurance is typically 1.5% the value of the vehicle.

Thanks for the great questions everyone. I'm happy to answer more as you think of them at my earliest convenience. Signing off for now!

Hello everyone! Let's get started!

What would you say are the ups and dwons of your job?

The ups are the wonderful people I work. We're a large company with a small-company attitude. I get to deal with people all over the world, from different cultures and I learn from them every day. Plus, chicks dig NVOCC's. :) The only downside is that I live 60 miles away and I have to commute into L.A.