Shipments done by Travellers

Ocean freight depends on volume of your vehicle!

All prices are for a Toyota Hiace Camper Van 2.5 D-4D (Actual size 5.2x1.8x2.05).

We delivered the van on a rainy Saturday morning at Bremerhaven port. Despite the strict guidelines, NOBODY checked the van inside. We took only all our clothing stuff and electronics off course. All the rest remained packed and locked.

The company managed NOT TO LOAD our vehicle on the scheduled date. They claimed that the Canadian Customs issued a DO NOT LOAD instruction that never managed to overcome before vessel's departure. They never explained the actual reason but we suspect that they did something wrong on the paperwork they sumbitted. There was nothing wrong with our vehicle. A fellow traveller with a bike faced the same problem for the same reason. Both had to change our plans.

We do not have any deadlines or tight schedules so the delay did not affected our trip that much. We only had to spend more time in Canada (Toronto) that means more accommodation expenses than initially planned and a flight change from Toronto to Halifax. Other than that, we did not have any other issues. The company never admitted any fault and they never compensated us.

They just issued a refund of 150 EURO in a goodwill base and wtih no prejudice. It did not manage to cover our extra costs at all.

The second loading, shipping and arrival in destination went as promised with 3 days delay (due to bad weather).

The team of WWL in Halifax were helpful enough to give us the proper instructions how to receive the vehicle.

After loading, they sent us the Notice of Arrival that includes the cost paid at destination for port handling fees. Make sure that you print this document and you pay the fees before arrival either with a money order at the Canadian Post (8 CAD commission) or as a bank transfer.

When ship arrives, you go to the WWL offices in Halifax which is downtown, you give the money order and you get a stamp from the lady (any lady!).

Then you walk to the CBSA offices (less than 10 minutes to 1557 Hollis Street, Halifax NS  B3J 1V4) to get clearance stamp for your vehicle on the Notice of Arrival document. Play the dump and answer the questions: - Do you have tobacco -NO, - Do you have alcohol -NO, -Do you have guns -NO and there you go!!

DONT TAKE A TAXI. From CBSA offices walk down to the waterfront and take the Metro Transit Ferry to Woodside for 2.5 CAD. In less than 5 min you are on the other side. From the bus stop, take bus 60 and ask the driver to stop at the AUTOPORT Main Gate (3 or 4 stops from the ferry terminal but not sure)

At Autoport terminal, you hand in the stamped Notice of Arrival and you wait for your vehicle. They will ask you for a copy of your driving licence (they didnt ask for the IDP, I gave them my EU licence) before delivery. You check your vehicle outside for any damages, you sign that there are none, and OFF YOU GO!!!

All our stuff was untouched and we received our vehicle in the same conditiom we delivered it.

All good at the end!

Superb service from start to finish.  Kathy answered all my questions promptly (this was my first shipment),  the bike was boxed up carefully (they even washed it for me!) and it was waiting uncrated and ready to go at the other end as promised (thanks to Adrian Schultz at EconoTrans for his help in South Africa, review of the sea return shipment to follow)  Absolutely painless process from start to finish.  Please note that the prices given above are approximate as they were paid in local currency, not US dollars.

I would definitely use Moto Freight again.

We stayed at Paraiso Suizo who are friends with Jose D'Angelo and will help the organising with the shipping. GPS: -34.789189, -55.431405
Silvia Koller & Heinz Stüssi
Paraiso Suizo - Ruta Interbalnearia km 77.5
Jaureguiberry, Canelones - Uruguay
Tel/Fax: 00598 4378 9064 / 7163
E-mail: i...@paraisosuizo.com

Tilbury was delt with by Jamie @ HILL SHIPPING 01795 876000
http://www.hillshipping.com

POSTAGE £10.00
CUSTOMS CLEARANCE £50.00
SHIPPING LINE FEES £265.00
RELEASE FEE £35.00
UNLOADING OF CONTAINER £325.00
Shipping to and from Montevideo is regarded by a lot of travellers as the easiest and safest port to do business in South America.

Go logistics are an excellent company and made my life very easy. I was also very impressed by the Harley Davidson dealer which crated up my bike and luggage. They can supply small or large bike frames and covers. My small one cost US$150 (AU$225). Once it was ready they contacted Go Logistics who came to collect it. I could have used a packing company to put it in a crate but it would have cost much more and I would have had to partially strip the bike.
I wasn't going to be arriving in Brisbane until early May so they stored the bike and shipped it to coincide with my arrival in Brisbane. They also ship to Sydney and Melbourne.
The charges in Australia all relate to the quarantine inspection. I had to take the carnet out to the customs centre at Brisbane airport to be stamped before the freight warehouse would release the bike. The quarantine inspection was carried out there.
All in all an easy process but having a friend to run you round would be useful because the freight warehouses are a long way from the city.

In spite of a previous comment here in the HUBB, I used Amber Worldwide and Edwin Pinedo to ship my bike from Lima Peru back to the US, at the end of my trip through the Americas. No issue whatsoever. Rather the opposite: Edwin was supper nice in handling the shipment.