Lodzi Shipping Preparations

    Shipping a single private vehicle to go travelling is a long winded process with a language entirely of it's own.

    When we were first looking into the budget for the tour, we knew that shipping would be a considerable cost and therefore were keen to obtain a ball park figure for how much we needed to put aside.

    Unfortunately small private shipments do not rate very highly on many companies list of priorities, and obtaining quotes was a bit of a mission.

    After stressing out about the whole issue right in the beginning of the preparations, we then left it alone and focused on everything else and went back to it about a month before departure and gathered together quotes and timings.

(Check F & F for costs)

    Vehicle Security was one issue we were very concerned with as we would be shipping with all our kit in it. Because of our destination and the stories we had heard from other expiditors we opted for container shipment over RORO.

    We went with Imorex as they seemed the only company that could not see a problem in us wanting to be present when the vehicle was loaded, lashed and locked up. (Other companies insisted we drop the vehicle at a dockyard and leave it with the keys in, to be loaded when possible.)

    We booked the sailing date just under a month before it was set for. Dealing with Julie was a blessing as she explained everything and made it feel like it was no big issue. As it turned out we left the country before the shipping date, so the whole event was left in the capable hands of my father, with us liasing with Julie to make sure we had all the necessaries.

Paperwork required was relatively simple.

Copy of the V5 log book.
Copy of passport id pages
Copy of front page of Carnet
Comprehensive shipping inventory
Freight forewarding address at destination

Anxious hours were spent on the other end of the phone across the miles on the loading day. We were kept up to speed even though it was 2am where we were. It took about 4hrs for the entire process.

Lodzi was lashed down and locked up and the container was sealed for the journey. We now anxiously await the arrival and the whole experience of trying to get her cleared and on the road. From various stories we have heard this stressful process can take anything from 4 days to 3+ weeks. Fingers crossed. (Will relay the experience in our journal!)