Here is the truth from The International Moving Doctor.

If you use good quality rubber tubs like the ones in this picture above, then you will be fine. They have the strength to be stacked up on each other so they will travel great with no issues or damage. Always stack the heaviest tubs at the bottom though.

The trouble happens when you use the cheaper plastic ones, often semi see through which are fine for your Christmas decorations to be stored in your attic or garage but not so good when you are using them to move overseas. The trouble happens when you stack four , five or six on top of each other. The one at the bottom can not support that much weight on top of it and starts to crack and split open. It might even crush and cause the ones above it to start leaning or falling which can make the whole pallet or U Crate to be unstable. On top of this (pardon the pun) the split open tub contents will get damaged and if there is anything liquid in there, it might leak which can then  cause damage to other things in your shipment, such as clothes or bedding.

If you are using a U Crate, the crate sides should support the load, even if the bottom is crushing but on a pallet you could end up with some serious damage as the load is only covered with shrink wrap and sharp pieces of plastic tub could tear the cover and loose items spill out from the pallet.

So, if using plastic tubs or crates, use good quality ones that are not cheap but they will ship just fine and be good for storage in your garage, shed or attic for years to come at your overseas destination. Cardboard moving boxes are great, and cheaper if you pack them full so they can not crush and you plan on unpacking everything soon after you arrive at the destination but if items might be staying stored then definitely invest in the tubs.

I hope that helps and don’t forget to ask the International Moving Doctor at UPakWeShip if you have any questions. If you are not sure what service you need, take a look at this You Tube video which explains all the different services we offer.

All our U Crate and pallet rates are online at www.upakweship.com so if you want to know how much it costs to move overseas, have a look at our international moving cost calculator.

If you need a personalized international moving quote, just click here.

Happy Packing folks

Cheers Mark Nash, aka The International Moving Doctor, UPakWeShip, your trusted International Mover.

The post Rub a dub dub, can we ship stuff in tubs? appeared first on UPakWeShip.

A Family company that specializes in moving Families!

There are big corporate moving companies that specialize in moving big corporate employees with big relocation budgets. There are also big corporate companies that specialize in moving Military families and Government employees. Most do a great job and offer what’s called a white glove service for their customers. But do they have the time, patience, staff and competitiveness to look after the family who is paying for themselves that need some handholding and friendly helpful advice through the process?

That’s where UPakWeShip comes into its own! UPakWeShip is a family run business with 7 family members spread between its offices in the USA, Europe and the UK. With operations on both sides of the Atlantic, most of our moves are controlled and managed by UPakWeShip with no third-party agents contacting you.

Why is having one company door to door so important?  It allows us to maintain a high standard of quality control, operational and communications, and most importantly stops extra fees being billed to you by third parties. How often do you see reviews online that say the move was ok, but we were charged an extra fee before delivery for various made-up reasons. It’s common practice for the delivery agent that probably only won the job by being the cheapest to make more profit by charging extras on the delivery. Not with UPakWeShip though!

Many years ago, we were so fed up with this practice and complaints from our customers when we used a third-party mover, that we decided to set up our own company in the UK and Europe so that we could make sure this did not happen anymore.

When moving with UPakWeShip, you will feel the difference between us and the big guys, we answer the phone, you can always speak to the same person you did last time and we are knowledgeable, friendly, patient and most importantly give you a lump sum all inclusive price without the worry of extra sneaky fees being made up to line some large corporations pockets! See UPakWeShip’s price guarantee here.

We are the UPakWeShip family that wants to help your family relocate with no stress or worries.

One company door to door. Get all inclusive moving and shipping rates online with our international moving cost calculator.

The post We are Family appeared first on UPakWeShip.

Thank you for all of your help with the paperwork for our pallet. I meant to write you the other day but our pallet was picked up successfully on Thursday and I have already received word that it has made it to SC. So glad that this has worked as well as it has!

Thank you again!

Mike

International Moving Doctor says, nice packing Mike and I am glad our door to door pallet service is working out well for you. Enjoy your trip to England.

If you would like an International Shipping quote for moving your personal belongings across the pond to the United Kingdom or Europe, you can view all our international shipping rates and moving options online using our international moving cost calculator.

The post A Move over the pond, PA to England appeared first on UPakWeShip.

Send your pictures or videos to info@upakweship.com and let us know your USA mailing address.

UPakWeShip offers awesome affordable international moving and shipping services that are extremely easy to use. Please help us share these services by showing your pallet, U Crate or self load container loading, shipping or delivering with the UPakWeShip community.

Our online international cost calculator showing lump sum overseas removal and shipping rates  powered with the latest technology and some of the best customer service and knowledgeable staff in the relocation industry is hard to beat.  Help us please share this with others.

Thank You.

The post Free Stuff with UPakWeShip appeared first on UPakWeShip.

Where you’ll be living, house hunting, the prospect of starting anew, all of these are the fun aspects of moving. The initial thoughts can seem like a distant memory when the hard work begins, so how can you make the whole process feel less stressful?

Organize Yourself

From the start, you need to be a step ahead. Take time at the very beginning of your moving process to write a list of everything you need to do, and the timeframe in which they need to be completed.

Initially, this may feel overwhelming, but by breaking it all down, you can create an efficient plan of what you need to be doing and when, which will avoid you from feeling overwhelmed with tasks, and will (hopefully) make everything feel a lot more manageable.

Get Time on Your Side

This cannot be emphasised enough. The more time you have, the more organized you’ll be, the more organized you are, the less stress it will be. Simple logic, right?

If you’re moving abroad, everything task has an expiry date. Book pickups, deliveries and shipments way in advance. If you don’t have a designation address yet, don’t worry! Movers will be able to edit the details later down the line, the main thing is that it’s arranged in the first place.

Take off some of the financial burden

One of the easiest ways to lessen the financial burden, is by packing yourself. Yes, this does mean you’ll need to be more organized, but it also can save you a lot of money. Packing yourself means you know exactly what you’ll be packing and where it will go. It also allows you to organize items that are of sentimental value, where packers may not necessarily take as much care.

Consider a self-pack, door-to-door service such as UPakWeship, to lighten both your mental and physical loads. Your own crate will be delivered, you pack it up, and we’ll collect it on a date pre-organised. It means a lot less waiting around, and you’ll be safe in the knowledge your belongings are en route to their destination. Plus, with offices in the USA and Canada, you know everything will be in safe hands!

Reassure Yourself With Safety Precautions

It’s natural to be worrying about moving abroad right now, but we have moved thousands of families, employees and individuals this year. The world doesn’t stop turning and houses are being bought,  job contracts signed and visas accepted – people still need to get to their new homes.

The best way to feel safe when moving, is to research all of the regulations and restrictions on your new country so that you feel confident upon your arrival. As per usual, bringing hand sanitizer, anti-bac wipes and wearing a mask are also going to be crucial to staying clean and safe. And the number one way to stay safe when moving is by using a self-packing mover, so that you don’t have any strangers coming into your home, touching all of your belongings and moving around your house.

Start Small

Once the list is made, tackle one thing at a time. As the saying goes, Rome wasn’t built in a day. If you’ve given yourself enough time, you can start to slowly cross the life-admin bits off your list, building up to the bigger tasks in due course, so that everything doesn’t feel quite so overwhelming.

Don’t be afraid to ask for a hand

Almost everyone will move at least once during their lifetime. This means the chances are, those around you will be both supportive and willing to lend a hand if necessary. Not only does having an extra pair of hands help, but it will also remove some of the emotional burden, and you’ll probably have more fun with someone to chat to!

Be courteous enough to give your friends and family a bit of notice, and make sure to show your gratitude (a cup of tea and a bottle of wine goes a long way)!

Don’t let the stress of moving abroad put you off. If you’re looking for an international mover, ensure to use a company with a no-hidden-fees policy and fantastic feedback from customers. We’re proud to have both – find a quote for your move online today!

The post How to Reduce the Stress of Moving Overseas appeared first on UPakWeShip.

But how do you find the right mover for you? With so many out there, it can be hard to determine the differences between each company and how they fit your needs and wants.

As experts in the industry, we’ve come up with how to narrow down your search for a mover to ship your belongings overseas both efficiently and securely.

To pack or not to pack?

If you’re willing to use a bit of elbow grease and spend time packing your belongings up yourself, you can save hundreds of dollars. Any moving company that says it costs more/is illegal/will cause damage, is not at all to be trusted. Packing containers yourself is perfectly legal, and right now, it’s even safer than having packers come and handle your belongings. You know what’s important to you, you know where you’ve been, you know whats’ expensive, and packing yourself gives you complete control over that.

Give Yourself Time

Having time on your side will not only expand your choices – as almost all movers have time limits to their turnarounds. It will also allow you to research companies and coordinate your shipping with your moving schedule.

Are they reputable?

A good international moving company will have public reviews to persuade you they’re the best. Make sure there’s proof of their reputation, rather than it just being their word. Due to the importance of this, your moving company should have been around long enough to create this reputation. All companies need a kickstart somewhere, but the older ones have far more practice in the art of moving and tend to be more reliable.

Look and listen very carefully

If their quote seems too good to be true, it probably is… which means at the end of the service, you’ll end up with a figure double what you’d initially agreed to. Businesses love hidden fees, which is why it’s so important to find a transparent company that offer a lump-sum, no-hidden-fees price from the word go.

Are they Covid-safe?

It’s a new measurement that everyone needs to consider right now. What precautions is the moving company taking to ensure the customer and their employees are safe? This is one of the biggest pros of using a self-packing moving company, as nobody is entering your home. Read our  blog post on how we move people safely overseas in 2020.

Ensure they’re licensed

It is a legal requirement to be registered with the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), if you’re considering a company, make sure to check their licensing.

Finding a trustworthy mover can make all the difference in the moving process. For over 30 years, UPakWeShip has been trusted by families and individuals to ship their belongings overseas.

The post How do you choose an international moving company? appeared first on UPakWeShip.

While the staff are away, there is no time for the boss to play! Is that how the saying goes?

We are loading in the next 7 days, Charleston to Rotterdam, Charleston to UK, Charleston to Sydney, Charleston to Auckland, Los Angeles to Rotterdam, Toronto to Rotterdam, Rotterdam to Charleston.

UPakWeShip all the way door to door.

Lump sum International Moving and Shipping rates available online here.

The post Real Men Load Pink! appeared first on UPakWeShip.

We’ve built a company based on the knowledge that moving needs to be more simple and less stressful. As the world becomes more globalized and moving to different countries becomes more attractive, more and more people are moving abroad and we want to make sure that when they do, they can rely on their moving company if they choose us.

So, what methods have we implemented to make your move easy?

1. Instant Prices

When you’re on the hunt for a moving company with affordable prices, often a lot of back and forth, and even a phone call involved. We wanted to make sure potential customers had a way to find instant quotes that were all-inclusive. That’s why we have instant prices on our website. Simply input the collection state and the delivery country and we can let you know how much each of our services will cost, right this second.

2. Add a delivery address later

We know that in an ideal world, you’d have everything sorted before we collect your belongings. However, the reality is this often isn’t the case. Whether you are renting accommodation, house hunting or using storage, you can change your delivery at a later date and don’t need to worry.

3. Take your time to pack

If you’re unsure of the precise date of your move, we can drop off your U-Crate or pallet and collect it at a later date. Whilst we do ask for a couple of weeks’ notice for full delivery and collection, once your service has been dropped off, just reach out to your shipping coordinator to organize a day that works for you.

4. We specialise in curbside moving

We recently published a whole article on how UPakWeShip was social distancing before it was a necessity. You pack your items yourself, you know what needs extra safety and security measures, nobody is entering your home – all of the information on our collection/delivery moving service is available in this blog post. We’ve had years to nail curbside moving, which is why we offer such a smooth, efficient service.

5. One Company, Door-to-Door

When you book a move with UPakWeShip, you can rest assured your belongings are in safe hands across the Atlantic. Our HQ is in Charleston, however, we also have offices in Europe – so whether you’re moving to or from the EU, it will be UPakWeShip you’re in contact with throughout. If you’re wondering what the benefits of a destination office is, take a look at our blog post on the topic.

6. Our team are on hand to walk you through your move

When you organise a moving service with UPakWeShip, you won’t be talking to a robot or passed from team to team. We have a fantastic team who will walk you through the processes needed for your move to take place. From forms to tax to payments and organising collection/delivery, our expert shipping team is there to help you with questions and queries to put your mind at ease.

If you’re looking for a moving company that puts its customers first, look no further than UPakWeShip. For more information on our services or to receive an instant quote today, take a look at our website. Moving from the US to the EU? Take a look at our US site.

The post How UPakWeShip Makes Moving Easy appeared first on UPakWeShip.

Our website has never been more user friendly. We listened to our customer feedback, and we are confident to say that we have delivered.

So, what’s changed?

Well to start with, we’ve changed up the design to maximize efficiency and offer a better online experience for all of our customers – everything is displayed in your dashboard as seen below.

We now have the option to book insurance directly through the hub, rather than by reaching out to your shipping coordinator. You set the value of the insurance, and our insurance policy costs 2.5% of the values you put on your items and only 2% if the value is over $30,000.

Unsure of your customs forms? Don’t worry, simply select which applies to you and your move through our Customs Forms page.

Need to reach out to the UPakWeShip team? We’re right on hand with our Customer Support forms – you can even secure your collection date online.

And if you’re looking to transfer your USD into a foreign currency, our friends at CurrenciesDirect can help.

Our new Customer Hub was designed for you – our customers. We want your moving experience to be as smooth as possible, which is why it’s important your online experience is too.

You can access the new dashboard here. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

The post Introducing the New UPakWeShip Customer Hub! appeared first on UPakWeShip.

1. How has UPakWeShip changed since its initial conception?

“The idea simply started as a way to offer the public a cheaper way to move overseas if they wanted to pack themselves – a little like a budget airline but for people moving. Sort of a ‘Freddy Laker’ of the moving business if anyone else can remember that far back! The concept seemed to work, and customers loved it, so we started to develop the business further, and came up with our U Crates, which offer door to door moving.

“So much has changed since the initial startup. The obvious is that we’ve grown into a multimillion business with overseas offices, but I think the biggest change over the last 15 years is the technology.

“We started with a phone, a fax, a PC, and cardboard files. Now, we are paperless and cloud-based and have an amazing custom-built database that connects with our customers to make the whole process easier! If only it could make the tea! 

“We also now have our automatic online pricing system, which is a real game-changer as it allows everyone to see all the different moving options and the prices 24/7. It allows us to keep our overheads down as there’s no longer the need to have staff emailing out direct quotes. Instead, our staff can concentrate more on the moving experience for customers, answering questions, and guiding them through the process.”

2. What’s been the biggest lesson learned as UPakWeShip has evolved?

“Wow, so many lessons! To name a few: Nothing ever goes exactly to plan, nobody will do as good a job as you and your team, never burn bridges, learn to delegate, don’t ever presume, and as a Brit, it’s always worth thinking things out over a cuppa! 

“I’ve also learned that if at first, you don’t succeed, it’s important to look at your business from the outside in, looking at things from a perspective customers’ point of view will always help with problem-solving.”

3. Why is UPakWeShip different from other moving companies?

“The main one is that we allow you to pack your own things. Obviously, this saves you the money on using movers, but it also means nobody needs to come into your residence and touch all of your belongings – pretty invaluable at the moment!

“We also charge lump sum all-inclusive prices – our prices are online for everyone to see, and we have the most brilliant, knowledgeable, personable, team you could ever have to hold your hand through the process! We also have our own offices andpersonnel in the USA, Europe, and the UK so you get the great UPakWeShip customer service door to door.”

UPakWeShip is very popular right now during  Covid-19 because we do not need to send anyone into your house to collect your things. We can maintain social distancing with our driveway or curbside collection and delivery services.

4. What motivates you on a day-to-day basis?

“Coffee, and my wife! Not in that order though, of course! I also have a lot of employees and family that rely on me for a paycheck. In all honesty, I just enjoy this business… I’m always thinking about how we can do things better for our customers, how to make the international move a little less stressful, more affordable, and just plain easier!”

5. UPakWeShip is a very family-oriented business, do you think that benefits how it operates?

“There are two sides to this. It’s great to be able to provide for family members and help them progress and do well. I obviously trust them a great deal and rely on them to get on with things without being micro-managed. The relationship also means they’ll tell me things straight as they are and not beat around the bush. My only negative is that it’s sometimes hard being the boss during, for example, a personnel issue, or when I have to leave work behind and be a Dad/husband/uncle/ brother at the end of the day.”

6. You’ve moved about a lot yourself, what tips do you have for somebody, or a family, relocating overseas?

“Go on a vacation and have a look at the area before you settle down long-term. I’d also advise you to rent and not buy, and make sure you join Facebook groups and research the area properly.

“We have a lot of advice and guidance on our blog about the moving process, everything we write on there, from the guides to tips and tricks about the moving process, come from our first-hand experience so I’d definitely recommend checking it out for more advice.”

Have a good clear out and don’t ship things you don’t need!

7. Of the places you’ve lived, which has been your favorite and why?

“I loved Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. There was sun, sea, sand and pina coladas…! Just kidding, but I did have a great experience there. I learned a lot and met some great friends.

“To be honest, any destination is only as good as what you make of it. Make sure you become a part of the community, join local expat groups, and make friends! It’s also important to visit local bars and restaurants and try the local food and drink, just make sure you discover all of the different places on offer! When we lived in The Netherlands, we made the most of its location by spending long-weekends in neighboring countries – that was great! I’d also recommend learning a little of the language, although we failed big time with Dutch, I must confess!”

8. What is your favourite European city?

“It’s impossible to pick a great European city… they are all fantastic! I love London as I’m from there, and I love its theatres and the pubs, also in England we obviously have Cornish pasties and sausage rolls – definite weaknesses of mine.

“Depending on what you want, I love Paris for the stores and restaurants, Barcelona for the tapas and Cava, Brussels for chocolate, Rotterdam for watching boats and ships passing by whilst drinking beer.. I think we can all see I have a food and drink theme going on!”

9. UPakWeShip has hugely expanded, with offices in the US, Canada, Mainland Europe, and the UK… do you have any plans to expand further afield?

“Always! We are planning our next venture right now, which might well put us on the move again to start up a new office, but that’s still in the hush-hush stage right now!

“We are also looking into the possibility of an Australian/New Zealand liaison office sometime in the future. We use a great agent there at the moment but strongly believe having our own people at the destination, liaising with our customers and making sure everything goes well with customs clearance, and delivery enables us to maintain our high customer service standards and keeps us getting personal recommendations and customers coming back again for their next move.”

10. Finally, what’s your favorite part of your job?

“I love reading the personal reviews from people, saying what a great job the team did. That just makes it all worthwhile.

“The other aspect is the personal stories behind some of the moves, for example, a few years back we moved a lady in her 80’s fromVirginia to England. She told us she was moving there to be with her fiancée and was planning to get married for the first time!

You just never know what the next phone call or email will bring. Rod Stewart might have said every picture tells a story but every move has one as well.”

The post Meet Mark Nash, the Moving Doctor Behind UPakWeShip appeared first on UPakWeShip.