How We Pack Your Goods

How we package household items

One of the most critical aspects of a household move is the quality of the packaging and handling of your effects. Years of experience have taught us the best methods to ensure your valuable goods arrive safely at the other end, including even your most delicate antiques or art. See our techniques for common household items below and specialised packaging for special items further down.

Common Packaging Materials & Methods:

Type of Goods	Examples	Packaging Method
Small but heavy items	Books, records, tools	Small carton (0.05 m3)
Light small items that may be fragile	Ornaments, crystal, glassware, small electricals, kitchenware, linen, clothing	Dishpack Carton (0.14 m3)
To lay items out flat	Dresses, suits, coats, shirts	Clothing Carton (0.14 m3)
To hang items of clothing	Dresses, suits, coats	Porta Robe Carton (0.26 m3)
Solid flat items	Pictures, prints, mirrors, glass	Picture Carton
To wrap small items individually prior to placement into appropriate carton	Ornaments, crystal, glassware, crockery, china, books	Soft paper wrap
Beds	Mattresses and bases	Heavy double gauge plastic covers
Soft furnishings, whiteware, furniture	-	Specialist paper-lined bubble wrap or tuff wrap
For  items needing extra cushioning against denting, scratching, chipping	Soft and wooden furnishings, whiteware, sporting equipment	Extra layer of corrugated cardboard 900/1200 mm plus extremely tough heavy Kraft paper wrapped around furniture under corrugated cardboard layer
Extremely fragile items	Crystal, fine glassware, fine china, ornaments	Corrugated cardboard tube-wrapping 300 mm
Delicate furniture	Antiques	Foam rubber  to protect corners and edges
Delicate objects	Crystal, fine glassware, fine china, ornaments, antiques	Added cushioning and padding  via shredded paper in cartons or custom-made crates
Hard and sharp items	Garden tools, outside furniture, sporting equipment	Plastic bubble wrap to prevent damage to other packages

Specialised Packaging

Fragile items such as antiques, figurines, paintings, mirrors, and high value items	Custom-built Timber crates
Pianos and Billiard Tables	Custom packaging  & crating - by in-house or professional packaging companies who specialize in this area
Vehicles	Special frames are built in-house to ensure full protection for motor vehicles whilst in transit

 

How we label and track items

We take care that every one of your household items is accounted for and arrives safely at the other end. Here’s how we do it:

• Inventory Sheet
  - each item is listed and includes a description of the original condition of the item. World Relocations plus the owner sign the inventory to verify the number of items listed and is given a copy for their records.
• Labelling
  - each item is clearly labelled, indicating the shipper's name, item number and destination city and country.
• In-turn and out-turn reports
  - after packaging, we fill out an out-turn report if household effects are being loaded directly into a container. This report ensures that each item loaded into the container corresponds with the inventory sheet. In-turn reports are used in the same way for items that are going into temporary storage.

How we pack your items into trucks

Your household items are shipped in special furniture trucks which are carpet-lined and have special furniture pads to protect your personal effects individually. Trucks are cleaned between loads and vermin-proofed.

We are also able to provide storage at any destination in New Zealand.

How we pack your items into ship containers

Container capacities and basis of fees

Freight fees are based on volume of goods rather than weight as per air freight. A 20 foot container has a capacity of approximately 30 cubic metres and a 40 foot container holds approximately 60 cubic metres.

Less than a container load (LCL) or “Groupage” shipment

LCL shipment is used when total household loads don’t require a whole container and are loose stowed whereby a cardboard or bubble wrap separator is placed between the goods of various owners.

and customers don’t want to wait for us to consolidate a “Groupage” container LCL shipments are loaded into Lift Vans alongside other customer loads in the container.

Extra security option of wooden pallet boxes – “Lift Vans”

Your effects can be loaded into Lift Vans for an extra fee to provide added security, minimised handling, and avoid the wait for us to consolidate individual boxes into a the container. Lift Vans are purpose-built pallet boxes constructed of wood or particle board. Up to three can be loaded into a 20 foot container or six in a 40 foot container. This is an important consideration and the extra cost is recommended as worthwhile for the greater protection given to your effects.

Full container load (FCL) shipment

If access permits, your effects can be loaded directly into the container and sealed outside your house, giving you maximum security and peace of mind. It also means that, space permitting, any last minute items can be added. Alternatively, the effects are loaded into a truck and transported back to us where they are loaded into the shipping container.

The effects are marked off individually whilst they are loaded into the container. This is a double-checking mechanism to ensure that all items are accounted for and correspond with the total number of packages as indicated on the packing list. See more detail on how we track items. The effects are packed tightly inside the container to ensure that they are stable during transit.

Once the container is locked and sealed it is transported to the port where it is kept for 3-5 days before being loaded a ship. 20 or 40 foot waterproof shipping containers are normally used which are regularly cleaned and maintained by the shipping company to ensure good order.

How we pack your items into airline containers

Container capacities and basis of fees

Airfreight fees are based on the gross weight of the shipment. Your effects are stowed into containers which vary in capacity from 3.4 cubic metres to 10 cubic metres.

Less than a container load (LCL) shipment only

Full container loads are not feasible for airfreight. All shipments are sub-divided into Unit Load Devices (ULDs) either by us, by the air carrier’s agent, or by the airline themselves. Such containers will normally be unloaded at your destination city or closest customs (international) airport, then your goods will be delivered to you via truck. Goods are normally packed to the same specifications as for ocean freight shipments, but we may choose to enhance the specification, dependent on the destination and/ or carriers or other factors involved.