Packing for an International Move

While the concept of packing your items is tempting, it should be left to our specially trained, professional international movers. We have the experience, expertise and moving supplies necessary for protecting your belongings from the extra stress of international air and sea shipments. Also, we can help you adhere to the strict shipping requirements and heightened security measures in the current global environment.

Here are some of the moving supplies, tools and moving boxes your North American International movers will be using to pack your items.

Tools, Materials & Moving Supplies

• Utility knife and scissors
• 2" plastic tape (to assemble and close cartons)
• Unprinted newspaper and tissue paper (newspaper ink can soil and even damage some items)
• Permanent markers

Types of Moving Boxes

1. 2.0 cu. ft. (book box) Use for heavy or dense items including books, records, shoes, kitchen canisters, small appliances, canned goods and hand or power tools.

4.0 cu. ft. General purpose size. Good for toys, lampshades, kitchen utensils, pots and pans, etc.

5.0 cu. ft. and 6.0 cu. ft. For large, lightweight items such as bedding, pillows and toys. Do not overload these moving boxes.

Stand-Up Wardrobe Equipped with bar for hanging clothes, curtains and draperies. The bottom is not designed to support weight; do not pack other items in the bottom of these cartons.

Dishpacks (China Barrel) Specially designed for transporting dishes, glasses, bowls and other kitchenware. Also good for lamps, small pictures, knick-knacks and light appliances.

Mirror Boxes Telescoping, large and small sizes. Provides extra protection for mirrors, large pictures and glass tabletops.

Mattress Bags Available in crib, twin, standard, double and queen/king sizes.

Custom Crates Wooden crates built in various sizes.

Padding Provided for furniture and larger items. All non-packed or crated items will be padded using the highest quality materials available on the market today.

Packing the Professional Way

North American's packing staff can ensure that your items are properly protected for your move.

Here's how we go about packing the right way:

• All china, glass and crystal will be individually wrapped prior to packing
• All rugs and carpets will be rolled and wrapped
• All packing materials, moving supplies and cartons will be new
• Customer's name, room and contents will be marked on each carton
• Cartons will be taped across top, bottom and all sides

All items not suitable for packing will be padded for transport. These include furniture, large appliances and large bulky pieces. Such items are paper padded and, where items require additional protection, double wrapping and crating could be used.

Proper padding requires the following steps:

• All furniture will be wrapped in a minimum 3-ply paper pad
• Corner pads will be used to provide additional protection
• All furniture will be dismantled, when appropriate
• All hardware (nuts and bolts) will be placed in plastic bags before being put in the master hardware moving box
• All paper pad seams will be sealed using vinyl tape
• Skeleton or full crates will be used on awkward or fragile pieces

Getting the Most for Your Money

When figuring out the cost of your shipment, we consider its density - the combination of its weight and cubic volume. Large, odd-shaped items will decrease space-efficiency and increase the cubic volume of your shipment. To minimize the cubic volume and help keep your costs down, there are certain items that may not make sense to take.

For example:

• Large quantities of disposable diapers
• Large plastic outdoor children's toys
• Rattan/wicker

Speak with your international moving company representative if you have any questions about particular items.