Shipping truck to Kauai with items in locked toolbox (inspections, floor)

[jakemaroo]

I'm shipping my F150 to Kauai on July 20th. I have a large lockable toolbox bolted to the bed of my truck. Do most of the shipping companies (Matson, Horizon, Pasha) search the locked toolbox of a truck before shipping? If they discover it has stuff in it, will they make you take it out?

I understand that there is the possibility of theft while the truck is sitting in port, but that's a risk I'm willing to take. Anything in the toolbox is not going to be extremely valuable anyway, just stuff I would like to not have to pay to ship.

[Balad1]

Everything will have to be taken out of the truck and yes they go over it with a fine tooth comb. The only thing alowed in the vehicle will be jack, tire iron, spare tire, etc and these will be inventoried.

Good idea for shipping but it won't work.

[tyvin]

I've shipped with Matson and had items in my SUV (rolled area carpets). They were allowed but only at personal risk as it cannot be guaranteed as there would be nothing I could do if something happened or they were stolenn (they won't let you put it on the inventory list). Everyone has a different experience; it's best if you call them yourself and ask.

[Joliefille]

We've shipped multiple time with Pasha and we've left small items in the cars and not had any problems. I think is just a liability issue with the shippers. If you're willing to take the risk i.e. liabilty and deduction, then, no worries.
I just assumed anything I left in the auto, I'd never see again, then I was pleasantly suprised when I saw it!

[whodaguy]

I shipped a SUV, a truck with a shell, a foreign car with specialty metric tools in the boot, and a covered jetski with anchor, life vests, tow rope etc. - all with Pasha. All they did when they rec'v the vehicles was fill out a condition report for the exterior of the vehicle, looked at the odometer and a quick look at the interior, but that was it. No physical inventory. I don't recall them looking in the shell of the truck, they didn't pull of the cover of the jetski. I would make sure that the truck is clean, no loose items visible, lock the toolbox, nothing in the bed. My impression was if the vehicle looked "stock" to the person who filled out the condition report, then it was golden all the way to Kauai, no further inspections would be done in route.

[Balad1]

Interesting, the company that shipped my vehicle from the east coast went over my car with a fine tooth comb. Anything that was loose (floor mats, etc) were, inventoried, placed in a cardboard box, taped shut and placed in the trunk.

[nullgeo]

I have shipped vehicles twice with Matson ... real sticklers for "nothing but what's part-of and bolted-to the truck/car" ... after-market toolboxes and such are allowed if they are physically attached to vehicle ... but nothing allowed inside the box as cargo ... not even a pillow.

[Sweetbeet]

Horizon out of Oakland was a little more relaxed - but we weren't really trying to get away with anything. I think we put one small thing (can't remember what) into the "secret compartment" under the floor of the hatchback in our Prius. They didn't even look there. I had thought they'd be more nuts about inspecting the compartments, including the glove box and in-cabin compartments, but they seemed to basically leave that up to us. (Maybe they searched it good after we left, but I doubt it.) They basically seemed focused on the "we're not responsible" angle, but anything obvious (e.g., a box in the vehicle) would have been nixed, I'm sure.

[jakemaroo]

Just for follow-up, I did load my toolbox with a number of items and it successfully made it here last week. At the port in Long Beach, they simply asked whether I had any personal items in the vehicle. I told them I didn't and they didn't ask me to open my toolbox during the inspection.

[Galactastica]

i was told, like some others, that my truck had to be empty except for a few minor things (fire extinquisher, tire iron, etc) and that you can't take tools and pack it with anything because of weight. the best practice would be to ask them directly!