Share shipping container from LA to Maui

[oregonwoodsmoke]

[quote=ILoveLidoBeach;29716890]Does anyone know what a 40 ft container costs? Also, do you actually hand pack the container? Does it matter what the weight is? ...............

/quote]

What is most common is to rent the shipping container. However, if you buy, they are standard containers, but the container must be certified as seaworthy before each and every trip overseas. So be careful to not purchase a container that will not pass that inspection.

Cost of a container varies a lot by where you are living. It looks like I can buy one for a couple thousand dollars, but then I must pay to have it delivered to my house, load it, and pay to have someone pick it up and deliver it to the port.

Then, if I own the container, I must pay someone to pick it up and deliver it to my house and set it down exactly where I wish to have it remain.

If you are renting the container, price will depend upon how much mileage is involved.

[ILoveLidoBeach]

Thanks Open D for all the great info I'm going to print it and save it.

I would just be shipping my personal things/household goods that I can't live without . I would have to do the math and see what things will cost to ship vs. replace.

I can't see how we could possibly move any sooner than a year. We have to sell out house and husband has to get transferred but financially we could send him first and I could deal with the house here. But I am type A personality so I want to start to plan now.

Thanks for the info. I am sure I will be back with 1,000 more questions. Thanks!

[ILoveLidoBeach]

OregonWoodSmoke, Thanks for your response. So I can buy a container and then pack it and then have someone take it to the shipping company? Then I have this container in Hawaii to keep? Hmmm? I never heard of that.

I live in a gated area so I couldn't have it dropped off at my house without having the "HOA police" swoop in to charge me with a violation. LOL

That would be something I would have to figure out.

So you will pay a couple thousand, have it trucked to California and pay them, then pay to ship the container to Maui?

I live in Sarasota, Florida so I could have it shipped out of Tampa or trucked to the California and then shipped from there. I'll have to check to see which is more reasonable as well as less of a hassle.

I think the biggest thing thing I am going to have a hard time with is deciding what is a "national treasure" and then I have to be willing to pay for it to get to Hawaii. I don't want to be in Hawaii and be out 10K and I have 2 old cars and pile of junk I shipped. LOL

Thanks for the info. I appreciate your time.

[BearIsBear]

madmartigan1 and I have made an arrangement to share a 20' container. Unfortunate we couldn't make the June cutoff, but it would most likely have added unnecessary stress. Still worth it to me to not have to take the time to find replacements for my belongings and I can now bring a few extras like my scooter and bike.

Good luck to everyone making the move!

[BearIsBear]

Woohoo, will be booking a container to be dropped off next week! According to Matson, vessels depart port of Long Beach on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Container must be at the port one day prior to either day, depending on which day you prefer to ship. From Long Beach to Kahului, 7-8 days at sea, so an approximate shipping time of 8-10 days. 10 day unload window begins the first day the cargo is available for release, typically the day after it arrives to port.

I recommend speaking to more than one customer service agent when inquiring about specifics as I had gotten different responses from different people. For example, one agent said my gas tank for my scooter needed to be empty and another mentioned up to a 1/4 tank was acceptable. As for the plywood floor, I got 3/4" and 5/8" as thickness (no big difference), one of them actually said 5'8" to me!

I had a hard time getting exact measurements, except for the interior 19'4"x7'6"x7'8", as I want to build a OSB wall. I wanted to figure out the space the little indent/ripple is where I will rest my 2x4's. I figure a couple inches each side. So I will take measurements and try to post photos for future reference.

Anyone have suggestions in regards to loading 4ft off the ground? I plan on using a dock height box truck with lift gate, load the truck, then back it up to the container and transfer. I can not locate a ramp and from what I have seen, they are very large. If I had the resources and time I would build a ramp similar to this,
How To Build Loading Ramp For Tractor Trailer, Freight Truck or Ocean Cargo Shipping Container - YouTube -maybe I should start a ramp rental business..

[BearIsBear]

For those who are interested, I posted photos of the 20ft Matson container I received today.

https://www.city-data.com/forum/maui/...-promised.html

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

Loading a container yourself can be a difficult job, although many have done so. As you've shown, you have to figure out how to get everything up into the container that is 4 feet off the ground.

We decided to skip the physical and mental pain, and hired a moving company. We hired a local Mayflower company who was experienced in packing loads that would be moved over the water. We packed most of the boxes ourselves and had them pack the large framed pictures and other breakables such as wine glasses. We also shared the container, and Mayflower was very good at fitting everything in. We even had a little space left and they built a bulkhead to fill that in so that nothing shifted. Everything arrived in good condition.

Have fun with your move!

[whtviper1]

I highly encourage everyone to at least get a quote from a place like Royal Hawaiian Movers - it is free and they come to your home for the estimate. It is full service - as in, they bring all the boxes, do all the packing - take care of everything. You literally don't do anything. From the West Coast, my cost for a large home was well under $10K and everything arrived within 2 weeks. This container/pods thing seems more hassle than it is worth.