International relocations can be very stressful. Hermes is the solution to making your moving day easy and hassle-free. Leave your anxiety and concerns at home! We professionally handle every aspect of the shipping process from the moment your goods are packed to the time they arrive at your door.
Whether you are moving to an exotic, new location or back to your homeland, Hermes is here to help you through the entire moving process.
Hermes can handle Full Container Loads (FCL) as well as Less Container Load Shipments (LCL) originating from anywhere in the U.S. to Greece as well as roll-on roll-off service for automobiles and boats. In a rush? No problem. Hermes can airfreight your shipment at the most competitive prices.
International moves are subject to more regulations than local or interstate moves and therefore require more planning. We advise that you arrange the details of your international relocation in person or via telephone.
For any questions you may have regarding the preparation of your move, please call us at any time. Our goal is to always provide customers with personalized service on the all-important moving day. The points listed below are to help you get a better understanding of the shipping services and costs offered by Hermes. These services may or may not affect your specific rate, but we advise all potential customers to read them.
1. LCL means “less than container load.” It is where your freight will be loaded into a groupage container (sharing a container with other people’s freight) and shipped out of a designated terminal.
2. Terminal means the containers station. They are shipping terminals only, this is where freight is shipped out, and where freight is deconsolidated (unloaded) and/or released. These terminals are distinctly different from origin warehouse storage facilities or packaging stores.
3. Our origin warehouses can offer the shipper a wide variety of origin services such as pickup, loose packing with pickup, palletization and liftvanning/crating (more on these terms below).
4. Palletization/liftvanning/crating are packing methods used to protect your goods from being damaged, destroyed, lost or stolen. We highly recommend these services for your freight depending on what you are shipping:
1.Pallets are recommended when you are shipping boxes of personal effects only.
2.We recommend lift vans/crating when you are shipping household goods such as furniture and mattresses.
5. Another packaging solution is the “super box” which can hold up to approximately 45/cu ft./450lbs. These boxes are great for all types of personal effects such as computers, CD’s, clothes, linens, dishes, pots and pans, etc.
6. The last packaging solution is the use of trunks and footlockers. These are excellent for shipping personal effects and you will reduce your final cost since they don’t have to be palletized or crated.
7. Line hauling: This is also known as “Straight Pickup.” Line hauling involves transporting your freight by van or truck and can be from an origin warehouse or from your personal residence.
1. Origin warehouse: Pick up from an origin warehouse usually involves lift vans and large distances from the origin warehouses to the terminal. For example, moving lift vans across the country from the East coast to the West coast and then shipping the freight to Greece.
2. Local/interstate pickup: This usually involves pickup from a residence by means of lift vans.
8. When your freight is received at the terminal it is carefully inspected, weighed and measured for an accurate cu ft./lbs. total. Having more or less than the original quote isn’t a problem as your rate will be prorated accordingly to the actual volume/weight.
9. Gross vs. Net: There is a slight expansion factor with these services usually 5% to 10% w/palletization and 10% to 20% with lift vanning/crating. This expansion factor is known as the gross. The volume/weight of your loose packed goods is known as the net. Customers are charged and billed based on the gross. For example, with 100cu ft. of personal effects the gross after palletization will be 110cu ft. And with 100cu ft. of household goods in a lift van you will be looking at a gross of 120cu ft.
10. Our comprehensive Full Destination Service includes the following: All terminal handling charges, custom clearance [excluding duties and taxes, if any], inland trucking to your door, and at your door the unloading, unpacking of your goods as well as the discarding of all debris.
11. Duties: There are generally no duties on used personal effects that are older than 1 year. Greeks returning to Greece who also meet the requirements for tax relief, will have to contact the Greek Embassy or you local Consulate to get the “Certificate of Repatriation.” For more information about the current regulations in Greece, please click here or contact our company via our Toll Free #:877-889-7011 or via email at info@hermesintlmovers.com
12. Paperwork: We will need a detailed packing inventory list of everything you are planning to ship overseas. This list will be used for Customs, insurance purposes and for Hermes records.
13. Payment: All LCL shipments can either be prepaid or may require a $500.00 deposit, which will be credited towards the final balance owed. Balance must be paid before freight leaves port, there are no exceptions.
14. Insurance: With full origin service rendered, the insurance premium will be 3.00% of the value insured, that’s $30.00 for every $1000.00 of coverage. We use Ramon Insurance, a major insurance brokerage firm that specializes in marine cargo insurance. This type of insurance provides full coverage for your freight from origin to destination point. This type of policy is known as an “All Risks Policy.” The bottom line with this type of policy is that if something should happen to your freight, your claim will be processed and paid in full for the purchased amount within a reasonable period of time.
We also offer insurance with no origin services rendered to the shipper’s freight. The insurance premium will be 2% of the value insured, that’s $20.00 for every $1000.00 of coverage. The insurance broker is the same, but the name of the policy is known as Named Perils/FPA. The only way your claim will be paid will be is if something major happens to the container or its contents (washed out to sea, fire, theft, destroyed at terminal). It will be processed and paid within a reasonable period of time. The minimum insurance premium amount is $ 40.00