Have you ever needed to ship a single piece of furniture overseas but worried about the cost of booking an entire shipping container? Groupage allows you to share container space with other customers and only pay for space your item needs, saving you the costs.
Read below about our customer, Ms. Rainbird, a 43-year-old public relations specialist living in Cape Town who made use of our groupage shipping option:
Family Heirloom Needs a New Home
For 10 years Rainbird has kept a large mahogany chest that has been passed down through her family for three generations. With limited space in her Cape Town apartment, keeping the chest is no longer practical. She decides to send it to her brother in Australia, where it can remain within the family.
Rainbird searches for the cost of shipping a single item to Australia, and she finds Magna Thomson’s international groupage service and requests a free quote.
Knowing how valuable the chest is to her family, Rainbird immediately asks Zoe, our Magna Thomson sales executive, about insurance during their initial phone call.
Zoe explains the next steps and arranges a free survey to assess the chest and determine the most suitable shipping option.
Step 1: Assess the Item and Calculate Its Volume
During the survey, Zoe measures the chest, records its dimensions on her tablet and uses the measurements and estimated weight to calculate the approximate volume the item will occupy during shipping.
This information helps Magna Thomson assess the space required in the shipping container, identify any special handling needs and prepare a suitable quote.
For customers shipping a single item, this assessment is important. The size, weight and shape of an item can influence packing requirements, container space and transport costs.
Step 2: Understand How Groupage Shipping Works
Once the assessment is complete, Zoe explains how international groupage works.
Each shipment is individually identified, carefully packed and secured to help protect it during transit.
A quote will be based on the chest’s measurements, estimated volume, handling requirements, intended destination and insurance based on the volume of the item. Zoe also explains the expected shipping timeframe to Australia, helping Rainbird understand the costs and delivery expectations before deciding.
Delivery times can also depend on shipment consolidation, departure schedules, customs clearance and destination arrangements.
Step 3: Arrange Collection
The team arrives at Rainbird’s flat, carefully handles the chest and secures it on the truck. Protective blankets are used during loading and transportation to help minimise the risk of scratches and other damage.
Step 4: Additional Protection
Rainbird requested a crating option to protect the chest with maximum protection during handling, loading and international transit.
Step 5: Prepare the Shipment for International Transport
Once the chest has prepared, it can be coordinated with other compatible shipments travelling to Australia.
This allows us to continue to be environmentally conscious by using a shipping container’s available space to transport multiple shipments with a similar destination.
Is Groupage the Right Option for Your International Move?
If you need to ship furniture, personal belongings or household items overseas, groupage is worth considering. You only pay for the space you need, making international shipping more accessible.
Magna Thomson is here to make shipping easier. Request a free quote or contact us to find out whether groupage is the right solution for your international shipment.