When deciding whether you need a 20' container or a 40' container to meet your shipping needs you simply need to evaluate the quantity and size of items you need shipped. For instance, a 20' container is generally used to ship a vehicle and some small household appliances and other goods or a two bedroom household without a vehicle. A 40' container can generally hold a vehicle and a two bedroom household or a house with three or more bedrooms. These are generalizations, but if you have a small amount of things to ship the smaller container will probably work for you. However, if you need to ship a lot of furniture and even your vehicle then you will definitely need the larger container.

When packing your items to be shipped you should keep in mind there are a list of items that should not be packed for the container. These items include alcohol, any jewelry, food items or fruit, plants or seeds, open bottles of liquids or anything flammable, spray cans, and any important papers or documents that include birth certificates, passports, banking records, or any other important personal document. Make sure all of these items are either not transported to your new location or else you carry them on your person.

Once you decide that it is time to ship your belongings you should contact the shipping company with your name and address in the United States as well as the address where you will be living overseas. You will also be asked to provide your social security number for verification purposes and will need to provide a date when the shipment should be delivered to your overseas address. Your belongings will not be approved for shipping until you have this information, so if you are in a hurry you should get this information immediately to your shipping carrier. Also, most shipping companies need at least a week to a week in a half advance notice before you ship your container. So, if you are working with a schedule keep this in mind.

When it comes to paying for your container shipping you will be required to pay a deposit and then pay the balance when your container is packed and ready to be shipped. Most shipping companies accept a wide variety of payment options from personal or cashier check to credit cards, so more than likely you will be able to pay for the shipping with what is most convenient for you.