Once the packaging is finished, all the packages numbered, the packing list signed by the customer, we load the packages in the container or truck and the customer checks all the numbers that pass in front of him and that he sees entering the container. At the end of loading, there must be the same number of packages on the packing list and on the check card.

Once finished, we close the container and put a lead, given by the shipping company. It is unique.

On arrival, first look and see if the lead was not cut and if the number matches that on the bill of lading established at the beginning (BL). This means that nothing has changed during transport. (If problem, especially do not open the container and have it noticed by the customs officers.)

All that remains is to do the reverse work and uncheck all the packages one by one coming out of the container.

The general rule in international moving (except if requested and specified in the quote), the packaging of the non-fragile is the responsibility of the customer.

This includes: linen, toys, books, cookware ... etc ... 

For all that is fragile, it is not recommended to make your cartons for several reasons:

    1) Any package packed by the customer is not insured in case of disaster

    2) You do your cartons but we take care of the furniture, very difficult to separate this work financially speaking ..

    3) Packaging is very expensive in Africa because it is imported or, for locally manufactured cartons, the raw material is imported. And conversely compared to Europe for example, the labor is not expensive.

So doing your cartons will not change the price.

On the other hand, we give all the packaging you want before the operation for your private belongings and the non-fragile, and to pack what you want anyway.

Contrairement à un devis maritime ou terrestre où seul le volume est important, en aérien il faut prendre en compte le volume et le poids.

Contrary to a maritime or terrestrial quote where only the volume is important, in aerial it is necessary to take into account the volume and the weight.

We first measure all the parcels to know the overall volume that will give us a taxable weight and then proceed to the weighing to know the actual weight.

Here is an example to clarify.

At the end of the packaging, we obtain an overall volume of 1m3. The taxable weight is 166kg (this is the rule).

Case 1: The actual weight is 80 kg. The airline will charge 166 kg (the taxable weight)

Case 2: The actual weight is 220 kg. The airline will charge 220 kg (actual weight)

In most cases, no.

But…. There may be additional charges unknown at the start which are for example:

     1) Difficult access on arrival and need a furniture lift, or a parking reservation

     2) A visit of the customs (the handling of your belongings will be invoiced to you by the company on the spot)

     3) Customs clearance impossible following an administrative problem (see next, to whom the fault is attributed, the customer or the mover)

     4) Split delivery

     5) Taxes applicable and payable directly to the customs of some countries of destination even in case of relocation and not determined at the outset.

For VAT, it depends on the status of the person moving.

An international move is on the name of one person. If the person is exempt from VAT, he must prove it. We then publish the invoice in advance in HT so that the employer of the customer makes the administrative circuit with the taxes and returns us the original invoice with the stamp of the taxes.

The settlement takes place on the day of the move in full. A credit can be requested according to the amount of the quote.

It is mandatory for many countries and anyway it is strongly recommended.

     1) It is mandatory to give an overall value to your move for customs

     2) If you make your move (again not mandatory but zero risk does not exist ...) you are obliged to detail a minimum your inventory in case of disaster, we will look at how much you evaluated the package in question for the refund.

We offer our customers a standard inventory but it is not mandatory. It is enough that the document that you make is detailed, encrypted, dated and signed.

The two most used ways to fill an inventory are:

     1) Do the estimation of belongings one by one, and add up to know the total amount

     2) Give yourself a global amount and dispatcher on the most sensitive items

On the day of the operation, at the end of the package, all packages will be numbered with self-adhesive labels from 1 to XXX. The team leader in collaboration with the customer, will note on the packing list all packages with their content and condition.

Looking at this list, it will be known for example that the package No. 25 is a box of books, packed by the customer. That the package n ° 125 is a table top, packed by the mover whose angle is damaged ... etc ... It is this list which will be requested in priority by the customs (in order to quickly check the contents of the move) then by the insurer in case of problems.

Providing all the documents requested by the mover will allow you to prove that the belongings carried are indeed personal belongings, that it is a move and therefore to not pay taxes on arrival. Otherwise you will be taxed as a commodity transport on the value (estimated by the customs of the country of destination).

Some countries still apply taxes even for personal belongings but far less than commodity taxes.

In international removals, customers are worried about packaging, transport, the destination partner ... and take the administrative steps in the background. Outside are the most important formalities and especially those which are up to you to do everything. For the necessary documents to destination, it depends on the country and so they will be indicated to you during the elaboration of the quote. But there are mandatory documents for all countries which are:

     1) Photocopy of your passport

     2) Certificate of Moving (ask your consulate or town hall) OR a letter from your employer stating your dates of start and end of contract in the country.

     3) Detailed inventory of belongings and their value.

For the terrestrial, it is logical for the bordering countries.

For the air is so small volume and speed.

For the maritime you have no choice for long distances and high volumes

It sometimes happens that the question arises, it is then necessary to choose by priority between speed, volume and price:

Example 1: Dakar-Niamey for 30m3 (A 20" container)

Maritime

        Advantages: maybe the price, responsibility of the shipping company between Dakar and Niamey terminal.

        Disadvantages: Very long.

Earthly

        Advantage: speed.

       Disadvantages: Very long truck trip through Africa, more risk and road damaged in places.

Example 2: Dakar - Paris for a small volume

Maritime

       Advantages: if in summer in groupage period, the price will be interesting, no problem for the weight, it has a margin of 1 or 2 m3.

       Disadvantages: The weather, and if it is out of groupage period you will be obliged to take a complete container (thus the price).

Air

     Advantages: Speed, anytime in the year and sometimes the only solution.

     Disadvantages: The price which reaches the cost of a complete container as soon as one exceeds 4 or 5m3, the weight, the size of certain parcels according to the type of plane.

We must ask ourselves the following question: I prefer to keep my belongings as long as possible in the housing where I currently live or I want them available as soon as I arrive at my destination?

Except for neighboring countries and international removals which can take several weeks or months and are mainly dependent on the transit time of shipping companies and therefore the vagaries of transport. At some point your belongings will be in transit for more or less time.

Once your choice is made, we will see the departure dates of the boats and stall together a packing date between 3 to 5 days before (the time to do the customs formalities).

As for an export, it starts with a visit of the sales representative who will evaluate the volume to be transported. On the other hand, we know the destination address and therefore the difficulties if there are (accesses, floors ...).

Administratively one calculates a quote by a fixed price to the m3. We give in advance a dozen of cartons for the very private belongings.

The day of the operation we arrive with all the necessary packaging material for a room: blankets, wardrobes, plastic boxes .... All packaging is recoverable to minimize costs. If no particular difficulties can be do 30m3 in a day (the average for an apartment of a family of 4). And internationally, it's door to door. We dismount and mount on the site, everything is protected for transport and we pack all the fragile (decor, dishes ...)

To put it simply, it breaks down into 3 parts:

1- The origin service part: This corresponds to the work done at the start. Visit, quote, packing, loading, customs operations.

2- The Freight part: Sea Freight, Air Freight or Land Transport.

3- The Service section at Destination: This corresponds to the customs clearance of the belongings, delivery to the home.

Carrying personal belongings is not trivial. For some customers it is a life that is entrusted to us for a transport of several thousand km sometimes on very damaged roads. The type of equipment and know-how of packers is essential. It's easy to call yourself a mover (we think of the big arm) but the quality of the materials used and the experience of the staff will make all the difference. It is important to be well informed on this point.

All our specific material is imported from France to international standards:

Wardrobes, Barrels with partitions for glasses, bullpack, bullkraft, mattress covers, 7-ply American blankets, molded aerial pallets, PVC scotch ....

Our cartons (standards and books) are manufactured locally in Dakar which avoids us to be broken because of a late container for example or to have too much stock that will spoil over time.

And unlike Europe, they are not made with recyclable which ensures you an optimum quality and resistance in time and humidity.

First of all by experience.

As we have been working in this business for many years (over 15 years), professional relationships have been established with partners in different countries around the globe. This allowed us to know the quality of the service to destination and to be sure of the professionalism of these companies and vice versa, it allows us to receive imports from these privileged partners.

Then by the international networks.

Many companies belong to networks of removals (IAM, FIDi for the most known) or seriousness and skills are an obligation. We also ask our privileged partners if they know competent companies in the country in question whether it is a neighboring country.

And finally the Embassies.

Being in a French speaking country, we ask the French Embassy in the country of arrival which removal companies are recommended by the Embassy or conversely are to be avoided.

Anyway, we prefer to refuse a move than to send it to a company of which we are not sure of the skills.

There are 2 solutions to transport a vehicle by sea:

1 - In roro: The vehicle is given as such to the company which will roll it in one of the hold of the ship and will secure it.

Advantage: The price

Disadvantages: We have no control over the handling of the car. It is necessary to remove all that is likely to be stolen: Antenna, embellish, spare wheel, post office ....

High risk of problem on the vehicle.

2 - In a container: The vehicle is put in a container and stowed by us by wedging on the ground and on the sides.

Advantages: Security. The container is sealed as for personal belongings. The vehicle enters the container in your presence and goes out to your destination as well.

Disadvantages: The price

Already, according to the airlines, there may be restrictions on the size of the packages. If cargo plane we can load crates of several m3 otherwise it's usually max 1m3.

Unlike the marine and truck, it is not the mover who loads on the plane.

It is therefore necessary to avoid at all costs a bulk move for air. Risk of breakage, of loss (according to the destinations there can be change of plane) ...

So you have 3 solutions:

Airline: the advantage is the security of the parcels. It's a box in which the effects are put. Disadvantage: volume and especially extra weight and not suitable for all aircraft.

Aerial pallet: packages are set on a pallet (molded and light, not wood) and filmed to make a volume to the maximum dimensions authorized by the airline. Depending on the overall volume of the move there may be several pallets. Packages are therefore secured. Handling by pallet truck.

Air Cartons: They are big boxes of about 1m3. Ideal for light things. If it's too heavy you have to opt for the pallet, more solid and easy to handle.

We must already know that the end of the month are highly requested dates (end of lease) and the months of June / July are the most dense months in terms of international moving.
It is therefore recommended to start to contact a mover at least 1 month before in order to receive a full quote (3 to 5 days on average depending on the destination), to be able to choose among the quotes received, to have possibility to choose the most suitable date and prepare all necessary documents.