Saturday, 11 February 2017

How Do I Send Air Freight?


If you haven’t sent air freight before it can seem like it could be a daunting task. Here at Transglobal Express we have done as much as we can to make the process as easy as possible. Here we will run through the process from obtaining a quote, choosing the correct service, up to completing the order and obtaining the required paperwork.

Our air freight services operate from airport to airport. You can either choose to drop off the goods at one of our drop off depots yourself, or you can arrange to have them picked up and delivered to the correct depot at an additional cost.


Getting a Quote

Once you have clicked the “Quote Now” button on our air freight page, you will be taken to our air freight quotation form. If you know the destination airport code, you can enter this in to the first box (Look Up Airport Code) and details in the next two boxes will fill in automatically. If you don’t know the airport code, then you can use the drop down boxes provided.

Next, you need to select if the items are personal effects or not followed by the number of packages you are sending. After completing the weight and dimensions for the packages you simply click “Compare Prices”.


Choosing the Right Service for You

Once you have your list of quotes for your available services, there are a couple of decisions you need to make before choosing which one is best for you. If there is a door-to-door service available for your packages, you will see an option at the top of the list where you can switch to get an international courier quote that may be more convenient for you.

On the remaining list of air freight services, you will see that there are two different types of services available – Consolidated (Consol) and Back to Back (B2B). Let’s have a quick look at the difference between these two types:

  • ·         Consolidated

This is a service that consists of pre-booked space bought by an agent from an airline in advance. Because this space has been bought in advance, the airline will offer the space at a reduced cost. The UK agent will issue a “Master Air Waybill” which will cover all the individual shipments in the consolidation. Each individual shipment will have its own “House Air Waybill” (HAWB).

As these services are pre-booked, the day of departure may be a few days away therefore the transit times for your packages will probably be increased.

  • ·         Back to Back

This is a service that consists of an individual booking made directly with the Airline and is not consolidated with other shipments. It will be allocated its own straightforward “Air Waybill”. As these are booked direct with the Airline, departures are available daily so will, in most cases, arrive quicker than a consolidated service.

Please be aware that our quoted rates will exclude any customs clearance charges which are normally handled by the recipient, unless otherwise specified. Visit our Customs & Security Information page for more details.

Once you have selected the service that best suits you, you can proceed to click on the corresponding “Book” button to start the booking process.


Placing Your Booking

Next step is to fill in the required information for your booking. The first step of this process is to fill in your details and address (Shipper Address) and the details and address of the receiver (Consignee Address). You have the option of saving these details for any future orders if you so wish.

The next step is to give a summary of the consignment, value of goods, reason for shipment and an EORI and VAT number if applicable.

You then need to complete the descriptions of the contents of the consignment along with their value and their commodity codes using our Commodity Code Finder tool. This will help ensure your consignment clears customs as quickly as possible.

It is also important at this stage to check our Dangerousand Prohibited Goods Information to ensure you can send all the items you want and not incur a fine of £100.

The next page is a review of your air freight order. Please make sure that all the details here are correct. At this stage, you can also choose to have your consignment collected from your address at an additional cost, or choose to drop off your goods at an available depot.

Choose your payment type and click “Place Order”.


What Happens Next?

Once payment has been made, you will see an order summary along with your order reference number. You will receive a confirmation email and an additional email containing the labels and paperwork required to accompany your shipment. Please ensure the labels are securely attached, if the labels come off we have no way of tracking your goods.

Once your goods arrive at the destination airport it is the responsibility of the receiver to ensure the shipment is cleared along with any relevant charges are paid.



If you have any questions regarding booking air freight, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Wednesday, 8 February 2017

How Easy is it to Send a Parcel to Australia?


Australia is one of the most popular countries for UK residents to emigrate to resulting in many of us having friends and family living there. With modern technologies, it’s easier and much cheaper to keep in touch with them, however, receiving a physical item from distant loved ones can sometimes be that little more special. But how easy is it sending parcels to Australia on the other side of the globe?

Sending parcels to Sydney


The answer is in fact quite easy. There are however a few things to be aware of and take into consideration before choosing the best courier service for you. Here at Transglobal Express we are major account holders with the main carriers such as DHL, UPS and TNT where we have been able to negotiate reduced rates on their services, saving you up to 70% of the cost.


What are you sending?


The first thing to consider is what is it that you wish to send. We have a good range of services available for sending parcels to Australia and these come with varied weight and size limits. You will need to have your items packaged up ready to send so you can obtain the correct weight and dimensions required.

There are also certain items that are classed as Dangerous, Hazardous and Prohibited items. You can find a list and more information about those here.

Customs regulations apply for territories outside of the EU. It is always recommended these are checked before sending anything along with any carrier information for Australia regarding any additional fees and customs clearing processes.



How long will it take to get there?


Another thing to consider before choosing your service is the transit time of the delivery. Using an International Courier can mean your parcel will arrive in Australia in a matter of days rather than weeks. Delivery can be as quick as 3 days, and most parcels are delivered within a week depending on the service chosen.

We deliver across Australia including all the major cities so if you wanted to send a parcel to Sydney, book a courier to Melbourne or Perth then we can easily help.

We also provide services that deliver to more remote areas of the county although these will require additional transit times. You can use one of our carrier-specific transit time calculators to get a more accurate estimate using two postcodes.


Sending from Australia to the UK?


Organising a delivery to be sent from Australia to the UK is just as simple to arrange.  Just pick Australia as your “Sending from” address when requesting a quote and we will sort the rest and provide any documentation you may need. Be sure to check UK customs information before booking your service.



If you need any more information, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our Customer Services team.

Monday, 16 January 2017

What Can You Send and Not Send Via Courier?

When sending items abroad, there are certain things that can’t be sent through a regular parcel service. Before booking a parcel delivery, we always recommend checking the policy of your chosen carrier as well as the customs information for the destination country as further restrictions may apply.

Dangerous and Hazardous Items


Below you will find a list of Dangerous and Hazardous items that should not be shipped under any circumstances. If any of these items are found within a consignment, the items will be destroyed and a fine of £100 will be issued.

Adhesives
Aerosols
Airbags for Cars
Ammunition & Guns
Batteries
Camping Stoves
Christmas Crackers
Cleaners & Solvents
Compressed Air & Gas Cylinders
Diesel, Fuel & Gasoline
Dry Ice
Fire Extinguishers
Fireworks
Hair Curlers
Helium
Infectuous Substances
Insecticides
Life Jackets
Liquid Bleach & Chlorine
Magnets
Nail Varnish
Paint & Turpentine
Pepper Spray
Perfume & Aftershave
Radioactive Material
Safety Matches
Seat Belts
Thermometer




Prohibited Items


The items listed below are prohibited items that are not accepted by any of our carriers.

Animals & Animal Products
Body Parts
Bullion
Dish Washers
Replica Firearms / Guns
Fridges & Freezers
Illegal Drugs
Knives
Lab & Medical Samples
Mattresses
Money
Loose Furniture
Ovens
Personal Data
Perishable Foodstuffs
Pornography
Precious Metals
Printer Ink
Stamps
Televisions
Tobacco
Tumble Dryers
Washing Machines


Restricted Items


Certain items have restrictions applied which can depend on carrier service and country of delivery. It is advised that you contact us to discuss the shipment on 0345 145 1212. These items include:

Alcohol & Champagne
Credit or Debit Cards
Jewellery & Watches
Mobile Phones / Devices
Passport

·


No Compensation Items


Some items that get shipped are not restricted, however, we are not able to offer standard liability or insurance cover for any damage that may occur. Cover against loss is offered on certain items. Details can be found below.


Data (Example - Memory Stick)
Loss Not Covered
Glass
Loss Covered
LCD Screens & Computer Monitors
Loss Covered
Liquids
Loss Covered
Non-Flat Pack Furniture
Loss Covered
Pottery & Ceramics
Loss Covered
Vouchers & Tickets
Loss Not Covered
Jewellery & Watches
Carrier Restrictions Vary - More Info here
Works of Art
Loss Covered
·    

Responsibility


It is the responsibility of the sender to ensure the contents of the consignment are acceptable items and meet the restrictions imposed. Without opening, the sender is the only person who knows what is inside the shipment and therefore holds sole responsibility for the items within it.

Hazard Labels


It is worth noting that if you are going to be using second-hand packaging, make sure you don’t use packaging that has hazard labels on it unless applicable to the new contents. This is to prevent your consignment from being stopped and held even if the old labels have been covered up. Some examples of typical hazard labels can be found below:




If you are unsure about the items you wish to deliver, you can contact us via telephone on 0345 145 1212, send us an email to sales@transglobalexpress.co.uk or via our online chat service here.




Friday, 13 January 2017

A Closer Look At Our New USPS Service

   


We recently launched our economical USPS service for customers who would like to ship to the US at a greatly discounted price. This newly provided service by us has many advantages and here is a brief run down of how the service can help.

In general, the service is designed for smaller, lightweight parcels bound for the USA. The parcels are consolidated at our UK warehouse and then flown to the US. The final part of their journey will be carried out by USPS. The main advantage of this is we are able to provide much lower rates than other door to door services.

This service is an ideal choice for non urgent bulk orders, especially if the total value of the goods is no greater than $800, as this is the amount that can be imported to the USA tax and duty free.


  • The service is fully trackable
  • Fantastic rates for light parcels up to 5kg
  • Collection service available or drop off at our warehouse
  • Single collection cost (more than one shipment per box) for up to 30kg

Services

There are two USPS services available - Smartmail Expedited and Smartmail Plus Ground. See below for a comparison of the services:


  • Documents           This service is for very light items or documents, weighing up     7 - 10 days
  • Parcels                  to 0.45kg only.


  • Documents           This service allows parcels weighing up to 5kg.                            8 - 11 days
  • Parcels


Bulk Orders

Our USPS service is especially useful for bulk orders. You can include multiple shipments in the same boxat no additional collection cost provided the total weight is under 30kg.


Tracking

You can track your USPS delivery by entering you TP reference number into our online tracking tool.


Service Restrictions

This service is restricted to Mainland USA only. Excluded is Alaska, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the US Virgin Islands. Items sent to these destinations are subject to a surcharge of £30 per item. For these services we recommend you use one of our other services through UPS or DHL.

This service is also restricted to goods valued at a maximum of $800 as this is the value of goods permitted to be imported to the USA tax and duty free.


Size and Weight Restrictions

Sometimes the restrictions can vary depending on the destination of the shipment. As a general guide the following information is provided:

USPS Smartmail Expedited - Up to 0.45kg

USPS Smartmail Plus Ground - Up to 5kg

Max length - 68cm

Max height/width - 43cm

Max length plus girth - 127cm (Sum of two smallest dimensions x 2) + longest dimension.


Prohibited Items

A list of hazardous, prohibited and owner's risk items can be found here.


Visit our website now to get a quote for your USPS shipment.






Saturday, 24 December 2016

How Much Do You Know About Christmas Traditions From Around the World?


Our last quiz of the year is to test your knowledge of Christmas traditions from different countries around the world.

Whether it is a fine roasted turkey you will be eating this Christmas or picking skewered prawns off the barbecue on the beach, most countries have their own special traditions. Try our quiz to see how much you know.

Click on the picture to begin.


Christmas Traditions Around the World Quiz

Thursday, 22 December 2016

General Christmas Trivia Quiz - How Much Do You Know?


It's quiz time again and today we thought you could test your general knowledge on all things festive.

There are some Christmas traditions that seem to have been around forever. But where did some of those things come from and who's idea was it? Give this tough little Christmas quiz and test your knowledge.

Don't forget to post your score on our Facebook page.


Click on the image below to begin.

Christmas Trivia Quiz

Wednesday, 21 December 2016

Whats in Store for Santa This Christmas Eve?

With Christmas Eve fast approaching, Santa must be nearly all loaded up and ready to go. He will have his sleigh ready and his route planned. But just how big a task does he actually have?





There are approximately 1.8 billion children aged under 15 in the world, of which around 630 million are of a religion that celebrates Christmas.





Globally, the average number of children per family is 2.33. This equates to over 270 million homes that Santa has to visit.




Using the UK average of children receiving 16 gifts each, Santa's sleigh would have to carry 10.08 billion parcels.




If we work on the fact that every gift was the size of a small parcel, which according to Royal Mail is 45cm x 35cm x 16cm, they would fill 7.7 million average 20ft shipping containers, enough to fill 400 of the world's largest container ship MSC Oscar.




In terms of weight, if we again use Royal Mail's average weight of a small parcel - 2kg, the total payload of Santa's sleigh at the start of his journey would be 20.16 million tonnes.




Once Santa has loaded his cargo and we work on the fact he has around 31 hours to deliver it all due to time zones and the rotation of the earth, this would mean he would have to visit 2,420 homes per second to be finished on time.






If we assumed that homes were evenly distributed across the land surface area of the globe (which we know is not the case but use it for this calculation), each home would be 0.46 miles apart.



This would mean that, not including times for drop offs, mince pie eating, brandy swigging etc. Santa's reindeer's would have to be travelling at 1,113 miles per second - 5,200 times the speed of sound, to get the job done.


No Problem!


If you want to help Santa out and get your parcels delivered for him, visit our website and get a quote now to send to your chosen destination.

Tuesday, 20 December 2016

Test Your Knowledge of Christmas Music and Artists


Last week we posted our Christmas Movie Quiz so this week we thought you could test your knowledge on Christmas songs and their artists.

Whether it is a bit of the old nostalgic numbers that is music to your ears, or the more modern jingles that make you want to sing out loud, we are sure there is something for everyone to get their brains ticking.

Click the image to play the quiz.

Christmas Music Trivia Quiz




Monday, 19 December 2016

Sending Skis or Snowboards Abroad - A Quick Guide


For those of you who are keen skiers or snowboarders, you’re probably already planning that blissful trip in search of the white stuff. But with low-cost airlines trying to keep their ticket fares down, the cost of taking extra luggage on board seems to be rising sharply.



Here at Transglobal Express we offer luggage shipping services, allowing you to send your skis or snowboard ahead so they will be ready and waiting for you at your destination airport.

Before your equipment makes its own flight, however, it will need to be prepared and packed properly to ensure a safe trip. The following materials are essential:
  • ·         A roll of strong packing tape
  • ·         Cardboard boxes that make the correct size to cover equipment
  • ·         Padding material

Ideally you should have boxes of a suitable size to fit the equipment, ones that are not too small to fit padding material inside to protect the items, and not so big that items move around a lot inside, causing damage. Whichever courier you pick, you will also need to check their size limits before you book.

It is recommended that you package your skis in pairs to increase the level of stability. It is also wise to use additional padding material such as edge protectors made from polystyrene or foam, as well as other packing material to ensure the equipment is not loose in the box.



Once everything is secure, ensure the parcel is well taped up and that the box will not open easily whilst in transit. Finally, attach the correct labels to the box where they can be seen clearly.

If you are ready to arrange a delivery, use our easy quotation form now and compare prices for the range of services we have on offer.


New to Transglobal? Take a look at our feedback page and read about some of our other customers’ experiences.

Thursday, 15 December 2016

Come and Try Our Christmas Movie Quiz


One of the best things about Christmas is the Christmas movies. With many classics out there we all have our favourites. But how well do you know them?

Why not try our Christmas movie quiz and see how many you know from a single frame from the movie?

Once you have completed the quiz, why not post your score on our Facebook page?

Click on the image below to begin.


Christmas movie quiz