Editha

It's looking like we'll need a 40 ft container. I'll get all the quotes in the end, but in the meantime, does anyone have an idea how much difference the size of the container makes, or how much I should be paying Alberta to UK?

not2old

http://www.intraglobe.ca/en/internat...n-alberta.html

http://www.europack.ca/en/worldwide-...in-canada.html

http://www.eurotransportintl.com/fre...n-alberta.html

Editha

Yes thanks. All these companies provide useless (for me) web forms to fill in, which don't allow for 5,000 books, or they ask me to estimate volume myself, which is beyond my competence.
I'm fed up with filling them in. It is a waste of time and I'm not going to do any more.
Allied came on Friday to do their own survey. Starline are coming on Tuesday, and another company told me they'd have someone ring me, but I've not heard anything since. If I haven't heard anything by Tuesday, I'll try ringing one of the companies on your list.

lgabriel73

Have you tried Mayflower? Not sure if they do Canada but they are international movers. They come out and do a free estimate, i have them coming at the weekend.

Editha

No, but their webpage does suggest they do Canada.

I still have plenty of time to organize this, and I have enough names of firms now, though I get the impression that a number of them just use local firms as agents, and so the choice is less than it appears.

I'm just a little freaked by the realisation that we need a 40', and that it is probably going to cost an arm and a leg.

ritarro

Less than 10K if you pack it yourself, it is a lot of work though. With upakweship they give you two hours to get done after that they start charging around 100 per hr. 40ft will need about four strong lads to help you and you would have to have everything prepared to go in boxes that have labels listing contents, chances are they(the labels) will never get looked at but best to be prepared just in case.

Editha

I'm still waiting to hear from upakweship.

not2old

my this is all quite frustrating for you. Trust it all works out. In the meantime I found more for your consideration

http://www.matco.ca/

http://www.cargomastersinternational...seas-shipping/

http://www.williamsmoving.com/international-moves/

Editha

That's great! Thanks.

ritarro

Just call them, the bloke I dealt with was a Brit if memory servs.

Editha

The quote from Allied has come in as $21,705.95, and that does not appear to include sales tax. In addition they suggest an insurance of over $5,000.

That is simply more than we can afford. In fact, it is more than the budget I'd set aside for moving. So, upakweship is my last hope. Spoke to their rep on the phone this pm, since I hadn't had a reply to my last email. He is doing me a quote.

ritarro

Loading a 40ft container is a load of work and that is if you have everything ready. The container when dropped has a five foot drop to the floor, you cannot just walk in, evrything has to be passed up. So two guys who are good at packing inside container and I would recommend four guys doing the carrying and lifting/passing, you have two hours, after that they charge about 100 per hr. Same applies when unloading, this is the reason they are cheaper. Good luck.

Editha

We sat down and discussed it last night, and realised that the two companies who have told us we need a 40' container are talking bollocks. We had a 20' container when we came out here in '06, and more importantly, we used a 17' truck to move when we downsized in August. So it is a 20' container maximum.

I think the problem is the books. 5,000 books sounds like a lot, and obviously it is difficult for the removal men to visualize what space they take up. I thought that a visual inspection would help, but apparently not.

I've got a 20' container quote from Starline. It is more than I hoped to pay, but their rep is visiting today. We may well end up going with them.

We are going to check out Upakweship. I'm going to ask them for a quote for a 20'.

And I would still like a third quote for a 20' container, since the other 2 quotes I've got are for 40'. I'll have a think about it today.

not2old

5000 books OMG. I did some calculations for you

On the basis each book is 8"x6"x1.5" average then 5000 books is approx 208 cu'ft

A 20 foot container is 750 cu ft

Simple calculation for you to measure the how many cu-ft 5000 is, by measuring the size of your average book in inches LxWxH divide by 1728 then times 5000 books which will give you the approx cu-ft

Good luck again

Editha

Ah, but what is an average book?

Taking one at random from my shelf -- it is 1" x 5.5" x 8.25". That's Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar -- a fairly lengthy literary novel. I think the majority of our books will be smaller than that, although some are much larger.

So I think you have overestimated.

Fact is, that we used a 17' truck to move all our stuff in August. That didn't include the books Ian has in his office, but did include some items, a large sofa and a kitchen trolley, that we are not taking with us this time.

So, I'm confident that a 20' container is going to be fine.