More and more the international labour market is getting smaller and people are considering living and working abroad as a viable short term or long term option. We are finding that people often don’t find it economical to send their furniture and only want to send a smaller amount of goods that will fit into boxes. If you can rationalise your goods in this way you can access big savings on freight but a few tips will help you get the price right down.
- Keep the weight down to 22 kg per standard carton.
I know this sounds like a made up number but it is actually both the Air freight and courier weight allowed for a standard shipping (tea chest size) carton and will mean that your options are wide open for the cheapest options in all directions. This is for overseas services as well. Often we receive containers from England packed with cartons for delivery throughout Australia where they have been sold no weight restrictions. This not only means the goods are often in poor condition due to the boxes splitting with the weight, it also means that the best value couriers are not an option for quick delivery. Most courier companies, removal companies and airlines have workplace health and safety guidelines for lifting. If you have books you should pack them in smaller “book cartons”.
- Use good quality shipping boxes.
At Ocean Sky we use the best quality double fluted specially engineered cartons that are both light weight and strong. This means that we have not had an insurance claim due to the box crushing for more years than we can remember. This also means that anything that will fit in a carton will be safe in transit. This also means that when you access the cheaper avenues of freight transport you can feel secure that you goods are protected. We all know that especially Air freight baggage handlers may not always be as careful as a removalist, but we have found with our cartons air freight gets their not only quickly but safely.
- Try to avoid shipping anything large or odd shaped.
At Ocean Sky we are very flexible and can secure and ship things of great value and of the strangest form, but when you are looking for the “cheap seats” in shipping conforming to a box is the way to access all the cheapest local and international courier lanes. No one likes to be ‘put in a box’ but for people as for freight it is just convenient. But by all means if your goods will not conform, talk to our consultants we can get anything anywhere.
- Ship with a personal effects specialist
When you can access a personal contact to help with your tracking not just a computer program you will be at less risk of losing track of your goods and having them go into storage. Being in freight we can assure you that these tracking systems can sometimes be out and there is no substitute for a human to trouble shoot a problem. We use dozens of different courier, removal, shipping line, airline and general transport carriers and can look across solutions to get you not only great rates but know where exactly where everything is at any one time.
With these tips in mind you are on your way to getting your goods anywhere in the world, safely, quickly and with money spare to enjoy your new adventure.



They are saggy, broken open and tearing. There is no way the contents of these cartons would have arrived safety in the United Kingdom!
This is what Ocean Sky cartons look like when they arrive in our depot. They’re still strong, sturdy and ready for international travel.
When you’re importing any vehicle or trailer into Australia, it’s important that you’re aware in advance of the documents that are required to have the vehicle cleared by the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (‘Customs’) and the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS).