The traditional household goods move model is an important part of any relocation. However, shipment trends show that since 2011, average weight has decreased by 17%, which calls for an alternative to the larger loads and the associated costs. Servicing smaller shipments, especially during peak season months, can be challenging for service providers and transferees. Several of NEI valued household goods service partners provide “Small Shipment Containerized” programs as a viable solution to address this need.
Transferees with household goods weighing less than 4,500 pounds can take advantage of this program, which offers a reliable alternative to standard household goods carrier services. The Small Shipment Program gives the transferee the amenities of a high-quality traditional household goods move experience while improving transit time, minimizing claims, and controlling client costs.
In this program, small shipments are packed and loaded directly into containers at the transferee’s residence by the same professional crew used in a traditional corporate move. After packing and loading the container, it is brought back to the local warehouse and shipped to the destination warehouse to await final delivery.
In a traditional household goods move, carriers often have multiple shipments in one large tractor, which sometimes makes scheduling delivery dates challenging. Small shipments are a lower priority, and many become stranded at the origination warehouse until a moving van with space, heading to the destination location, can load the shipment. During peak season, a small shipment may be stranded at the origination location for weeks.
However, with the Small Shipment Program, the transferee controls the loading and delivery dates. The shipment remains in containers throughout the move, includes any “Storage in Transit” (SIT) time, and is delivered to the new residence in the same container. Additionally, because the transferee has exclusive use of the container, there is no additional handling of the goods, which could result in a lower frequency of claims.
There can also be a reduction in relocation expenses, such as hotel and meal costs, associated with transferees waiting for delivery of household goods. Depending on the geographic area, NEI client companies using the Small Shipment Program have experienced an average savings of $375 per day, or a weekly savings of $2,625.
Small Shipment Program Benefits and Advantages
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Household Goods Crew
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Same professionally trained household goods crews used in a traditional move
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Load And Delivery
Dates
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Transferee determines firm load and delivery dates
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Schedule Flexibility
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No capacity issues
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Containers Exclusive to
Transferee
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No mixing of household goods items with other moves
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Lower Storage Cost
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Significant savings for employee and client
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Reduced Claims
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Our partners on containerized shipments indicate the claim average is less than 5%
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Cost Savings
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Expedited transit times means shorter waits for transferees, resulting in client cost savings for expenses incurred by transferee from delays
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Peak Season
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Transferee moves are easily handled during peak season
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Insurance Coverage
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Included to provide protection of transferee’s goods
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The development of creative solutions between NEI, our Clients, and Household Goods partners, such as the Small Shipment Program, are key elements to meet the needs of global mobility programs more efficiently from start to finish.
Your NEI representative can explore these options in detail at your convenience.