Q:Where is your loading facility located?
A: Our receiving facility for the Port of Long Beach is in Carson, California. A map and driving directions to our mainland and Honolulu locations
are available here.
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Q: How can I get my car to Hawaii?
A: Sorry, UTS does not
ship personal automobiles. The safest and most economical way to ship your car to Hawaii is through a drive-
on/drive-off service offered by Matson Navigation Company. Another alternative is
a drive-on/drive-off dedicated vessel, the MV Jean Anne, operated by Pasha Hawaii.
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Q: Help! How do I calculate the cubic feet of my cargo?
A: Relax...you can use our Web-based UTS-Cuber2007 tool or read the brief tutorial that follows.
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Calculating the cubic feet (often shortened to "cube" or "cf") of your cargo is easy (and fun!). Measure - in inches - the length (L),
width (W), and height (H) of each piece. Then use the formula below to calculate the total cube of all pieces with the same
dimensions. Finally, add up the cubic feet for all the pieces to calculate your shipments cube...
(Number of pieces) x L x W x H
1728
For example, if your shipment has 1 box measuring 12" x 12" x 12" and 2 crates @ 60" x 30" x 20":
1 x 12 x 12 x 12 = 1728 = 1.0 cubic foot
1728 1728
2 x 60 x 30 x 20 = 72,000 = 41.7 cubic feet
1728 1728
Next, add up the total cube of all the pieces:
Total cube for this hypothetical shipment = 1 cf + 41.7 cf = 42.7 cf = 43 cf
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Q: How does freight forwarding work?
A: There are many different kinds of freight forwarders out there, but in general, a
freight forwarder works to save its customers time and money by handling all the logistical
details of a shipment.
Imagine you are looking to ship your product to Hawaii. In order to handle all the
details that a freight forwarder deals with on a regular basis, you'll need a little
patience and a lot of time on your hands. First, you will need to find a company
who regularly ships to Hawaii. Then, you will need to find a trucking company to
get your freight to the shipping company's loading dock near one of the West
Coast shipping ports. Finally, you will need to find someone to deliver your
shipment in Hawaii. With everything set, you find yourself constantly on the
phone coordinating all the pieces of your shipment. Then there's the hassle of
arranging payment of 3 or more separate invoices for each leg of your shipments
journey. On top of all that, you'd also find that each of the different companies
you utilize will want their payment before they hand-off your freight to the next
company.
As a Hawaii/Guam freight forwarder, UTS does all the above work for you. Our
long-term business relationship with truckers, carriers, and warehouses allow us
to get the best rates and service for you and your customers. You tell us when
and where to pick-up the shipment and when and where to deliver it...we do the
rest!
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Q: What does your "basic" service provide?
A: Our basic commercial service is "door to door." This means that our truck
backs up to a loading dock to pick-up your shipment and the dock employees
load the properly packaged freight onto the trailer. Upon delivery, our driver
backs the trailer to a dock and the dock employees unload the shipment.
Residential "door to door" service can be thought of as "curb to curb." You meet
our truck with your shipment out by the curb (can a tractor with a 53' trailer get to
your residence?) and put the shipment onto the back of the trailer (will you need
a liftgate for heavy items?). Upon delivery, our driver will move your shipment to
the back of the truck for you to unload to the curb (will you need a liftgate for
heavy items?). Please note that our drivers are helpful people, but they are not
movers and are not paid to handle freight. If you will need help please be
prepared to have someone physically capable present or arrange with UTS to make your
pick-up or delivery with professional movers.
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Q: What are some service "options"?
A: Dock to Door: instead of "door to door" service, you may consider delivering
your shipment to our dock yourself. Delivery is made as described in "basic
service" above.
Dock to Dock: similar to "dock to door" above, except, instead of having your
freight delivered, you pick-up your freight willcall at our facilities in Hawaii or
Guam. Of course, you can mix and match the options described in this
F.A.Q. to your satisfaction.
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Q: What are your packaging requirements?
A: Because UTS is a bulk freight forwarder we require that all items shipped in our
less-than container load consolidation to be packaged in shipping grade
boxes, cartons, or crates. This requirement is for the protection of your
shipment as it will be loaded into an ocean container with all kinds of freight from
around the country.
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Q: What are your payment terms?
A: UTS requires all first time shipments to be prepaid before delivery is made. Subsequent
shipments can be paid on 14 or 21 day credit terms after approval of your company's credit application. Company
checks, cashier's checks, or money orders only. No personel checks or credit cards accepted for first time shipments.
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Q: How do I ship a full-container of Household Goods (HHG) to Hawaii?
A: At UTS we want you to get the best deal possible. We are unable to offer a price for full-container loads of HHG lower than
you can obtain for yourself through the steamship line, Matson. Check out
Matson's HHG information page for more information.
What we can tell you is that shipping a full-container of HHG to Hawaii can be expensive. Expect to pay, up front, at least $4000
or more for a 20 foot container and $6500 or more for a 40 foot container. It is entirely possible that the cost of shipping a full-container
of HHG to Hawaii will exceed the value of the HHG. Also, you will have to load the container yourself and, at that, without
a ramp - the container floor will be about four feet from ground level. Still, if you're a resourceful do-it-yourself type of person and the
cost of replacing your HHG in Hawaii is more than the price of shipping, then, by all means, go for it!
On the other hand, if you cannot afford a full-container, less-than-container load (LCL) shipping might be a good alternative. With
LCL shipping, you can choose to ship over only items that you deem essential. Now, the tricky part is, a freight consolidator, cannot
ship items that are not properly boxed or crated. Freight consolidators make money by combining all kinds of freight, from all over
the country, into one full-container load. Items that are not properly boxed or crated stand a good chance of incurring damage and will
not be accepted by any freight forwarder. In fact, if you have an expensive, irreplaceable, or fragile item, you will want to have it
professionally crated before you even consider shipping it LCL.
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Q: My back is sore after shipping! What can I do for some relief?
A: If you will be passing through the Las Vegas, Nevada area during your travels, UTS reccomends that you visit
our friends at Mooncrest Massage Therapy to soothe and relax those aching muscles.
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