As Gold Medallion members of the World Cargo Alliance, MoveIt relies on its agent partners in other countries to advise them on pertinent regulations, as they ship to more than 206 different countries.

"Tariffs, duties, certificates, and other import and export procedures change regularly. On the U.S. side, our customs brokerage partners keep us abreast of requirements," Partridge says. "The best advice I have for an international shipper is to find someone knowledgeable that you trust and stick with them. International shipping is a good case-in-point where mistakes can cost a lot of money. If you have a good relationship with your forwarder, they will have your best interest at heart, instead of trying to make money on a one-time transaction."


When it comes to crating, most agree the biggest challenge is getting the customer to provide exact details and dimensions of the items needing to be crated. Another issue is the different methods and durability of the crating.

"Product being moved by air needs a far better crate as it is handled multiple times, by the trucking company and by the airlines and the airlines are much harder on the equipment than anyone else," Fowler says. "When it is going by sea, it is handled one time after the crating-into the container-and there it sits until it arrives at the destination port."

With sea freight, especially important for delicate medical equipment, there is an option of a vapor barrier to protect the unit from the elements, spray, sea air and even leaks onboard the ship.

"It is a sad state of affairs when a $150,000 MRI arrives at a destination ruined because someone covered it with shrink wrap and put it in a crate they made themselves with treated lumber from Lowe's or Home Depot," Fowler says.

Avoid fly- or drive-by-night companies
Users of medical equipment transportation services should be aware that there is no shortage of truckers to move freight between points, but experts warn that many of these have been, or will be in business for relatively short-term periods of time.

"They attempt to capture available shipments with whatever technique seems to work for them at the time-over-commitment on transit time, cargo protection, illogical pricing," says Jack Kendrick, director of medical transport for Specialty Moving System/Atlas Van lines. "Based on the needs and objectives of the customer, such sources are typically successful only on a random basis. But for ongoing and consistent damage-free, on-time, local or cross-country transportation with inside delivery and placement, the number of available providers narrows dramatically."

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