Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum International shipping - something we take for granted.....

Frankly, it seems to be no big deal to have containers of pianos, or any other consumer product for that matter, shipped to and from far flung locations. We take the fact that they must move thousands of miles over land and sea for granted.....until something like this happens. From the latest Music Trades:

Do people ship a piano by boat these days? I think air freight is less than 2000 from Europe to the us.

So lets say it's only 500 to ship by boat, is it worth the 2 month wait, temperature and humidity changes on the piano?

Maybe when Tahoma ships 400 pianos to the USA they ship it by boat because then it adds up. They are insured. No big deal.

Moby Duck - This is a good book on international shipping and its risks and consequences.

Depending on what piano models were on the ship, $2000 could add 40% to the price of the piano. (Price list)

Yes sea containers go to the bottom every day. For example, just from today's news:



Our law firm advises on international trade issues, so we're constantly contacted by shippers or consignees who wanted to save a few dollars, skipped buying the cargo insurance, and now want to know who they can sue when their goods go to Davy Jones' Locker.

Larry.

If I suggested shipping 40-60 upright acoustic pianos air freight from China, Korea, Indonesia, or Japan to Long Beach they'd look at me like I had lost my mind.

Larry.

There are several high end piano manufacturers who use air freight. But depending on how a container is packed and when it is shipped, it could cost as little as $250.00 per piano to cross an ocean(This depends on what size piano you are shipping, of course... and what ocean). Temperature controlled container shipping is available.

Then there is land freight cost, unpacking costs, set up costs, etc., etc. - so nothing is actually cheap.

Wonder if these pianos will show up on the "Gray Whale" market?

Will Steinway now "CONSIDER" a discount or will they call these instruments "Steinwas's"

(Maybe I can get a DEAL!!!)


Charlie

"rookie in upstate NY, still looking for an "upright" *friend*"

Rich

$250?

Isn't that even a bit on the high side?

A container of 30 pianos costs $7,500 to ship???

Maybe your decimal point is off by a space.

Is there anyone to sue, or is it written into the contract that the shipper has no liability? (or is it some other legal situation).

If the insurance companies formula are correct and you do A LOT of shipping, then maybe it's tiny bit cheaper to lose a container every now and then instead of paying for insurance.

This explains the inspiration for La cathédrale engloutie.

Yes Marty!

It is common knowledge that Debussy had an international shipping business on the side.

As I explore options to import a piano to South America (specifically to Quito, Ecuador), I wonder how wise (or unwise) it would be to consider shipping in a container via sea freight.

I was not aware of the availability of temperature controlled containers, which perhaps adresses one of my concerns regarding exposure to abrupt changes in temperature. Having said that, I would still be quite worried about the effects of relative humidity, which I assume would be quite high right above the ocean. Are these temperature controlled containers also good at controlling humidity?

For that matter, how about when shipping by air freight? Are airplane cargo areas maintained at reasonable temperatures and humidity levels?

Miguel,

For a single piano, there are other options than container shipping by sea. That would be a cargo vessel rather than a container vessel.

When shipping by air-freight, the cargo hold is kept at reasonable temperature. Consider that live animals are transported by air. For the few hours that a plane would be in flight, the RH level is of little importance.

I remember now; Aristotle Debussy. Didn't he marry someone famous?

Miguel,

When you're deciding on the piano, this is a serious discussion that you will want to have with the seller, who presumably will have experience shipping their most expensive grand pianos to South America. If you get the sense that they don't have previous experience, you will want to investigate freight forwarders until you find one who does.

Based on Rich's earlier comment, I did a quick ocean manifest search and confirmed what he had said. Without getting into names, there are tier 1 piano manufacturers who ship their instruments by ocean freight and ones who appear not to do so (I don't have access to air cargo manifests). My guess is that, regardless of whether air or ocean is chosen, picking the right carrier, packaging, container, routing, surface transportation at each end, etc. is key. You will not want to be relying upon transportation providers who have never had to deal with a $100,000+ piano before.

Oh, and don't skip on the cargo insurance.

Larry.

SteinWaters

Did someone mention beer?

How 'bout Essogs?

Miguel, if time is no limit, you should rely on an internationally experienced piano!!! transportation company which has experiences with the US customs and also with the Ecuadorian customs.

First I would ask the technicians of the biggest Ecuadorian concert hall: which is your piano freight forwarding company?

The other chance is to rely on international "project freight forwarders" like I know in Europe HansaMeyer Freight Forwarders in Vienna. They will transport (ORGANIZE the transport..) for nearly every good from nearly any point of the globe to another point.

If you want to transport the chinese tripod from top of Mt Everest to the South Pole - ask HansaMeyer or their colleagues of a Transportation Organizing Expert Company. They know the most experienced local transportation companies allover the world and will put them together so that it will function for your purpose.

For some money, of course.