LCL shipping, importing eng or tran to USA?

[Danglerb]

I am looking at some Euro parts for my 83 928, engine parts and 5 spd, and I have found out just enough about LCL ocean shipping to make me think it might work, but it also looks like it could be full of hidden costs and risk. Anybody have experience importing auto parts to the USA via LCL?

LCL is Less than Container Loads, basically a container gets divided up into 20 or so pallets, each 1 cubic meter, with up to 1000 Kilos included in the base shipping cost of about $200 US port to port.

Thats the good part, potential low cost for a good volume and quite a bit of weight, plus I live half a hour from the port of Los Angeles. The down side is longer, and fuzzy on details.

Transit time can be just a couple weeks, actual time can be a couple months or more.

Shipping firms can decide that auto parts are DG dangerous goods, even if all fluids are removed and it isn't a reasonable assumption, and that can increase packing requirements and fees.

Brokerage and customs fees, almost unpredictable, and depend on who interprets the customs codes.

Private goods get a different treatment, and its not better or cheaper, than commercial shipments.

How to pack, which forms and how they should be filled out, plus all the above work against first time success.

[stomachmonkey]

PM Speedster94 (Harold) He is in Germany and occasionally ships 3.6's into the states.

He has been around here for a while and has a good reputation.

He may be able to give you some advice.