Shipping a 911 to Europe?

[JuL 94]

Hey Guys,

Sorry if this topic already came up in the past (In which case if you wouldn't mind redirecting me to the appropriate post) but I am thinking about shipping my car from SoCal to France, haven't got any info at this point, any advice would be appreciated whereas it is about regulations or transporters if you have good recommendation.
I will drive the car directly to the port of Long Beach.

Thanks!! Have a great day everyone.
JuL

[Zeke]

You want it in a container or drive on? There are direct shippers to Bremerhaven and the rates are good. My 911 went to a port in Denmark using CFR Line in Paramount. My buyer regularly ships cars from CA to Europe. These go by container.

If you want it to go on the ro-ro ship from Long Beach, it may leave from the terminal where my wife works. She has nothing to do with the cars except the manifest. You go through a freight forwarding agent. Contact Wilhelmsen. You cannot drive the car inside the terminal gate and the longshore can't come outside. It has to cross onto the property on the back of a tow truck with clearance to do that work. Then the car is driven by a union longshore onto the ship and tied down. Of course, leave absolutely nothing in the car. It may sit in the warehouse for days unlocked. Lots of dock workers check out the cars. I have even done that, but I've never even touched one.

That's me, not them. Not many really nice cars go this way, BTW. But I did see a bunch of Bentleys leave on the ro-ro once for a club meeting in England. Must be a unique club.

(ro-ro stands for roll on-roll off.)

[Zeke]

I should have mentioned that if you use the container shipper like CFR, you can more or less safely store items in the car for shipping. Things like spare parts and supplies will be fine as well as taped up boxes of personal items.

I think I've heard that Japanese buyers of US cars fill them up with old Levis and other collectibles.

[Neilk]

Originally Posted by Zeke

You cannot drive the car inside the terminal gate and the longshore can't come outside. It has to cross onto the property on the back of a tow truck with clearance to do that work. Then the car is driven by a union longshore onto the ship and tied down.

You're kidding me? You need a tow truck driver to drive 10 ft? I can see that as being a check from uncontrolled in and out access, but that seems crazy. What do tow trucks charge? Gotta love longshoreman.

[911michael]

Here are a couple of posts which covers shipping and picking up in Europe ...

First of Two posts for shipping to Europe

That is from an awesome write-up of his trip.

[Zeke]

It's not the longshore union. You can thank the NSA and Homeland Security. The TT driver has to have a TWIC card. The longshore can't operate a vehicle outside the terminal gate.

There have been very few incidences where a TT picked a car up just outside the gate and drove it through just to unload it. But if he did, he would likely take it all the way into the warehouse. Sometimes they line the cars up outside by the fence. (Edit: Let me clarify that is outside the warehouse, but inside the fenced terminal area.) I saw a Ferrari outside in the rain with the window down. My wife wanted to roll up the window but it was power. Getting the keys was way too much trouble so she put some cardboard over the window she found in the dumpster. She's not supposed to touch anything. That's the union right there and they don't give a sch!t.

It's even worse if you want to pick up a shipped car in out port. You definitely have to hire a TT to come get it out of the terminal for you even if you stand outside the gate. I don't know what would happen if you had a TWIC card. You MIGHT be able to meet with the yard man and drive the car out. I just don't know for sure. I think that may have happened once or twice since the TWIC mandate.

Maybe I should look into a new career here. I could hang out and make 50 bucks a car.

No, it's really complicated now.

[Zeke]

Correction to my first post after reading the linked write up. My 911 went to Antwerp, Belgium just like the car in the write up for the same reason I suppose, the German bureaucracy. The buyer still had to deal with the TUV, but that's something else and might have nothing to do with France or driving your own car in Europe.

[JuL 94]

Thanks a lot guys!! This is awesome!

[GeorgeK]

Wallenius Willhelmsen is (one of) the largest car carrier over the atlantic. They deliver to many ports. Cost for my 911 ro-ro was 900$ in november 2012. You need a broker in both ports. They'll know everything and walk you through. Well worth the expense. Yes there are silly rules and laws, but if you are cool enough, it is not much of a chore.

[JuL 94]

Hey Guys, this is awesome, thanks SO much.

[willtel]

Don't use these guys.

[Zeke]

This isn't from Long Beach, but the same thing has happened more than once outside my wife's office.



People have been killed too.

[spuggy]

Originally Posted by GeorgeK

Wallenius Willhelmsen is (one of) the largest car carrier over the atlantic. They deliver to many ports. Cost for my 911 ro-ro was 900$ in november 2012. You need a broker in both ports. They'll know everything and walk you through. Well worth the expense. Yes there are silly rules and laws, but if you are cool enough, it is not much of a chore.

I shipped a car RORO with Wallenius. When collected from the docks, the air filter was sitting in the passenger seat (and the entire intake loosened on the AFM) and the 80's CD player (worth nothing) removed entirely. Least they didn't trash the wiring taking it out...

When I went back to the desk, I was told how to file a claim - and that 6 other cars on the same ship had had no radios when unloaded. That they knew of. So far.

Shipping in a (ideally shared) container seems to work well - but ships are at sea for a long time and access for idle hands apparently isn't an issue...

[Zeke]

And if your battery goes down on a ro-ro, they might bring the car up from below on a forklift. I've seen them try to do right, but it doesn't take much for them to get exasperated and fook up the whole job. Saw a small yacht on a trailer being shoved backwards up the ramp with a forklift. I couldn't see after it went into the opening and into the dark. I don't think I wanted to.

[GH85Carrera]

Back in 1962 when we moved from Hawaii we came back across the pond on a cruise ship, the Matsonia. My parents shipped their car back on the same ship. One of my dad's friends shipped home his new Cadillac. We have home movies of our Plymouth swing in the air. My dads friend got to watch his new caddy drop into the ocean.

My dad said the drive from the docks was terrifying. He had been driving in Hawaii and there were no roads with a speed limit of more than 40. He got on the LA freeway where several lanes of traffic were moving at 75 plus. He had just one gallon to get to the gas station.