Overseas Removals to the USA
TFM have been shipping complete homes or a small number of items from Essex, Kent and East London to the USA since 1988.
Why Choose TFM for Your Removal to the USA?
TFM are a member of the BAR and have been shipping overseas for over 35 years. We are proud of our reputation as an efficient, friendly and professional overseas removal company. We ALWAYS use our own staff to estimate, wrap, pack and load the container in which your goods are shipped. All of the staff who will come to your home will be full-time employees of TFM. Your shipping paperwork will be prepared by a member of staff who specialises in overseas removals and deals with shipping lines and agents throughout the world.
We do not choose our agents because they are the cheapest; we choose them because, like us, they will take care of your belongings and keep you informed of the timetable of your shipment. Because of our experience and knowledge with international removals to the USA we will try to warn you of the pitfalls BEFORE your goods are shipped, not afterwards.
Exclusive containers
When relocating to the USA, most people choose to use an exclusive 20 or 40 foot shipping container to move their entire home. Here at TFM, we will send our own staff to pack and wrap your belongings – we will never use subcontractors.
We will personally load your goods into an exclusive container, which will then be sealed, and you’ll receive a full numbered inventory. The container will then be loaded onto a ship, and we will give you a specific date of arrival. Our agent will manage the customs and immigration process and contact you with a date of delivery to your new home.
When you send your household goods to the USA, we can also send your car in the same container for you to collect from our agent at the port. Our team will secure your car for shipping, and we offer comprehensive insurance. Please phone our office on 0800 907 8484 to arrange a visit from an estimator who will be able to discuss your move and give you a detailed written quotation for door-to-door delivery.
We can also store your goods prior to shipping, if required. If you think you’ll need storage, storing your belongings in the UK will be cheaper than arranging storage in the USA.
How long does it take to ship a container from the UK to the USA?
The time it takes to ship a container from the UK to the USA will vary depending on market conditions and shipping line capacity. We estimate the following approximate times for our door-to-door service.
Please note that these timings are indications only. Unexpected factors beyond our control can delay shipments. Please get in touch for more details.
Groupage containers
TFM is experienced in international removals, and we regularly ship small amounts of cartons and furniture/large items to the USA in groupage consignments. We ship to New York and Miami on the East coast of America, or Los Angeles on the West coast. You will always receive a written quotation, based on a list supplied by you, or one of our team will provide an estimate after discussing your requirements.
We are always happy to wrap and pack any of your goods and offer fully comprehensive insurance to protect your valuables, alongside a full numbered inventory of the goods you’re shipping. An agent will get in touch with you when your items are ready to be delivered to your new home, office or workplace.
How groupage works
There are always containers ready and waiting to be shipped to the USA. Alongside TFM, other contractors will bring in shipments and the cargo goes directly into the container that it is going to be shipped to the USA in.
When the container is filled, it’ll be loaded and shipped to the USA, where it’ll then be unloaded and separated out to be delivered to its final destination. This container is then replaced by an empty one, which serves the same purpose for the next people moving to America, meaning we constantly have a USA container being loaded.
How long does groupage take?
Cargo volumes at a certain time of year will determine how long it takes to fill up the container. It will also be affected by how often a ship sails to the destination, the time the ship takes to reach the destination and then the time it takes to have the container released to our agent.
We always strive to give you our most accurate time estimation, but a lot of the process is out of our hands. You can rest assured we will update you as much as we can throughout the process.
Frequently asked questions
You can pack your own boxes, although we advise you do not, shipping requires a different level of packing and a professional touch really is required. Plus, if we pack for you all the items will then be insured, if you pack yourself, an insurance company will not recognise your packing as ‘professional packing’, and will deem contents of boxes uninsured.
Every single item of furniture is export wrapped, before it even leaves your home. If you are having a ‘part load’ service each and every item is put to a numbered inventory, which can be ticked off during unloading, and if you are having a ‘FCL’ service a full numbered inventory will still be taken, plus we will seal the back of the container with a customs seal.
Yes, we recommend everyone who ships takes us up on the offer of insurance throughout. The cost of this will be clearly detailed on you quotation.
Our offices are at Burnham on Crouch, Chelmsford and South Woodham Ferrers, and from these bases we move people from all over Essex, North Kent and East London to most destinations around the world. We specialise in Australia, the USA, New Zealand and Canada.
This is where you have sole use of a container, you will see the goods loaded to your container, and then you will see the same container unloaded at the other end.
This is where you will share a container with other clients being moved to the same worldwide destination. At the other end, our agent will break down all the loads and deliver them all separately.
We are moving high value items every day, all over the globe. All of our staff are trained in moving clocks, antiques, pianos, barometers and it is the norm for us. When the estimator visits he will note any items such as these that require special attention.
Why use our expert 
packing service?
TFM offers a complete wrapping and packing service undertaken by our full-time, fully-trained packing crew. Essential items are left until the morning of your move to avoid disruption to your daily routine. Cartons are always clearly marked with their contents and the destination room. All packing materials are included in the estimate and all your items will be fully insured.
