Artwork shipping obstacles to avoid

If you are preparing to ship your artwork across the sea, you might come across many obstacles. International shipping is a complicated process no matter what items you are transporting. However, when you have to deal with precious and sensitive cargo like the artwork is, you will have to be extra careful if you want to ensure the safe arrival of your items. To help you with your task, Transparent International NYC has prepared a list of artwork shipping obstacles and advice on how to avoid them.

There are many artwork shipping obstacles that you need to watch out for

International shipping is a complicated business. No matter whether you are transporting items as a part of a move or you are in an import/export business, overseas shipping requires lots of planning, knowledge, and professional help. Especially when you are shipping valuable and sensitive objects. Naturally, artwork can come in many different shapes and sizes. Therefore the obstacles are numerous and depend on the item. Of course, you will also need to find professional help as well. And there aren’t many companies that are specialized in shipping artwork.

So you might need to hire international furniture movers or some similar service that could handle your type of items. Also, you will have to think about the means of transportation. Not every object is suitable for air shipping. Maybe you will need to use a warehouse. And you will need to know how to handle the paperwork.

Find a reliable logistics company that will know how to overcome all artwork shipping obstacles

Of course, your first assignment is to find a reliable logistics company that can handle artwork distribution. Unfortunately, you will find that finding such a company is not going to be easy. There aren’t too many shipping companies that are specialized in shipping these types of items. Mostly because there are so many different types of artwork that it is hard to specialize for it. So depending on the size, weight, and shape of your object, you might have to look for international car transportation or something more suitable. Of course, it is important to find a reliable shipping company with proper experience. So be careful when you choose.

You will have to choose the type of transportation

Another thing that you will have to think about when choosing import-export solutions is the type of transportation you want to use. Of course, depending on your current country and your destination you could have several options. You could ship your artwork by air, sea, rail, or road. Every type of transportation has its pros and cons. So you will have to think well before you decide. Here are some basic things to consider.

Shipping art by air

Airfreight is the fastest but most expensive way to ship your items. Unfortunately, it is not suitable for heavier items like sculptures and similar. If you are short on time, this is the best way to get your items across the sea.

Shipping art by the sea

Sea freight is the slowest but also the cheapest way to transport your items. It is suitable for any-size load. Still, it is very slow and the delivery time can significantly vary depending on the route your company is using. If you are not in a rush and you do not mind waiting for the delivery for a few weeks this is the best way to ship your items and save some money.

Shipping art by rail

Rail freight is also a good way to ship items internationally. Still, it is heavily dependent on the railroad network.

Shipping art by road

If your destination can be reached by ground you could ship your artwork pieces by truck. In some situations, this may be the simplest and cheapest option.

Paperwork is one of the major artwork shipping obstacles

The next thing that you should think about when shipping valuable art is paperwork. Some countries have special laws that regulate international art shipping. That is why you need to inform yourself about this as much as you can before you continue. Of course, handling paperwork is one of the most boring and most complicated tasks that you will need to do.

That is why many people decide to hire a freight forwarder to help them out. They are mostly informed about international shipping regulations and they can easily find reliable information. Therefore if you want to skip paperwork find and hire an experienced freight forwarder. If you are doing this for a business, it is good to develop a relationship with your freighter. You might find it useful in the following years.

Decide how to pack your items

Now that you have handled means of transportation and complicated paperwork, you need to focus on packing your items. As you probably know, keeping sensitive items safe during transport is not an easy task. Particularly when you are transporting sensitive and valuable art pieces. That is why the best thing to do is to hire a professional packing service that will do this for you. They usually know how to pack every type of item and they have access to the best packing materials.

On the other hand, you could skip paying for professionals and handle the packing on your own. In that case, you need to figure out how to pack a specific piece and what packing materials to use. Another important thing that you need to do is to label your package. Put visible stickers that will inform anyone who carries it that it is a fragile and valuable object that needs to be handled with care.

Conclusion

Those are the biggest artwork shipping obstacles. Hopefully, this article revealed some things and you will know how to handle your shipping when the time comes.