What you need to know in shipping your vehicle for your adventure vacation
CARNET
As all people who travel aboard needs a passport and so to does a vehicle. These are called Carnets (Carnet de Passages en Douane) and every vehicle must have one if it is to be taken overseas. Carnet came from the French word meaning note book, contains vouchers. Customs Officer in the respective countries will take one voucher as we traveling through.
Carnet is essential for the temporary importation of vehicles into African, Asian, Middle East and South American countries and New Zealand. Carnets will be issued by AA (Automobile Association) of each respective countries or those affiliated countries. For example Thailand vehicles could obtain a Carnet from Malaysian AA as they don’t have these facilities but an understanding as agreed between Thailand and Malaysia. There will be varies charges and method from different countries in obtaining Carnets from AA office in their countries.
To obtain a Carnet you must pay a security deposit. The amount of security deposit required depends on the countries to be visited and the current market value and type of vehicle being used. Security deposit is expressed as a percentage of the current market value of the vehicle, which could vary from 50% to 470%. Further information could be obtained from your nearest respective AA offices.
Your security deposit will be released when the Carnet has been discharged by the overseas customs authorities and returned to the AA constituent member from where it was obtained. This is to just say that once the carnets are returned to the issuing office/AA then the security money or Bank Guarantee will be returned back to you.
A typical example of a security payment is listed below:
1) Undertake an indemnity executed by an approved financial institution, such as a bank, building society, credit union or insurance company. They could provide an official formatted letter which is basically like a bank guarantee letter.
2) A cash deposit in the form of a bank cheque/draft representing the security required.
3) Payment of a premium for a special indemnity insurance policy, available through the AA. These tend to be AA’s based in Europe and also Australia where they would except an insurance cover for the Carnets to be issued. Please check with your local AA office.
Carnet will be the most valuable documents for your vehicle in taking part on the expedition and proper planning and documentation will lead to time saving, cost and reduce problems at border crossings.
If your vehicle’s origin comes from a country that neighbours a country you are traveling through, for example:
• Malaysia, Thailand
• USA, Mexico and Canada
• European Union countries
Where they are connected by land then there is a system set up to allow you to drive your vehicles through those countries using “bona fide travellers”. This is provided you have a valid passport, international driving license, motor insurance in the countries that you wish to travel through, vehicle registration certificate or authorised letter to use this vehicle if you are not the owner.
SHIPPING
Shipping your vehicles across the continent from any point nowadays is basically, a very simple matter. However finding the right logistics company is a different story and could be a tricky task. Finding a good logistics company will dramatically help to make a much smoother process of shipping your dearest vehicle to the start of its expedition adventure. With our panels of logistics companies we would able to recommend and advice the shipping by monitoring the situation from the export till the vehicle arrives at destinations throughout the globe. We will always be at the arrival port to take care of your vehicle and deliver it to the hotel where you will start your expedition adventure with us.
The shipping process has a few steps that one needs to follow.
1) To place bookings for the required destination you need to find out:
a: Charges
b: Sailing schedule
c: Expected time of departure (ETD) from the origin port
d: Expected time to arrive to destination port (ETA).
2) To load (or stuff) the container with the vehicles, you need to enquire about lashing, chocking and packing, (chocking is a block or wedge placed under something else, such as a wheel, to keep it from moving). In general the respective logistics company will handle the loading and this will incur a cost.
3) Necessary documents that need to be submitted are:
a: Carnets
b: Passport Copy
c: Letter from Organiser
d: Vehicle Registration Certificate
e: Insurance
f: Pictures of the vehicles
g: Authorisation Letters for vehicles (if not self owned).
4) Collection of the original Bill of Lading from port of origin which clearly states that the vehicle in question is taking part in an expedition and will be returned upon the completion of the event.