OMG(oodness)!!! The Shipping Container Fiasco!

I wish SHIPPING CONTAINER LOADING DAY stress on NO ONE!!   It happened 3 days ago and this is the first I feel 'ok' enough to write about it!!  Physically, emotionally, or mentally!

Like I said previously, most everything was already out of the house and placed in the garage awaiting departure day.  I would say more than 92% of my belongings were already packed and ready to go.  All that was left to do on that final day was:  Empty out the refrigerator, pack up the kitchen remnants, break down my twin bed, bring out one coffee table and one chair, and have someone carry the 12 heavy boxes from the living room to the garage.  Easy enough?

Apparently not.

My dear friend Natalie arrived with her teen aged son Josh to help in that final breakdown of the kitchen.  They arrived at noon, and the truck was scheduled for 2pm, when the manly muscled men would be there to do the heavy lifting.  We were forewarned that the shipping container sat 4 feet off the ground on the flat bed truck, and did not come with ramps or a dolly.  Jim was bringing both of those. We had a crew of 10, so I felt confident that all would be well.

Sometimes that's what we get for thinking!

2 of the 10 got called away on business trips the day before. Ok, so we have 8.  Then my nephew-in-law had a work meeting that he had to deal with, and would be late if he could make it at all.  Now there is 7.  Still doable, right?     Deep breath....inhale......exhale.......

I had thought ahead and bought heavy plastic sheeting covers for the 2 couches and the 4 mattress parts.  I had a ton of blankets to use on the other furniture items.  I even bought the shrink wrap material to help wrap and protect random things. I had tagged each of the moving boxes with 4"x6" green paper that listed Box number and contents. I also bought the colored tape that designated Bedroom, Kitchen, Living Room, or Bathroom.  I felt good.  I felt ready.  Surely I would have time to put a smack of colored tape on each box as it was being loaded, right?

I am in the house when I hear the air brakes go off.  I look at the clock: 12:50pm and the truck is here!! I ran outside in a panic just as the driver was jumping down from his bird's eye seat.  "I was told you wouldn't be here until 2:00pm!!  We are not ready!!  All hands are not on deck!" He smiled and said, "Don't worry, little lady!  I just wanted to find my way here...and to see if you WERE ready, you could start loading now.  But instead, tell me where there is a good place to have lunch, and I will be back right at the scheduled time!" 

Big sigh of relief~!  I sent him down the road aways to a great little café.  But now the adrenalin was pumping.  I had about an hour to oversee the biggest decision of my natural life.  And suddenly, I felt woefully unprepared.

My sister arrived at 1:30pm.  15 minutes later Dale arrived, the lead guy, who had packed 14 shipping containers for his global moves in the Navy.  Now we were just waiting on Jim and Kathy.

I surveyed the scene:  The house was in a state of organized disarray:  moving boxes here, bubble wrap there, piles of dish paper, a donation station, a trash area, items set aside to go in the checked luggage and NOT on the lift, and things that were staying for the people who are going to be renting the house. I knew what everything meant, but no one else did. I can tell you now, this is where the breakdown occurred.  Not only in communication, but as in NERVOUS BREAKDOWN! hahaha

Truck arrives back at 1:55pm.  Jim and Kathy have called and are on their way, but are not there yet with the dolly and the ramps. Dale has been there for only 10 minutes and already seems very agitated. He is stressing about the height of the truck (understandably!) but since he had done this 14 times in the past, why is he surprised?

Jim and Kathy arrive.  Jim sets up the ramp, which is like walking up a staircase. but without the steps.  It was insanely steep.  DANGEROUSLY steep.  No way would I have even THOUGHT about walking up or down it, let alone actually attempting to do it! The truck driver suggests that he move the container up by 4 feet to give us a flat platform before stepping into the container.  This dropped the ramp angle a little, but it was still very steep and very dangerous.

I'm kinda freaking out inside, because I have a stove and a refrigerator that need to go on the lift.  And my wooden furniture is pretty heavy. How in the world will it be able to be pushed and or pulled up this death trap of a ramp? We only have 2 men!!  None of us women have the strength needed to accomplish this! Dale and Jim start the impossible with the kitchen appliances, and then will start loading the furniture. 

Because I am the only one that knows what is going on in my head, I keep jumping from zone to zone.  At each place, I see something that still needs to be done and jump right into it until I am asked a question and then go to another station and start doing something there, and on and on it goes.  I walk outside about 15 minutes after the load started, and I see my WHITE antique couch standing on one end in the container.  Not covered in the plastic wrap.  NOT on a blanket.  "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHHHHH!!  NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! Dale!!  What are you doing!?!!??!?"  "Well, we can get more room if I can stand it on its end".  "Granted, but where is the plastic wrap?  Why isn't it sitting on a blanket!?!?!?".  "Where was the plastic wrap?"  "It was on the couch in a clear bag...you guys had to move the bag to pick up the couch!"  Yes, I admit my tone of voice was not very kind or loving. :(

I found the wrap tossed on the floor of the garage.  Dale lowered the couch down onto the legs.  The left side of my WHITE couch is now black with dust and dirt.  I wanted to cry. "This is why I had the plastic cover for it!  And the blankets!! This is what I wanted to avoid!"  "Well, if you had only TOLD me, this wouldn't have happened!". 

Is common sense that rare?  Really?

I know, I know.  It's JUST a couch.  But c'mon people!  I can't run down to Wal-Mart in Israel and rent a Rug Doctor with the Upholstery cleaning attachment!  I'm not sure I will even be able to find a cleaner that will get that YUCK out of the WHITE fabric.  Ani atzuva!! (I am sad).  Get over it, Ali!!

Moving right along.  No pun intended.  The rest of the furniture items go in, with boxes all around, underneath, and the lighter ones on top.  The garage is clearing out, slowly but surely.  My bedding and linens were in clear plastic 45 gallon bags, and they made great "stuffers" for the irregular shaped open areas. I have great difficulty in getting up and down---artificial joints at a young age-----but I can do some physical work if I can stay either up OR down.  Dale and I worked as a team from inside the container.....I would call out what needed to be loaded, the crew would bring it, I would slide it down, and then Dale would position it. Sometimes my crew would just be standing around talking, which kind of annoyed me.  The clock was ticking, I only had 2 hours to get it loaded, it was hot, we were thirsty, and yes, we were tired.  But the work had to go on!! (I did have snacks and cold beverages for everyone, but I wasn't anticipating chat breaks).

The crew said that everything was out of the house.  I walked in the house and stumble over about a dozen boxes that are still sitting in the living room.  I bring them out, one by one, while everyone watches.  "Where were those?!?!" they ask.  "In the LIVING ROOM!"   Grrrrrr.

I make one last sweep of the house.  I am trying to look beyond what I am seeing.  You know, the clock on the wall that you mean to take, but it's part of the scenery, so you don't see the forest for the trees.  Or would that be trees for the forest? Things along those lines. I checked and checked, and triple checked.  Ok, I thought, whatever didn't make it inside the lift will have to be lived without or bought again over there.  (One 6' aluminum ladder, 2 mid sized plastic waste baskets, 2 terra cotta empty plant containers, one shelf to the oak entertainment unit, and 3 empty but re-usable long plastic file boxes with lids). 

I did have about 4 items set aside that I wanted to take, but was waiting to see if they would fit.  Even though everyone initially told me that I had more stuff than the container will hold, I managed to have a little extra room for those last few items.  I do have to thank Dale for his great use of space that allowed that to happen.  Even if the couch DID get dirty!  (Did I tell you it was white?!?!?  :)

My tips for your shipping container day:

What I have learned, is that however organized you think you are, there is more to do.  However much help you have to load your container, you will wish you had more. No matter how you try to prepare for this day, it has a mind of its own. 

Remember to NUMBER and LABEL all of your boxes. Your master shipping list requires all boxes to be numbered, such as # 23 of 108, with the contents listed.  Add up the number of boxes, bags, pieces of furniture, and any loose items going into the container for your TOTAL shipping count. Make 2 copies of this list, as you will need to give one to the driver and/or the shipping company, and keep one for yourself.  Note:  This is next to impossible to have done accurately before hand.  Just sayin'.

Start packing your items long before the lift arrives.  Start with your seasonal items and go from there, getting your house down to a bare bones, minimalistic existence.  Makes the final packing party a breeze.  (Ok, a Tropical Depression!)

Have a "team" meeting explaining your objectives, so everyone knows the method to your madness.  Not everyone is a Type A personality with Franklin Planners and check lists.

If at all possible, rent one of those motorized vehicles from Home Depot or Lowe's that has the basket lift on it----so you can load the basket part on the ground, and then raise it up to the level of the lift.  This alone would've enabled us to load the container within the 2 hour allotted time frame.

ALREADY have your couch and mattresses covered before the loading process starts.  :)

Keep your beverages and snacks outside for quick access.  Water is so important in the heat to prevent dehydration and cramping.

If using Banker's boxes for items, make sure they are taped shut.  My lids were not, and the lids and contents were flying off and out at every turn.  (They were fine while in the garage, or in the storage container, but while waiting their turn on the driveway, it was wind 87 and boxes 0.

Use the colored labels to make the Israeli delivery process go more smoothly.  Even if they movers don't speak/read English, they speak/read "color".  HOWEVER.  Don't do what I did and think you will have time during the loading process to do this.  You won't. Take the rolls of tape with you in your luggage OR put it in at the very end of the load so you can grab it first and quickly mark your rooms in Israel with the proper color of tape.

Take pictures and or videos of this momentous milestone.

Thank your friends and family profusely for their hard work.   

And for those of you helping load the container as a mitzvah, please remember:
Treat belongings with care.  Don't be banging up walls, doors, door frames or other furniture in the process of getting items out of the house.  Please be gentle.

Arrive earlier than you are supposed to.  The person making Aliyah is under stress and pressure that you cannot begin to imagine.  This is a BIG deal.  Do not take anything they say or do out of frustration personally.  Try to put yourself in their shoes. Pray for them.  It's not easy to be peaceful in the midst of mayhem. 

Levity helps.  Josh was our funny man.  He would get us to laugh when things got tense.

Take pictures or videos for your friend while you are taking a water break.  He/she will be thankful for it afterwards.  

Take turns taking breaks.  Not everyone all at the same time.  Keep things moving.

Final note:  It took 3 hours and 45 minutes to load the container, and I thought I was prepared. I was not.  The night before the lift came, I only had 3.5 hours of sleep due to sorting and packing.  Not a wise idea. By the time the lift left, I could hardly move.  It was a very intense event.  I took my Motrin 800, a hot bath, and slept like a rock. Wasn't too sore the next day, surprisingly, but the 3rd day it really kicked in!

Wow!  It's really happening!  I am making Aliyah!

8x8x20 container from Oakland to Ashdod:  $3650.  Extra charge for exceeding the 2 hour loading limit: $110.  Watching the container drive off into the sunset:  PRICELESS!!

THIS year, in Jerusalem!!  YAY!!

The Shipping Container. AKA: "Lift".

Still no resolution as of yet to the strike by the Foreign Ministry = no Aliyah travel visas.  A lot of prospective Olim are in the same situation: stuck in between their "old" life in the USA/Canada/UK and their scheduled life in Israel.  Many had sold or rented out their homes and now must wait indefinitely to travel.  Some had jobs/housing/ulpan already arranged.  Some have their shipping containers arriving in Haifa or Ashdod.....but they are not even in the country to receive them. 

I have decided to take a leap of faith and send my belongings anyway.  The trip takes 6-7 weeks from my side of the world.  I am hoping that the strike will have ended by the time my shipment arrives and that I will be there to greet it. 

I have found that shipping prices are, well, pricey, and that the quotes are all over the spectrum!    A friend of mine had sent a 20 foot container (also known as a "lift") to Mainland China when she was working there for 2 years.  She told me that the quote was around $3500.  Her husband negotiated it down to $2500. 

I called said company.  My quote was $3650.  I guess my negotiating skills are abysmal, because it never moved south of the original quote. A few years in Israel and I'm sure I will have that skill honed to perfection!

So the shipping agent and I were discussing drop off dates for the container.  I told him I would call him the next day with my credit card info. 

"Um......we don't take credit cards".

"WHAT!??!?!?!?!?  How in the world is one supposed to finance this?  It's a huge expense, and you DON'T take credit cards!!??!?! (I said kindly, but in exasperation!)

"We take cashier's checks. Or postal money orders.  Or you could borrow the money from a family member or a friend!"

Silence on my end.

"Are you there?"

"Yes.  I guess there's no sense then in asking you my next question!"

"Go ahead".

"I was going to ask you if you took those convenience checks from the credit card company so that I could get 0% interest on the transaction for 12 months and......."

"OH!!  But we DO accept those checks!!!"

(What?!?!?)

I know as a business owner that accepting credit cards costs you money.  BUT when your volume of business doubles or triples with that feature, it's well worth it.  Maybe there is a method to their madness----as their quote was 50% less than the other shippers who took the cards.  At least they will take my credit card check, and I hope to whittle down the $3650 expenditure at 0% in the coming year.  My goal is to have it paid off before the interest kicks in.

So!  The container arrives on Wednesday.  It's a "live" load, which means it must be packed in 2 hours.  It's an 8x8x20.  I will have everything out of the house and "staged" in the garage in that basic configuration so that we can just load it as quickly as possible.  I am going from about 1800 square feet here to 500 sq. feet in Israel!!  AGH!!  Everyday I find more to donate or give to family. 

Oh and the inevitable question:  Why take anything? Why not just buy it new/used there?
I like older wood furniture.  I have spent years buying pieces that I love from various sources, usually 2nd hand.  It's quality furniture, albeit mismatched.  I don't want to hassle with finding something I like in the Galilee and having to figure out (and pay!) for the expense of getting it to where I will be living.  If I'm going to pay through the nose to start my life in Israel, I would rather do it all at one time than by piece meal.  AND I think I will find comfort in being surrounded by what I love and by what is familiar to me.  It's not just furniture, it's memories. I can "see" my kids at the dining room table....the guests on the couch laughing and sharing good times. I know that those memories will comfort me when I am having a tough day as an Israeli.

I don't have a ton of furniture, just the basics for a party of one.  But as a wanna be artist, I have many supplies that need to come with me.  It's been sorted and reduced a few times over.  Here's hoping that I got it right.  More about the adventure next week!

Ali