Ocean Freight verses Air Freight

[The35Whelen]

I currently have a large crate scheduled to ship by ocean freight. The price difference for ocean or air was $2k, and Coppersmith recommended I do ocean because of the cost difference. Has anyone recently had ocean freight trophies delivered? Any issues or concerns that should push me to pay the extra for air freight?

Ocean Freight Cost: $2874.97
Crate Size: 64" x 50" x 48"
Crate Weight: 219kg
Chargeable Weight by Volume: 406kg

Animals mounted are a combination of wall pedestals (WP) and shoulder mounts (SM), with a few exceptions:
Waterbuck - WP
Kudu - SM
Nyala - WP
Zebra - Full Rug w/Felt
Bushbuck - SM
Sable - SM
Giraffe - Skull Mount & Full Rug w/Felt
Blue Wildebeest #1 - SM
Blue Wildebeest #2 - Skull Mount & soft tanned hide
Blesbuck - SM
Crocodile - SM & soft tan hide

 

[Ridge Runner]

I'll be following this as my taxidermist has just started on my animals. The outfitter recommended shipping by sea vs air based on the large size crate.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

I have always believed there are no real economic benefits to ocean freight. Every time your crate has to be handled or moved, somebody is getting paid to do it. If you hunted in RSA, your crate ends up in Joburg, which is nowhere near a seaport. So it get's truck to a port and accumulates more handling fees and paperwork. Then it goes into a container, with lots of other stuff, and shows up at a port in the US. More handling and fees. and then gets trucked to a final destination.

 

[Ridge Runner]

I have always believed there are no real economic benefits to ocean freight. Every time your crate has to be handled or moved, somebody is getting paid to do it. If you hunted in RSA, your crate ends up in Joburg, which is nowhere near a seaport. So it get's truck to a port and accumulates more handling fees and paperwork. Then it goes into a container, with lots of other stuff, and shows up at a port in the US. More handling and fees. and then gets trucked to a final destination.

In discussing my options with my outfitter + taxidermy shop, he is in the East Cape, RSA. He'll be filling a sea/land container with other oversize crates of clients taxidermy bound for the US and the sea container will be shipped from Port Elizabeth to the US.

As to when and what port the container will arrive at here in the US; That's the questions.

 

[everett]

Haven’t done ocean freight in about 5 years. Extra/unexpected port fees in US pretty much ate up all savings from air. So just be prepared for that possible frustration/cost.

 

[Philip Glass]

I quiz the brokers nearly annually about going ocean freight. It's been years since we've done it. With as many as 16 hunters trophies almost all going to Texas there has to be an advantage. We may try it next year and see. The danger is getting the container to port and being held up by unions etc and the delay causing huge fees that would have made it better to just go airfreight.
Following with interest....

 

[SCHUNTER73]

We are going through this now. 2 of the 3 importers I spoke with recommended air over sea. Also, we are close enough to Atlanta airport to pick it up and not have to rely on additional freight to my front door. Ocean would go to Houston, requiring another step/cost in the logistics. I have learned some valuable lessons after my first safari regarding these logistics.