No matter what you're looking to purchase overseas and ship, one of the biggest cost components of your budget is going to be the freight. So whether your shipping a 50' boat, Hummer, or your classic motorbike, here are a few tips to avoid unexpected costs.
Dimensions are Crucial to an accurate shipping quote
Wrong dimensions are the single biggest cause of budget blowouts. What can seem like an insignificant variance, can have very large consequences in the shipping price. For example, one centimeter can be the difference between fitting in a container and not. Get the shipping dimensions right and you are well on your way to a perfect budget.
Keep MPI and Department of Agriculture happy, make sure it's clean
One thing we can't predict when we quote for your shipping, is how clean it will be. We get boats turn up at port with barnacles attached, cars with half the outback in the grill, and motorbikes that look more like dirt bikes. These cleaning costs can add hundreds or even thousands in severe cases.
If shipping a vehicle, or a boat on a trailer to Australia, get your Import Permit
Vehicles and trailers are considered contraband items to Australian Customs. So the importance of this permit can't be stressed enough. If it arrives in Australia without a permit, you can't remove your car or even your boat from the port. It then incurs storage each day it's a port, and this can be hundreds a day. The worst case is that you don't get your permit approved, and the options are to either export it back out of Australia(at your cost) or pay Customs for them to crush it for you...... Not a very nice option!
Summary
The above tips are the most common causes of budget blowouts. Once you get these right, you will be well on your way to happy shipping within budget.