Container/Household goods shipping from STX to Florida

I would contact Marisia at Paradise Freight or one of the moving companies like Bob Lynch.

They can answer all your questions.

do a search, i believe Alana did that not long ago. there might be info here already 

I used Viking.

They came to my house in STT, packed what I wanted, 
delivered and unpacked everything and put things
 where I wanted when they unpacked that I'd shipped at my house in FL. 
They dealt with all the customs clearance, etc., and shipped when I was ready.
I actually had them come 2X to my STT home as I needed to clear some stuff out 
so I could decide on the rest and get house ready to rent. 
It was not inexpensive 
but they did a great job 
and it certainly made things easier 

Don't know why it posted the way it did.

I believe the majority of shipping/ cargo companies offer similar services.

Good luck.

Thanks for the responses.  I've talked to Bob Lynch and they are putting together a quote for me.  I've emailed with Blue Ocean and Crowley but no real response from them on the actual logistics and pricing.

Posted by: TommySTX

Thanks for the responses.  I've talked to Bob Lynch and they are putting together a quote for me.  I've emailed with Blue Ocean and Crowley but no real response from them on the actual logistics and pricing.

Try Fleming's Transport. 

Posted by: Alana33

I used Viking.

They came to my house in STT, packed what I wanted, 
delivered and unpacked everything and put things
 where I wanted when they unpacked that I'd shipped at my house in FL. 
They dealt with all the customs clearance, etc., and shipped when I was ready.
I actually had them come 2X to my STT home as I needed to clear some stuff out 
so I could decide on the rest and get house ready to rent. 
It was not inexpensive 
but they did a great job 
and it certainly made things easier 

Thanks, we are just getting started on the whole shipping thing for a move in September. I'm leaning towards buying or renting a 20' container or else being able to have it on site for a couple of days at least. Blue Ocean quoted me a time on site of two hours, and said the container would be on the truck, 4-5 feet off the ground. Extra time would be $75 an hour. That's pretty restrictive. I guess I will be doing a lot of calling around. 

If you purchase a 20' container to move to STX - you will be able to sell it on the island for $1,000+ more than what you purchased it for in the states (though I'm in FL so there are lots of containers available so prices are reasonable).  

Have you tried AirBnB or VRBO?  Some of the short-term rentals there would be open to long-term renting if the price is right.

Posted by: Gator's Mom

If you purchase a 20' container to move to STX - you will be able to sell it on the island for $1,000+ more than what you purchased it for in the states (though I'm in FL so there are lots of containers available so prices are reasonable).  

Thanks! I will look into that. I'm sure there are plenty of containers in NY. 

Reviving this post, hope no one minds.... Does anyone know about how much a 20' "high cube" (9 1/2 feet tall) container would sell for on STX?  I'm sending out requests for quotes to purchase it in NY.  We have friends who will buy it back from us in STX. We're ok with selling it for what we paid for it, but don't want to overpay on the NY side. 

Thanks! 

Some containers can be shipped only one time.  These are less expensive to purchase on the mainland and are the one's you see sitting around the island. 

Others of higher quality can be shipped multiple times. We paid $1700 for one of these 20' containers in FL. We anticipate selling it for about double that on STX.

So in reading this tread, it sounds like I can buy my own container, have it shipped to the island and then keep it for my own storage?  Is that correct?

Yes you can buy, ship and then use a container for storage. You'll either need to own your own property or have permission from your landlord (or a friend/associate) to place it on a property. The VI doesn't have a lot of restrictions in residential communities  - there are some areas that may but most are pretty accommodating. Condos are a different story.

On STT, the issue may be finding a property flat enough to accommodate a container. 

Posted by: Gator's Mom

Some containers can be shipped only one time.  These are less expensive to purchase on the mainland and are the one's you see sitting around the island. 

Others of higher quality can be shipped multiple times. We paid $1700 for one of these 20' containers in FL. We anticipate selling it for about double that on STX.

Yes this is the kind of thing I am seeing on eBay, used containers areound $1700. Apparently the container needs to have a "survey" in order to be able to be ocean shipped at all. I'm a bit nervous about who to buy from. 

I'm also unsure if we will be able to have one left on the ground in NY for us to load over a period of days or weeks. How would the freight forwarder pick it up without a crane?  

Posted by: Fishbait

Posted by: Gator's Mom

Some containers can be shipped only one time.  These are less expensive to purchase on the mainland and are the one's you see sitting around the island. 

Others of higher quality can be shipped multiple times. We paid $1700 for one of these 20' containers in FL. We anticipate selling it for about double that on STX.

Yes this is the kind of thing I am seeing on eBay, used containers areound $1700. Apparently the container needs to have a "survey" in order to be able to be ocean shipped at all. I'm a bit nervous about who to buy from. 

I'm also unsure if we will be able to have one left on the ground in NY for us to load over a period of days or weeks. How would the freight forwarder pick it up without a crane?  

I suggest you purchase your container from a company that sells and surveys containers. That company will provide the necessary paperwork proving seaworthiness for your shipping company. We moved the stuff we shipped to a storage facility and then loaded our container there.

And, yes, we hired a crane to load the container onto a flatbed truck we hired to deliver the container to Miami for shipping by Crowley.  We worked directly with Crowley - we expedited all the steps ourselves.  All in, we paid @$7,000 and we'll get part of that back when we finally sell our container. 

1. Purchased container

2. had container delivered to loading site

3. moved our personal belongings to loading site

4. completed inventory of all items to be shipped along with receipts for new large-ticket items (for customs). We counted boxes and simply labeled each box (think 3 boxes used kitchen items) for the inventory 

5. arranged with Crowley for space on a boat. Corresponded with Crowley representatives by email.

6. loaded belongings into the container ourselves

7. hired crane to lift container onto flatbed

8. hired flatbed truck to deliver to Crowley dock

9. shipped to STX 

10. arranged to have container delivered to our property on STX

Posted by: Gator's Mom

Posted by: Fishbait

Posted by: Gator's Mom

Some containers can be shipped only one time.  These are less expensive to purchase on the mainland and are the one's you see sitting around the island. 

Others of higher quality can be shipped multiple times. We paid $1700 for one of these 20' containers in FL. We anticipate selling it for about double that on STX.

Yes this is the kind of thing I am seeing on eBay, used containers areound $1700. Apparently the container needs to have a "survey" in order to be able to be ocean shipped at all. I'm a bit nervous about who to buy from. 

I'm also unsure if we will be able to have one left on the ground in NY for us to load over a period of days or weeks. How would the freight forwarder pick it up without a crane?  

I suggest you purchase your container from a company that sells and surveys containers. That company will provide the necessary paperwork proving seaworthiness for your shipping company. We moved the stuff we shipped to a storage facility and then loaded our container there.

And, yes, we hired a crane to load the container onto a flatbed truck we hired to deliver the container to Miami for shipping by Crowley.  We worked directly with Crowley - we expedited all the steps ourselves.  All in, we paid @$7,000 and we'll get part of that back when we finally sell our container. 

1. Purchased container

2. had container delivered to loading site

3. moved our personal belongings to loading site

4. completed inventory of all items to be shipped along with receipts for new large-ticket items (for customs). We counted boxes and simply labeled each box (think 3 boxes used kitchen items) for the inventory 

5. arranged with Crowley for space on a boat. Corresponded with Crowley representatives by email.

6. loaded belongings into the container ourselves

7. hired crane to lift container onto flatbed

8. hired flatbed truck to deliver to Crowley dock

9. shipped to STX 

10. arranged to have container delivered to our property on STX

Thank you! This is really helpful. Crowley is on our list of people to call for quotes. We have friends who will gladly take our container for what we pay for it in NY. 

Hello and thanks for sharing!  My wife and I are just now attempting to move our household items from the Teton Mountains of Idaho/Wyoming to St Croix and transportation is proving to be quite a challenge.  After settling on many of the same steps you've listed, I am curious, did you pack in large cardboard containers like those sold at UPS etc.. or instead utilize plastic totes and also, once the 20' container is unloaded on the island, who did you contract with to deliver it to your homesite?

Many thanks!

Posted by: Darkmuse

Hello and thanks for sharing!  My wife and I are just now attempting to move our household items from the Teton Mountains of Idaho/Wyoming to St Croix and transportation is proving to be quite a challenge.  After settling on many of the same steps you've listed, I am curious, did you pack in large cardboard containers like those sold at UPS etc.. or instead utilize plastic totes and also, once the 20' container is unloaded on the island, who did you contract with to deliver it to your homesite?

Many thanks!

We used the black plastic bins with yellow tops sold at Home Depot (also Costco) because they stack really well. we also had some items such as small appliances in the boxes they originally came in. As I recall, we used Ferrol Trucking from dock to our home. 

Ferrol Trucking 340-277-6158

Id try and stay away from using cardboard boxes. Spend a few extra bucks on stackable plastic bins as suggested above. Insects here love cardboard!

I purchased a used 20’ container to ship our belongings, then had it placed in the corner of the property here for use as a storage shed (painted it Tan Tan green).

Before packing it, I swept it out good and sprayed it with a good bug spray- 2x. The floors in shipping containers are treated from the factory, but since mine was 14 years old when I got it, I thought spraying it again was a good idea. I haven’t had any issues with insects since we got it here over two years ago.

Our container rode out Irma & Maria in St.Martin (mid-shipment transfer). We assumed all was lost after seeing photos of the port after the hurricanes tore through. However, when it finally arrived here (nearly 3 months later) everything inside was dry and intact. Pack it tight and tie down what you can, it definitely helped in our case.

Best of luck 🙂

To use a shipping container as a storage unit are there codes that need to be followed?

Codes? What are codes?  There code be restrictive covenants on the property for the subdivision. 

When you decide on a specific neighborhood, look around. Their not allowed everywhere, but they’re used on private property in most places. 

As ive said, I painted mine green and put it in an out of the way location on a one acre plot. Most people are reasonable with what they do with them, but unfortunately there are some eyesores out there too.

Posted by: Upholstery Girl

To use a shipping container as a storage unit are there codes that need to be followed?

Zoning. Yes, there are governmental requirements. Some neighborhoods have special rules, too.

http://calabashrealtors.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/VI-Zoning-Subdivision-Code.pdf