A timeline of the shipment of personal effects from Perth, Western Australia to London via shared sea freight container. The removal was arranged by a large global removal company.| 4 June R - 5 days | "We wish to confirm that the transit time for your shipment will be 8-12 weeks door to door" |
| 9 June R Day | Items packed into boxes and collected (in removal terms, "uplifted"), the boxes placed directly into a shared container on a truck |
| 10 July R + 4 weeks | Container ship carrying our effects left the port of Fremantle |
| 17 July R + 5 weeks | Received email to confirm items have been loaded and dispatched on Ship X, which is scheduled to arrive in Felixstowe on 13 Aug. Given login details to tracking site. |
| 13 Aug R + 9 weeks | (Information from tracking site) Scheduled arrival date at Felixstowe. |
| 20 Aug R + 10 weeks | (Information from tracking site) Actual arrival date, Felixstowe. |
| 1 Sep R + 12 weeks | Emailed asking for update |
| 2 Sep R + 12 weeks | Received email requesting completion of delivery instruction form. Returned form the following day. |
| 12 Sep R + 14 weeks | Emailed asking for update |
| 13 Sep R + 14 weeks | Received email to say shipment has left customs and been received by their operations department. |
| 23 Sep R + 15 weeks | Emailed asking for update |
| 23 Sep R + 15 weeks | Received email saying my delivery instruction form was sent to their operations team on 16 Sep, and it takes 10 working days from then. |
| 25 Sep R + 15 weeks | 10.54am: Received email offering slot on 6 Oct. 12.00pm: Emailed accepting slot. 12.10pm: Received email saying they are checking if slot is still free. |
| 26 Sep R + 16 weeks | Received email confirming delivery on 6 Oct. (late AM/early PM) |
| 2 Oct R + 16 weeks | Received email narrowing delivery time to 12-2pm |
| 6 Oct R + 17 weeks | Arrival day. Boxes delivered at 2.30pm. |
Total time: 4 months
Notes
- The tracking site was not updated after 20 August.
- It took one month for the container to move from the port of Fremantle onto a ship.
- It took one month for the ship to travel from Australia to the United Kingdom.
- It took one month for the container to pass through UK customs.
- It took one month for the container to move from the port of Felixstowe to London, a distance of 100 miles.