Packages sent overseas make many trips to finally reach their destination. After your package leaves your home or workplace in the hands of a postal service or courier, that parcel has a big adventure in front of it.
After being taken from you, the package will be taken to the local depot. Here it will be sorted and then transferred to the main transport hub. All packages are then sorted once before being taken to the airport, ready for customs.
Customs Clearing
When arriving at the airport, the package will pass customs, be scanned and X-rayed, passing along a conveyor for speed and ease. Find out more about Telescopic Conveyors for moving parcels at https://fmhconveyors.com/products/telescopic-conveyors/
Items that have restrictions or are prohibited for export will not be permitted to enter, so remember to check the list of forbidden items for international posting before you order your package delivery.
It is very important to fill out the required customs form correctly, to make sure it is very clear what is in your package and thus prevent it from being held. In certain situations, if customs agents have reason to worry, parcels can be scanned again, or even opened and inspected. Another safety screening method is to use a sniffer dog. These dogs are specially trained to find certain prohibited and limited items to combat illicit items leaving the country.
Certified mail agents will be responsible for scanning each package and sending it safely to the correct aircraft. Usually these packages will be arranged in a letter bag or container for convenience.
Then, it’s time for your package to get on the plane. Chances are your package will travel with cargo on a regular passenger aircraft. However, shipments will sometimes travel on designated cargo aircraft on routes where there is a high cargo volume.
Arriving overseas
Upon arrival in the destination country, the parcel will be lowered after all passenger luggage is removed, then packed into a luggage cart by land handling agents on the runway. Then it will be checked before heading to customs for further screening.
Clearing customs … again
This is where the parcel will be examined again, this time taking into account the restrictions of the relevant countries. The same principle applies at this stage, with customs agents checking packages, reading international invoices and making sure the contents are ok to be cleared. Sniffer dogs can be used again, such as scanning and x-ray equipment. Invoices without adequate documentation and description will not be processed, so it is important to do it correctly when you prepare the items to be sent.
Back on the road
After being released from the airport, your package will be sorted locally before traveling to the shipping depot. Then it will go to its destination address, often in a van, where it will hopefully safely reach the recipient. Bear in mind that many countries are very large, with a location far enough away from the airport, that there may be considerable road miles still to be taken.