Our lifeline to the world

Because of our location, Bermudians are vitally aware of the imports that sustain them.

Perishable foods arrive by air. Furniture lands as sea freight, and everything and anything in between passes through customs on its way to grocery, hardware or department store.

The 22-mile length we call home inhibits trucking beyond our borders, so outgoing goods also ship by air or sea.

Recognizing the importance of the links that keep us clothed, fed, housed and furnished, the Bermuda Sun devotes these pages to the companies that make our living in paradise possible.

Steve Thomson of Mailboxes Unlimited details how his company’s U.S. Express serves local and guest worker interests. He explains how Mailboxes facilitates incoming freight through a customer-reserved New Jersey address and the costs and benefits of receiving packages in this way.

The Bermuda College is offering a Marine Navigation course, which an attentive, enthusiastic and disciplined student can utilize as a starting point for careers in the shipping industry. Read the history of the course and the possible outcomes of a student’s real interest in the industry.

Meyer Freight addresses the relocation of household goods. The article notes the regulatory hurdles, prohibitions and pitfalls about which the inexperienced shipper should be aware.

Judy Hagen, of BEST Shipping, details the differences in how cargo is forwarded and received from overseas, and discusses computerized tracking.

Communication and good services are key, according to Laura Blee, managing director of Bermuda Ocean Shipping Services Ltd. (BOSS). Ms Blee calls attention to the duty relief and consolidations that help a receiving vendor and notes how and why transit times can vary.

Bermuda Container Lines (BCL) gives a run-down of its carrier agreements, container configurations and ocean freight linkages.

Steve Sousa, general manager of Bermuda Worldwide Shipping/BDA Express, explains how customers can hold the company accountable for its promise to ‘listen, react and deliver’. He touches upon courier service for speed, invoice provision, delivery schedules and custom crating.

Self-storage

Island Self-Storage offers a freight receipt service for those persons and businesses that require it. The new facility also provides personal and commercial storage space, as well as separate climate-controlled wine storage.

IBC notes its partnership with UPS. Their dedicated cargo and courier jet aircraft serves Bermuda each Monday through Friday for both incoming and outgoing shipments.

So relax in the fact that island living is well served by the shippers, handlers and self-storage units that also make Bermuda their home.