Relocating your household goods along with your piano from the USA to overseas is not as easy as it sounds. 

The household goods can be shipped easily, but shipping delicate items like piano requires careful planning and the right logistics partner, doing so will lead to a smooth relocation journey. 

In this blog let's see the challenges involved in shipping a piano across the globe and how a freight forwarder can handle it with ease. 

Challenges involved in shipping a piano from the USA to overseas 

Shipping a piano is not as same as shipping other furniture, it comes with many challenges. Which may include:

  • Pianos are huge, heavy and abnormal structures, which makes them difficult to transport and might require special handling during the shipping process. 
  • If you fail to handle it without care, then it might lead to higher shipping costs and potential damage.
  • Pianos may have very intricate parts like soundboard, strings, and hammers, which may get damaged very easily if they are handled roughly or inappropriately.
  • Accidental damage may happen during transit, so it is essential to insure your piano for its full value.
  • Extreme cold, hot, or humid conditions may negatively impact the piano's condition. 
  • Therefore, it needs a climate-controlled environment while shipping and storage.
  • Every country has its own customs and regulations for importing goods. Therefore, it is necessary to know the customs and regulations of both the import/export countries. 
  • A piano needs to be packed, loaded and unloaded with care, so it is essential to hire experts who have years of experience in shipping a piano. 

How can you overcome the above challenges quickly and safely ship the piano?

In order to make the process easy, smooth, and cost-effective it is essential to hire an experienced international freight forwarder like Air7seas. 

With over 37+ years of experience in the freight forwarding industry, they have shipped over 10K+ musical instruments, including piano from and to the USA. 

The process of shipping a piano with Air7Seas from packing to unloading

Process of shipping piano from overseas

Below is the process followed while shipping a piano across overseas

  • Any dust and debris in the piano is removed prior to shipping. 
  • Our packing team will remove parts like the bench, music desk, or pedals and pack it separately with care. 
  • The piano's lid is closed carefully and is secured with appropriate packing materials, to avoid any damage to the keys during shipping. 
  • The body of the piano is wrapped with proactive packing materials like blanket and bubble wrap to cushion it from impact during the transit
  • After wrapping the piano, it is placed inside a custom made crate. This custom made crate is reinforced and secured with wood to prevent any movement during transit.

Note: As we know, climatic changes can affect the piano, so we pack the piano with climate-controlled packaging material to maintain optimal temperature and humidity levels during shipping. 

Packaging of piano
  • The crated piano is carefully loaded on a pickup truck using a forklift or crane, in order to avoid any damage. 
  • Then, the piano is carefully transported to the shipping port or airport.

Note: The mode of transportation depends on the budget, time and distance. 

  • Upon arrival the port, the piano is safely loaded onto a ship or aircraft and the transit begins 
  • After reaching the port of origin, the necessary customs documents, including invoices, packing lists, and certificates of origin, are checked, verified, and the import duties or taxes are paid(if any).
  • Then the piano is unloaded from ship or aircraft and is carefully transported to the destination via truck. 
  • Right after reaching the destination, our experts will carefully remove the piano from the crate, and proactive wrapping material. Then will check for any potential damage. 
  • The detached parts are fixed back into their original position and ensure it is in perfectly working condition. If necessary, we arrange for professional piano tuning to restore the instrument's optimal sound.

By choosing Air7Seas for your piano shipping needs, you can rest assured that your precious instrument is in the hands of experts. Our white-glove service guarantees a smooth and stress-free experience, from packing to delivery.