Submitted by Larry Space
In February, Joyce and I shipped our Sprinter conversion van to Cartagena, Colombia from Port Everglades, Florida using Hoegh Autoliners Shortsea America operated by a subsidiary based in Panama but with an office in Miami. Previously, we had used Hoegh Autoliners to ship our van to and from Amsterdam and were very happy with their service. Hoegh goes between Port Everglades and Cartagena approximately every two weeks and the total for shipping, including port charges, etc. was $700. This does not include fees associated with retrieving the vehicle in Colombia. In Colombia there are additional port fees based on the volume of the vehicle and the cost of a customs agent, if you choose to use one. You have three days to pick up your vehicle without additional daily storage fees.
On the U.S. side you can hire a forwarder or agent, such as Tree Logistics, to handle all the paperwork required to clear US Customs or do it yourself, as we did. We delivered the vehicle to the shipping terminal and finalized the paper work necessary to clear customs. Prior to shipping, US Customs may wish to inspect the vehicle and as a result it must be at the terminal at least three days before the ship is scheduled to leave the port. Delivering by noon of the third day worked for us. Be warned, if there is any doubt about the completeness of the necessary documentation, give yourself an extra day in case you have to do more running around. According to Customs, if the documentation is not presented three days ahead and the ship leaves on schedule, your vehicle won’t be on it. Since Customs is open M-F, I assume the weekends are not counted as part of the three days. However, I did not ask this question.
Hoegh is a RORO (roll on roll off) carrier and the engine starting key is left with the vehicle when delivered to the dock. Hoegh assumes no responsibility for anything inside the vehicle and if your living quarters are accessible from the cab, you are highly likely to have items missing by the time you pick it up in Colombia. This can occur while at the docks or during transit, and therefore, make sure you leave nothing in the cab and isolate your living quarters. I built a ½ inch plywood bulkhead and made sure all other doors were secured so they could not be opened with the engine key or by the switch in the cab that locks/unlocks all the doors.
Isolating the living quarters from the cab solves one problem, but creates another. If Customs wants to inspect the inside, and cannot gain entry via a key, they will break in. A Jacksonville shipper who ships a lot of cars overseas told me that Customs never inspects the interior, and when we shipped ours out of Baltimore, they did not inspect it. Also, Port Everglades customs told me they were not likely to inspect our van but that it is up to the individual inspector to make that decision. (In fact, they did not inspect it.)
Leaving the living quarter’s key with dock personnel negates the benefit of the bulkhead and sets you up for theft. We left the shades and curtains open in case it would help. In discussing the issue with a Customs officer, he suggested I put a note at the bottom of the Shipper’s Declaration mentioning his name, explaining the situation, and leaving a contact number where they could call and have a key delivered to them on short notice. So, for the three days before shipping, we made sure we were within 20 minutes of the Customs office. As it actually happened, the ship departure was delayed by 5 days, and we had made our flight arrangements, we ended up leaving before it left the port.
Here is the note I wrote at the bottom: Attention Customs: Because of the high probability of theft while in transport, the living area is locked separately from the cab. Officer Ohayon recommended I leave a phone number where I can be reached to make the keys available on short notice. If Customs wishes to inspect the vehicle, please phone: (xxx) xxx-xxxx
Below is the information you will need to complete the shipping process:
Shipping from the US: Original Title and three copies of both sides, Driver’s License and three copies, Gross weight of the vehicle, Dimensions (W,H,L), Passport, AES ITN #, Vin #, Signed Shippers Declaration/Letter of Intent and two copies, Original Dock Receipt and two copies, Booking Document for access to port, and documentation that your propane tanks are empty.
For retrieval of your vehicle in Colombia you will need the originals and two copies of the Title, Registration, Drivers license, and Bill of Lading. You will also need your Passport showing your Colombian entry stamp. Colombian customs apparently does not inspect the vehicle contents but needs to verify the VIN #. In our case, they would have waived the physical inspection if I were able provide pictures of the van and a picture of the VIN # on the van itself.
Here are the steps involved for doing it yourself:
As I understand it, the US Coastguard requires that all propane tanks be empty prior to shipping. Therefore, at some point obtain a document stating that your propane tank is empty. After I emptied my propane tank, I went to Boye’s Gas, 513 N.E. 8th Street, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33304, phone 954-763-4545. I had prearranged with Tom to certify that my tank did not contain liquid propane and had a 0 PSI. He checked to see that the tank was drained and then gave me a receipt with Vin #, License Plate number, year, make, and model of the van for a cost of $25. (See below for anecdotal information on obtaining propane in Colombia.)
1. Contact Hoegh and request a shipping schedule if you can’t find it online. Choose a shipping date, request a booking, and fill out the Shipping Information form they will email you. Much of the information requested is self-explanatory; however, let me clarify a few items. Shipper is your name and U.S. address. Consignee is your name as it appears on your passport and your passport number. Notify Party (without Liability to Carrier): Who do you want to be notified when the ship arrives in Cartagena. It can be you (or someone else) with a way to be contacted in Cartagena. We hired a customs agent to guide us in retrieving our van and used their contact information.
Ocean Vessel: Name and Voyage number provided by Hoegh
Port of Loading: Port Everglades
Port of Discharge: Port of Cartagena
Marks and Numbers: vehicle VIN # and License plate state and number
Number and kind of packages, freight units, description of goods: in our case, one 2003 Freightliner Mercedes Sprinter 3500 custom van conversion
Gross Weight and Measurement: gross weight, length, width, and height. The measurements will be converted to Metric system.
2. When you receive your Booking Confirmation, acquire an (AES) ITN by sending a copy of this confirmation as well as your passport number to a forwarder or agent who has agreed to generate an ITN number for you. We used Tree Logistics at a cost of $35.
3. Hoegh will send you a Letter of Intent (LOI)/Shipper Declaration form to fill out. Most of the items are self-explanatory with a few clarifications:
Issue Date: Date you deliver it to the port.
Date of Export: Date the ship is scheduled to leave the port.
Shipping Company: Hoegh Autoliners.
Shipper/Agent/Forwarder: Your name if you are doing the paperwork, delivering the vehicle to the port, etc. If you hired someone, their name, address, and contact number.
TIR#: Blank. CNTR#: Blank. D/R: When you deliver the vehicle to the terminal, you will receive a dock receipt. The dock receipt number is to be written here.
Also, pre-printed on the LOI is the terminal address to where the vehicle is to be delivered. On our LOI the address was wrong and it was very difficult to locate them. I did let tell them about this issue. Later in this document, you will find how to locate the Horizons terminal which was listed for delivery.
4. Once you have all your paperwork in order and are ready to export your vehicle, you will need to deliver the vehicle to the terminal. Get the Dock Receipt (DR) from Udit (Judy) Lamorena at the terminal, and enter the DR number on the LOI. Judy will then sign the LOI as an authorized representative of Hoegh and upon request will make the two copies of the DR and LOI needed. Give Judy the documentation stating that your propane tank(s) is empty.
If the Horizons terminal is specified, drive down Eller Drive past #1800 and you will be entering the port area. At the time, the entry booth for us was on the left side. Show your Booking document to gain access to the port. Go to the first traffic light and turn right. Take the first left (only a short distance later). Go to the last building on the left. At the beginning of the last building turn left between the buildings and proceed to the security checkpoint. They will tell you where to park. Ask for Judy’s office. There were no signs anywhere on the port mentioning Horizons.
5. When delivery and documentation are complete, go to:
US CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION SERVICE
VEHICLE EXPORT STATION
1800 Eller Drive. Suite 110
Port Everglades, Florida, 33316
Phone 954.761.2046
Present the original and noted copies of Title and three copies of both sides, Driver’s License and three copies, Passport, signed Shippers Declaration/Letter of Intent and two copies, Original Dock Receipt and two copies. These documents need to be collated so there are three separate groups.
6. After your paperwork has been accepted and validated, e-mail a copy of the validated Letter of Intent to the following e-mail accounts: css.hasa@hoegh.com and PEVtitles@nortonlilly.com. This will validate the export approval for Hoegh and enable them to create a Bill of Lading(BOL) for use in Colombia.
A BOL won’t be created until the ship has left the port and you have either paid for shipping in the US or specified shipping fees to be collected in Colombia. There is an additional fee of USD $90 for paying the shipping fees in Colombia and having them issue the BOL. Note, Hoegh won’t accept payment in the US until the ship has left port and if you pay in the US, you will need a way to receive the original BOL from the Miami office.
7. To retrieve your vehicle in Cartagena:
You will need the originals and two copies of the Title, Registration, Drivers license, and Bill of Lading. You will also need your Passport.
If you are conversant in Spanish, you would be able to navigate obtaining a temporary import permit valid for 90 days. We decided to use a customs agent (USD $200) to help us with the process and they got the job done. They made the necessary copies. They knew everyone at the appropriate offices and I believe they made things go more smoothly and quickly than an individual could. They also transported me to each of the two locations necessary to complete everything. If you decide to use the custom agent listed below, be proactive with them and ask what they will do for you, what paperwork you will need, and so forth. Communication of the process was not as effective as I would have liked. They also arranged for our vehicle insurance at USD $50 for two months, which may have been higher than doing it yourself. They made all the payments for me and I paid them the total amount after receiving the van.
All fees must paid in Colombian Pesos (COP) and when they translate what you owe from USD to COP, the exchange rate will be somewhat higher than those used for ATM withdrawals. You must be prepared to have access to COP in Cartagena or have a way of making a bank transfer to the payee. If you are paying Hoegh’s representative in Cartagena for shipping fees, you will be required to acquire the necessary COPs and go to a bank to deposit them into their account. They will not accept a US check in Colombia, but Hoegh in the US will. The Port and other fees in Cartagena are based on the cubic meter size (LxWxH) of your vehicle and in our case it came to about USD $120.
Contacts:
Hoegh
Ana Luzardo, Customer Services / Administration Representative
Höegh Autoliners Shortsea Americas
Ph: +1 (305) 767-1900
E-Mail: ana.luzardo@hoegh.com
Ms. Gissell Almillategui
Customer Service Representative
Höegh Autoliners Shortsea Americas
gissell.almillategui.robinson@hoegh.com
Will accept a personal check and maybe a wire transfer
ITN Provider
Tree Logistics
Irene Arango (her English is somewhat limited)
Mobile 786-510-9814
Office 305-909 6701
iarango@treelogistics.com
8600 N.W. 17th Street Suite #145
Miami, FL 33126
Accepted a personal check
Hoegh representative in Cartagena
Miguel Moreno or Juan Florez
Commercial Dept. Bogotá
MARITRANS S.A. as Agents for HOEGH in Colombia
Cra. 7 Nº 67-02 Of. 1201
PBX : 571-3146223 – Ext 481
miguel.moreno@maritrans.com.co
Payment in COP via bank deposit
Customs Agent in Cartagena
Luis Ernesto La Rota R.
ENLACE CARIBE SAS
Edificio Laguna 46 Centro de Negocios
Carrera 3 No. 46-51 Oficina 1201
Cartagena de Indias, Colombia
Tel +57 (5) 644 6145 - 6446022
Payment in COP as cash
Obtaining Propane in Colombia: According to what I have read, filling a fixed propane tank in Colombia is not available at propane plants. However, I have seen two types of portable tanks, one of which has a fitting that is identical to the ACME one common in the U.S. Thus, if you can find a place that sells propane tanks, along with the hose to connect between your tank and theirs, then they can transfer propane to your tank. The app iOverlander does list some places where travelers have successfully obtained propane.
One small store, located in the coastal town of Barranquilla, was successful in filling ours almost completely full. (10.94231, -74.83351). They also sell tanks.