Charles Kendall Freight have many years of experience in moving motor vehicles by seafreight and airfreight.

Cars despatched by sea can be loaded into seafreight containers at CKF’s premises – we have our own container loading ramp on site.

Airfreight consignments require careful planning and attention to detail.  CKF are regularly used by General Motors in the USA to import and export ‘concept cars’ from the UK, as well as rare and vintage models. The concept cars are often sent over for the Goodwood Festival of Speed – it is a GM requirement that the cars are transported in covered trailers, and CKF can arrange this at short notice when required.

Another regular client is the Qatar Royal Family, who send luxury models over to the UK for use by family members. CKF clear the cars through UK customs on arrival, and then arrange return of the vehicles to Qatar after use. These cars are high value luxury models, and CKF staff plan and monitor each stage of the despatch process.

On export from the UK, the vehicles must firstly pass through security checks at the airport of departure. The standard method of screening – X ray – cannot be used, so CKF arrange for the cars to pass through a decompression chamber at Heathrow Airport. The vehicles must be delivered into the chamber pre-built onto the airline pallets upon which they will travel in the aircraft – CKF staff pre-build these pallets on the carriers behalf.  The cars are then delivered to the carriers warehouse, again supervised by CKF staff, and monitored until they leave the UK. In the event that the vehicle is not suited to decompression for reasons of size or value, CKF can have the goods security cleared in their own warehouse using specially trained dogs.