European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 10, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The Road to Bremerhaven i photo by Diana Valdez Vernon Smith Iii adds to his income by driving cars to and from by Diana Valdez staff writer Ramstein Germany Vernon Smith i slaps a tape of gospel Singer Amy Grant into the cassette deck and leans the drive to Bremer Haven is going to be the turning in the car for shipment to the keeps running in his head inspect the Clear fill out its much easier than picking up a he Smith should this is not his first nor will it be his a few Miles from Ramstein he fumbles inside a Brown bag and slips out a Peanut butter and Strawberry Jam my he says As he begins to Dine on his Friday night Smiths not getting ready to Hes one of Many individuals who deliver cars to Bremerhaven As a Par time for people not Only leave the driving to but the hassle As but its not a hassle for Smith i love to he Smith started in the business two years ago when he joined a Small organization of airmen who shuttled cars and people to and from his two partners have quit the i suppose if business picks up ill hire some More he Smith Doest drive As often As some who go every they charge plus expenses to deliver a plus expenses to pick up a and they take riders for a they can easily Clear in a during the work week Smith is a drug Counselor at ram steins social actions about three times a Smith welcomes newcomers and briefs them about the base drug and alcohol his driving Job is reserved for the i usually take off about 5 he i carry a sack Orange juice and sleeping you can never be so sure of the billeting situation up he stops twice during the seven hour drive for Gas and at the last usually about 11 he Calls the billeting to let them know in he Page Viii the stars and stripes Smith always takes autobahn Ive never gone the other route and autobahn 1 is he and his partners used to travel Many times we would have a few cars in Bremerhaven to pick he so wed take one up and bring Back the those were fun we used to play games to keep us for wed ask each other trivia questions about old television programs and stuff like some of the Guys used to play but most of the time they just we talked about air Force things he sometimes throwing in a Little gossip and Rumor he that one thing that really keeps him is the risk of traffic you get to see a lot of them the More you and weve seen some Nasty he one thing that amazes me is How fast traffic stops on the youll be driving along at 130 is and All of a sudden youre going 30 Smith has no problems dropping off but when it comes to picking them he has a big pet i hate when customers Tell me their cars Are in great condition and there he Smith usually gets the car and that Means time and Only once i left the car he the engine was falling out of the sometimes theres a fair amount of damage on the i recall one that looked like it had been dropped and another that looked like it had been one car that brings Back vivid memories is a 67 that was the oldest car Ive handled so far in the he ill never forget it because it was Well you dont see cars babied like that one it was with the moving season moving Smith expects business to pick his Vernon is trying to get into the he just got his he and if business does that Means a Good Par time documenting by Chuck Vinch Munich Bureau chief Munich a Soldier who arranged for a transport company to move his car Inland from Bremerhaven to his new duty station says he stands to lose because the firm neglected to document damages before the car left for Shawn of the 534th signal co in its a frustrating he debated about shipping his 1972 Lincoln at All when he was preparing to he almost left it in tie i sure wish now i had done he 18 months his badly damaged car sits in the Mcgraw Cavern in Many Williams is a victim of his own care his Story serves As a classic lesson of trouble that can arise a car to the states or Inland in Europe not enough questions Are asked and statements Are not put in Williams claims the which went out of Busi Ness in failed to note damage to his car on do form 788 before accepting the car at Bremerhaven for shipment to if the military shipping inspectors at the terminal didst note any damages and signed the 788 in Bremer to the army that Means the damage didst Hap pen in transit from the said the Munich Legal assistance office lawyer who is handling the the result is that the car owner cannot be reimbursed by the army for any the lawyer asked that his name not be and he discussed the Case with Williams military port inspectors signed the 788 after noting minor Williams insists that the other dam age must have occurred during shipment from Brem when the company delivered Williams Lincoln in october it was a total he an official from Munich Legal office inspected his damage not noted on the 788 at Bremerhaven included dents to the trunk and extensive damage to a front fender near the wheel the trunk lock was damaged and the ignition was torn the left front tire was it had not been but the report noted that the tire was scuffed and seemed to have been jammed against a solid object with great possibly jarring the tire Loose from its the local cafes garage estimated damage at when Williams picked up his he a company representative advised him to list the damages with the Williams did not note the name of the person he talked he had his car towed to the vehicle secure lot on Mcgraw Cavern and now says Hes never received a response from the much of the problem stems from Williams failure to find out who would actually ship his who would be responsible for and whether he had insurance during the Williams never actually dealt with the firm that did the he paid to the Zurich insurance Agency office near Mcgraw Cavern for the in gave the contract to another which picked up the a Zurich spokeswoman said her company acts As booking forwarding the necessary documents to the shipping and int responsible for Zurich got a commission for each car it delivered to the shipping but the spokeswoman said the com Pany is not in business to transport she said her Agency stopped doing business with the shipping firm before it shut Down because of problems with the the Munich Legal assistance office waged an unsuccessful Battle with the bankrupt firm on Williams be but its efforts were hampered because Williams didst have copies of both sides of the contract he signed with the Zurich spokeswoman confirmed that customers receive copies of the but she insisted that customers get copies of both Williams maintains he never got a copy of the reverse the reverse Side of the contract lists terms and Condi so we never really knew exactly what those terms and conditions Williams attorney Williams is not optimistic about getting his Money especially since the firm is out of his 1972 Lincoln has yet to motor Down a German customs its easier than you think by Allen Cowan staff writer a military policeman and his dog Check a vehicle for photo by pave Didio Mannheim when Mark Bloom talks about getting a car through customs in the people they like what they it amazes me How easy it Bloom tells the office gossip that goes around is 90 percent what your neighbor did is probably there Are a swirl of i dont know where this stuff comes Bloom is the Calls come in daily from eager seekers of nothing but the on getting the family Chariot through customs once they arrive at the port in the Bloom for its in his Domain As noncommissioned officer in charge of the customer service office of the 42nd my while blooms office Fields All queries about the following guidelines cover american specification cars shipped stateside for personal As Long As its for this is an outstanding opportune Bloom its the Honor the people who choose to we probably wont catch but i put them in the same category As people who smuggle its personal american Bloom if that your you eliminate 95 percent of your his except where apply to service members and government for a permanent return theres no import duty if owners take Possession in Europe before going take Bloom if youll pay import which is percent of the sales Bloom emphasizes take take which is As simple As touching the the Best thing is to throw a copy of your orders in the Bloom the car Doest have to be registered in Europe to avoid Possession is what employees of Independent government contractors must Complete customs form which is an application for duty free arrange Bloom As far As customs is we dont care How it gets once at the there should be Little if any All american specification cars come with two tags bolted to the Frame by the these tags certify that the car was manufactured to environmental Protection Agency and department of transportation owners do not need a manufacturers statement of Ori Bloom when it gets Down and what we want to see Are those two service members who ship their cars Home through the military must have completed form do form do is form 7 and Epa form service members also need a copy of their owners who ship cars privately need their orders and the Epa and is that Bloom with those forms and two tags bolted to the cars will the Only hitch occurs with cars requiring catalytic con owners of these vehicles have two they can have the converter installed in people who ship through the military must produce a receipt at the overseas shipping port proving installation took place prior to even customs May ask to see the receipt on arrival in the if the car is people who ship commercially must satisfy customs stateside that the converter was installed prior to or owners can put their converters in the trunk of the car to show to the car is allowed to leave port to get the converter owners have five working Days to install the con Verter and Send proof of installation to the government Doest test but some states require proof that the converter works before the car can be and some states May test cars at the the easiest Way is to put it in your Bloom that Many people pack their converters with their household goods and therefore cant show them to they cant prove their converters were installed prior to ship customs can require these owners to Post a Bond up to 300 percent of the sales owners who Post Bonds have 90 Days to certify to Cus Toms that Treyve properly installed a if they the Bond is forfeited and customs will re quire the owner to Export the car at the owners or customs will arrange for its destruction at the owners sex american specification cars registered with Usa eur keep their plates during owners can then drive their cars Home and Register the car shipping companies generally charge a processing fee to help Clear rates vary from company to and some states require that the sales tax be paid at registration on cars that have never been registered in the tax is based on the Price the owner paid for the so a Bill of Sale is that anything else is innuendo and shipping forms and two helpful brochures Are available at most transportation 42nd my group Field Sta the port in Bremerhaven and through commercial the brochures Are publication entitled Cus Toms importing a and publication customs highlights for government have a question Call 42nd my customs at 2131 or or a May the stars and stripes Page in