From London to Lombard: How CRI Delivered a Seamless Move to One of the Most Challenging Addresses in America
Some addresses are trickier than others. And then there’s Lombard Street—San Francisco’s iconic, brick-paved zigzag better known for Instagram selfies and bumper-to-bumper tourist traffic than international freight deliveries.
When a relocation brought a family from London to a home nestled halfway down the famously crooked street, our team at CRI knew this wasn’t going to be a typical move.
From Door to Door: Full-Service Coordination Meets an Unmatched Challenge
CRI coordinated and managed every step of the process—from packing and loading in London to transport, customs clearance, and final delivery in San Francisco. This wasn’t just about moving belongings; it was about moving an entire household with care and precision across continents—and into one of the most logistically complex destinations in the U.S. The contents of the client’s 700 square foot London home crossed the Atlantic with ease, but the real challenge began at destination. Lombard Street isn’t just a residential address—it’s an extremely popular tourist attraction, averaging over 17,000 visitors daily and surrounded by logistical constraints that make even local furniture deliveries a daunting task. Large moving trucks can’t navigate its sharp curves, and positioning a 20-foot ocean container or tractor near the residence is out of the question. Even legally reserved parking spots are often unusable, routinely blocked by unsuspecting tourists (as we discovered firsthand).
And yet, a delay was not an option. Nor was compromising service.
The CRI Advantage: Autonomy, Precision, and Creative Execution
Unlike traditional relocation management companies that are tied to limited van line partnerships, CRI operates under a direct household goods model. That means we can think and act creatively, tapping into our own trusted Select Fleet teams and planning resources to meet the moment—without the bottlenecks, inflated costs, or inflexible delivery windows that often come with outsourced partners.
For this move, our domestic planning team collaborated directly with our international freight forwarder, move manager, and executive delivery crew—an uncommon level of cross-functional coordination made possible by our in-house structure.
Custom Solution, Seamless Delivery
To work around Lombard’s access limitations, the CRI team split the shipment across three smaller local trucks. They carefully choreographed a plan to rotate trucks through a single, pre-permitted cutout parking spot close to the residence. The required parking permits had been secured weeks in advance—but on move day, tourist vehicles filled the space and local police said there was nothing they could do.
That’s when Plan B went into action. Our seven-person Select Fleet team parked several blocks away, dollying each item through crowds and up multiple sets of stairs. Thanks to the right people, equipment, and mindset, the full delivery was completed with care, precision, and no damage—just in time.
Why It Matters
This move is a case study in what makes CRI different. Where others would have hit a wall—literally and figuratively—we had the autonomy, agility, and operational structure to adapt. And when you’re delivering to one of the most logistically challenging addresses in the country, that makes all the difference.
At CRI, we don’t just move belongings. We move with purpose, precision, and a commitment to getting it right—no matter the street, no matter the challenge.