There are lots of shipping containers available on the market, making it easy to find one that meets your needs. Remember that purchasing the right shipping container tends to depend on several factors. This includes the type of container, size, grade, age, and stock available. Besides these, it can also depend on what you want to use a shipping container for.
A shipping container can be new or used, and can vary in condition. Therefore, unless you are dealing with a reputable container supplier, such as TUFF Shipping Containers who has new containers in stock, there is a good chance that you may be purchasing a second hand shipping container.
A shipping container
The right shipping container for you can depend on your needs. You can find a wide range of shipping containers on the market that have various sizes. Most of them have many access methods, such as side opening doors and end doors.
If you intend to lock up and leave, an end door shipping container can be a great option for you. This type of a shipping container is also usually cheaper than a side door shipping container. But if you want to access the items inside the shipping container regularly, then a side door shipping container can give you more flexibility. This is because you don’t have to climb over the goods or leave a tight pathway to enable you access all the items down the far end. Regardless of your option, you need to find a shipping container that is vermin proof and water tight.
You should remember that you can find three common sizes of shipping containers that you can purchase. This includes a ten foot shipping container, twenty foot shipping container, and forty foot shipping container. You can also find some shipping containers that are between 8 and 48ft, but these are less common sizes.
A 10ft shipping container is suitable for a small amount of goods that you need to store. It can measure 3m x 2.4m, and it often takes up a small footprint. Just like other shipping containers, the standard height of this container is below 2.6m.
If you have a lot of items to store, the right size of a shipping container is a 20ft container. In most cases, this shipping container can hold the contents that a three bedroom home has. This container can measure 6m x 2.4m, and it stands at just below 2.6m tall.
Lastly, there is a 40ft shipping container that is ideal for people with large storage needs. This often comes in a 40ft high cube format and measures 12.1m x 2.4m. it can also stand at least one foot taller, which is 2.9m.
You should note that shipping containers are designed to last for a long time because of the type of steel they are made up of. New shipping containers can last longer, but with some care and preparation, older shipping containers can also survive for a long time. Ideally, you need to ensure that the ground you intend to place your shipping container cannot be damp throughout the year. Moisture can usually cause the floor of the container to deteriorate quickly. Therefore, you can decide to place it on blocks, bricks, or a place with well drained soil.
The different uses of shipping containers
Shipping container homes tend to be one of the most common uses for containers, though homes usually contribute to a small percentage of end use. Another common use of a shipping container is intermodal transport. This refers to the transport of goods on the back of trains or trucks between locations.
Regularly transported goods can include furniture, pallets, food, equipment, boxed goods, and many more. Some goods can have specific requirements to make sure that they are delivered within specification and safely, such as temperature sensitive cargo and chemicals. Shipping containers have changed to accommodate this, and the introduction of mezzanine decks has increased the amount of pallets that you can safely stack and transport. You can also use a refrigerated shipping container to transport food and other goods at specific temperatures.
Shipping containers are also utilized to safely store goods onsite. This is because they are a safe, low cost, and secure alternative to an offsite storage facility. You can also access them conveniently.
Home renovations usually benefit from shipping containers to keep existing belongings and furniture during the building process. You can store the shipping container onsite only during the renovation process.
In the absence of a shed, you can fit a shipping container with workbenches and shelves, and then have it transported to a site. This can reduce the build time, cost, and paperwork that you may need when you decide to add a permanent structure to your property. Aside from a bench you can use to complete your next project, a shipping container workshop offers space that you can use to keep your equipment and tools.
For dangerous goods, such as paints, flammable liquids, and chemicals, you can use a dangerous goods container. It is purpose-built and comes with added external vents, a safety drain valve to make it easy to clean, and bunding to prevent spills. You can use this container to free up space in a warehouse or workshop, or store chemicals on site when there are more projects or increased production.
You can also use refrigerated containers as onsite cool rooms. These containers are quite popular at festivals, events, or at business premises where you need to store stocks at a specific temperature.
You can also use a shipping container to store your employees as a short-term accommodation for those working in remote areas or during emergency response. In most cases, they can be utilized on construction sites for various solutions. These include a site office to manage projects from, a crib room to feed your staff, and a first aid room to maintain the health of people and your workforce. The good thing is that these containers are quick to deploy and they can fit a wide range of site sizes.
