Mobile Shipping/Storage Containers

Shipping containers are regularly used as storage units, and in many cases they are purchased or rented to be used as mobile, or portable, storage units. If you plan on buying a shipping container and moving it from site to site at a later date there are a few things to keep in mind prior to doing so. The simplest way to move the container, the size of the container that’s going to be moved, and common issues to consider when the move is being made are the first things to consider.

How to Move Portable Shipping Containers

Moving a shipping container can be very easy, but it can also be very difficult. Shipping containers can be picked up and loaded onto a flatbed trailer or chassis with a forklift or crane, but if you don’t have either of those on site or aren’t able to rent one you may run into issues getting it loaded onto the truck. If no forklift or crane is available the move will require a tilt bed truck with a strong winch to pull the container up the bed of the trailer so it can be tied down securely for the move. Tilt bed trailers are specialty trailers and usually much more expensive per mile than a regular style flatbed trailer. The video below illustrates one way to move a storage or shipping container without a forklift or crane.

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Mobile Storage Sizes

Portable storage units can come in an array of sizes, but depending on the size it’s clear to tell the material used to make the storage unit, its long term durability, and how easy it will be to move.

20’, 40’ and 40’ high cube shipping containers are generally shipping containers used for overseas shipping and made of COR-TEN steel. They are designed for long term, heavy duty use to transport goods back and forth across the ocean. 10’ shipping containers, also called “duo-cons” are typically also made of COR-TEN steel and typically welded together and sold in pairs (on the wholesale market).

There are other sizes of storage units available, for example 25’ and 30’ units. It’s important to note that they are not containers designed for overseas shipping and usually made from aluminum or some other lightweight material that is less durable, but easier to transport.

Problems to Consider and Plan Around

There are several issues that can pop up when trying to have a shipping container moved. With some advanced planning.

• Is the container loaded/stuffed? Depending on the weight it may be too heavy to load onto a trailer.
• Is the container loaded/stuffed? Some drivers prefer not to move a loaded container due to their insurance and the liability of items potentially breaking during the transport of the container.
• Is there enough room to pick up the container? If the container is being pulled onto the trailer with a winch it will require enough room for the trailer to back in directly in front of the container, truck and all.

ContainerAuction.com is an online marketplace for buying and selling all sizes of intermodal shipping containers. While the company doesn’t facilitate the moving of stuffed and unstuffed shipping containers, many of the sellers on the site do have either the ability to move containers, or the local contacts to move shipping containers themselves. Keep in mind container movements probably aren’t their main line of business so it may not be the highest priority on their schedule. If you have any questions about a specific container listed on the site we invite you to contact the seller directly through the listing page. If you have general questions about where to get started you can contact the staff at ContainerAuction.com directly and our staff will get you pointed in the right direction.