How do you transport a shipping container?

I want to buy a shipping container but how do I ship it?

Good question, as this can be the tough part in the shipping container purchase.

I like to break this transport process into two parts- The trucking and the unloading.

The Trucking

This part can be done on your own, if you have a truck and a trailer. See the picture above of the set-up my driver has (I want to give you a real life depiction of what equipment it might take to move the container).

If you purchase the shipping container directly from the port, the odds are you are going to be picking it up from a container depot. Depots have large quantities of containers that are stacked like sardines. They assign numbers to each container and when you purchase, one you will be provided a load number.

This is the number you will provide to the depot, and they will search out your container. This in no way means you are getting your shipping container right away as they may need to move a lot of large items (cargo containers) to get to it. When you buy it, make sure you know that you are going to be able to get it right away and that it will be staged for pick-up.

The odds are you are going to encounter long lines at the depot, as other truckers will also be waiting to pick-up their cargo container.

What do I do if I do not have the equipment to transport the shipping container?

If you do not have this type of set-up your best bet is to contact a freight broker (google flatbed freight broker).

The equipment you will need to ask for is a flatbed (see picture below) or a tilt bed (see picture below). The difference besides price, is that the flatbed will require you to have a forklift to unload the cargo container at delivery.

The tilt bed has the capability to roll the shipping container off the back. It is also considered specialty equipment and typically costs more to utilize and this cost tends to increase the further you are from the port.

However, the cost to rent a forklift can also be pricey, so don’t forget to keep that in mind when you are weighing the difference between the flatbed and tilt bed delivery price.

The Unloading

If you have a forklift and want to unload the shipping container yourself, this can save you some money as you can go the flatbed route. Before you do this, I highly recommend that you make sure your forklift has the capacity to lift the roughly 5,000lbs 20’ shipping container or the roughly 10,000lbs 40’ shipping container.

The other thing to consider about your forklift is the width of the forks. The forklift holes on a shipping container are roughly 70 inches apart from the inside of each hole. This is typically wider than most forklifts width.

If you have fork extensions that are at least 96 inches in length you should have a stable way to lift it from underneath.