| Brief Guide to buying a shipping container |
| What do you know about it? |
| Having bought over 200 containers over the last few years I hope that I can make some useful comments on how to go about finding one, inspecting it, agreeing a purchase and organising transport. It may seem a trivial job but if you buy the wrong container you will have serious troubles within months and if you get a good one you will have many years of very secure, dry and cheap storage space. Buying the right box matters and here are some ideas of how to make sure that you do. |
| Suppliers |
| For suppliers of containers try the various suppliers at http://www.containers.co.uk/ Get a quote from each of them and you will have a good comparison to go on. You can also find information on hiring containers there. |
| Size and ages of typical containers |
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The standard size is 20 feet long by 8 feet wide (still metric to the annoyance of some Germans). You can get 40 foot long or boxes which are suitable s onsite tool stores which are 10ft long by 8ft wide. The height is usually 8' 6" giving an internal height of 8'. The exception to this is the 2high cube box" which is an extra one foot in height.
Second hand containers are sold from shipping fleets after about 15 years so that almost all second hand containers you are likely to be offered are likely to be at least this age. You can usually find the insurance-related plate on the front on one or both the doors, which gives the date of manufacture. Incidentally each box has its own "number plate" which is inscribed on the box in about 6 places including inside and on the roof so it is quite an effort for anyone to take this off. It is a good idea to keep a record of this number in case your container ever "goes missing". Fortunately container theft in the UK is rare. |
| What will it cost? |
| Looking at standard 20 foot by 8 foot containers, second hand boxes can be as cheap as 200 but to get a wind and watertight box you will probably have to pay 450 to 600 plus vat. If you go for the new option (see below) the cost is likely to be about 1,300 plus vat. At this price you are only paying about 8 per square foot which in my opinion is very cheap built and secure space and explains why these are so popular in industrial estates, on farms, and for many storage/workshop uses. |
| Where will I have to go to look at a container and get it collected from? |
| Usually you will have to go to a yard near to one of the main container ports/depots which are at: Dagenham, Southampton, Birmingham (!), Felixstowe and Liverpool. There are many smaller yards near other cities including Exeter, Bristol and Dover. The delivery firms are of course familiar with all these depots. |
| Inspect, inspect, inspect and .. climb on the roof |
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It depends what you want to use the container for, but in my opinion you should usually look at a container before buying. If you do not it is hard to see what your come-back is if the doors are rusty, if the box has a bad and immovable smell inside or if the box has very bad rust. If it is sold as "wind and watertight" that is no guarantee that it will be in that condition in 6 months' time.
When you go to view wear old clothes and old shoes or boots (container yards are often muddy and it usually rains on the day you go). Take a note of the number of the container and either agree a deal there and then or arrange to be given until the end of the next day to decide and to confirm. When you look at the container the important things to look for are:
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| Should I buy a brand new one? |
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It depends how you want to use it and how long you are planning to keep it and whether you can afford it. It is very often the best option. For twice the money you have a box that is extremely clean and has very low maintenance and a very long life expectancy. The reason new ones are so cheap is that in effect their transit form the far east (where they are all made nowadays) is free because they come full of Chinese goods.
Buying new means that the locking mechanism on the doors will work well and the rubber seals will be in good shape and there will be no rust. The inside smell will be of new plywood floors and fresh paint. |
| Organising delivery and siting of your container/s |
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Several companies near to each depot will organise delivery. You should ask the depot or the company you are buying from for a couple of phone numbers of contractors with suitable hydraulic cranes (HIABs). If in doubt and if you are interested in the London area could phone Karl at Jacksons Transport on 07831 483267.
Obviously you should give clear directions and plenty of contact phone numbers but the convention is that you pay your supplier who gives you a "release reference" which you then give to the transport company and they give this to the depot when they collect.
Unless you need it for Christmas goods try not to ask for a delivery in late November/early December or in early January as the delivery companies are working flat out to supply the supermarkets with boxes for their Christmas boom. |
| Painting, maintenance and security of your container |
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If you can get two railway sleepers for the container to be placed on this will make the container more level and may well give it a longer life by keeping it off the ground. It is important for the container not to be " racked" or twisted as this stops the doors from opening properly (or at all!). You may well want to paint it so that it is in keeping with the area but also to preserve the steel. It is no good using ordinary house paints as the rust will rust through - you need solvent-based paints which will last and protect. You can find some suppliers at some of the suppliers on http://www.paints.co.uk or http://www.paintshop.co.uk
Many people remove the extra bars. A container comes with two bars on each door. This is to prevent machinery inside from bursting open the doors if the container lurches while at sea. You box will be much more static so you can remove the extra bars and you will make it much easier to open and close. Many people put a cowling over the top of a locking point. If you need it you can find welding suppliers at http://www.welding.co.uk It may be as well to place your container so that it is sloping and water does not collect on the roof - this will very much depend on what you are using it for. For suppliers of containers try the various suppliers through www.containers.co.uk. Get a quote from each of them and you will have a good comparison to go on. |
| Comments, copyright and linking |
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Comments on this brief guide would be welcome. Also, please let us know if you do put in a link to this guide from your website and we will try to reciprocate with a link from us to your site.
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