Shipper-Owned Container Primer

We recently added a new page to our website about shipper-owned containers and preparing your container for shipping. We provide containers for people to ship overseas.  We work with freight forwarders,  logistics providers, and individuals to provide them with the right container for their project.

If you are shipping a container for the first time, the first question to ask yourself is if you want to own the container when it gets to its destination or if you want to give it back.  If you do not want to own the container, you can use the shipping line's container.  Contact your shipping line, freight forwarder or logistics provider to arrange for that.

If you want to own the container when it gets to its destination, then you want what is called a shippper-owned container.  We can provide you with used or one-trip containers for this.  If you want a used container, it needs to be in "cargo-worthy" condition, which means that it is structurally sound enough to be used for shipping overseas.  In addition to it being in that condition, you will need proof for the shipping line that it is cargo-worthy.  We can survey the container for you and provide you with a certificate that the container is cargo-worthy.

Trucking and shipping your container is handled by your shipping line, freight forwarder or logistics provider.  We do not provide trucking for containers being shipped overseas.  We bring containers out and set them on the ground.  However, the trailers used to bring the container into the rail yard or port cannot pick up containers, so you would need a crane to lift up a container and set it on the truck for transport.  Since most people and companies do not have that, it is simply cheaper and easier to have your shipping line, freight forwarder or logistics provider arrange to pick the container up from us, bring it to you for loading and then continue with it to the rail or port. Our drivers do not have the proper documentation to go into the rail or port, so we cannot do that trucking for you.

If you are planning to modify your container once it is at the destination, we also have kits for adding in doors, windows, partitions, skylights and more.  You just need someone to cut and weld at the other end.  For more information on that, check out our modifications page to our website.