How To Move 20 Foot and 40 Foot Shipping Container

Shipping containers are a great solution with so many uses. They can hold a ton of stuff and keep it all safe and dry. Some common uses include home, office, retail or commercial storage, mobile offices, pop-up shops, construction site buildings, tiny homes and more. Since shipping containers are portable, it is only natural that you’d want to move your full container. But it isn’t always as easy as that. There are many factors to consider when moving a shipping container including the distance, size and what you are putting in the container. Here are some suggestions and solutions when it comes to moving your container.

Please note: Super Cubes does not move other people's containers. Below are simply helpful hints for moving your container yourself.

Factors to Consider When Moving a Shipping Container

Distance Matters

Are you moving the container across your site, across town, or across the country? Depending on the answer to this question, you may need different equipment to help out. Obviously, the shorter the distance, the more options you have. Cranes and forklifts can move a full container for an onsite move. If your container is going across town, there are trucks that can move 20’ containers. If you are moving across the country, things get a little trickier. Keep reading.

Size Matters

Both the size of the container and the weight of the contents will make a significant difference in transporting your shipping container. 20' containers are routinely used when individuals move from one location to another. They weigh 5,000 pounds when empty, and putting a 3-bedroom home in one will add an additional 5,000 – 7,000 pounds. There are various kinds of trucks that can pick up full 20's. However, these trucks are generally in high demand, so using them to move across the country can be expensive.

40' containers are a different matter. They weigh close to 10,000 pounds empty, which is getting to the upper end of what tilt-bed trucks can handle for picking up and setting down containers. For that reason, most ground-level trucking companies cannot pick them up or set them down with their trucks.

Long Distance & Heavy Shipping Container Transport Options

Long-distance, heavy moves are possible. They just require a few extra steps. If you are moving your containers a long distance or they are too heavy to be moved by tilt-bed trucks, there are a few other options.

1. Hire a crane. If you hire a crane, you can have your container picked up at the starting point and then have a crane at the destination to lift the container off the truck. You can then move the container by flatbed or chassis. Cranes can be expensive, so this is not always the cheapest option but it does allow you to load your container at your leisure.
   
   
2. Load the container while it is on the truck. If you are shipping the container overseas, this is the most common solution. The truck brings your container to you, you load it up while it stays on the truck, and then it continues to the destination. There, you either have to have a crane lift it off or empty it quickly and then have the container brought to another location that can lift it off and deliver your container to you on the ground empty. This second option is not always available. While this is generally cheaper than renting cranes on both ends of the process, it does require that you be ready to quickly load and unload the container while it is at dock height.
   
   
3. Wait for the container until your destination. If you don’t own the container already but want to have one at your destination, consider buying the container at the destination. Move your goods with a moving company and have your container waiting at the destination. You can have the movers move your goods directly into your container. This option generally gives you the fewest headaches. However, some people really like the idea of loading once and being done. That is not an option with this route.
   
   
4. Side-loaders and Rotators. If you happen to be in an area with a side loader or a rotator, you can load and unload the container using that. A side loader will pick the container up from the side. A rotator will pick it up with an arm and move it around that way. Neither are not readily available everywhere in the US, but there is a side loader in Chicago and a rotator in the Minneapolis-St Paul area.

Containers are great, but they do come with some logistical challenges. Hopefully this information will help you plan your move. Super Cubes does not move full containers, however, we are happy to be a resource if you run into technical questions while booking your own container move.

Contents Matter

What is inside the container also makes a difference. If you are moving general freight, that opens more doors than household goods. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) governs the movement of household goods carriers. Household Goods (HHG) carriers have to provide specific services: binding and nonbinding estimates; inventorying; protective packing and unpacking of individual items at personal residences; and/or loading and unloading at personal residences. Additionally, they must carry appropriate insurance. That is why when you start asking around for help in moving your container, often the first question is if it is empty or has something in it. If you say there is anything in it, the follow up question is about what type of goods. If a trucking company is not set up as that type of carrier, they cannot do that type of work.

Shipping containers are a great solution for many use cases, but they do come with some logistical challenges. Hopefully, this information will help you plan your move. Super Cubes does not move full containers; however, we are happy to be a resource if you encounter technical questions while booking your own container move. Remember, thorough planning and understanding of your transport needs can make the process smoother and more efficient.

Super Cubes is a family-owned business located in Minneapolis, MN, that provides containers anywhere in the continental US. We offer personalized service for individuals and businesses, providing high-quality containers  at competitive prices. With nationwide facilities, we can modify and deliver containers close to you. Contact our experienced team for your next container project.