There are a few different ways to get a shipping container delivered to your property. Each has unique requirements resulting in different costs. Our instant quotes include accurate delivery costs based on your location and the delivery method you select. There are no hidden fees at Container One!

Overall, container delivery cost varies depending on your location and the delivery method. We’re the only company in the industry that includes delivery cost in the price you see for shipping containers. We generate accurate prices using our proprietary calculator that gets you the best price based on your zip code. Try it below:

No. Both 40ft shipping containers and 20ft shipping containers are delivered the same ways. Therefore, typically, there is no difference in the delivery cost for a 40ft or 20 ft container. However, if a customer needs a smaller trailer or tow truck to maneuver sharp turns, it may require additional costs. 

Yes. At Container One, we offer two shipping container financing options; a rent-to-own program and a more traditional financing option. In both cases, the container delivery price is included in the terms of the financing.

You might be wondering, how are containers delivered? We offer three shipping container delivery methods to your property; tilt bed roll off, customer assist, and flatbed. 

Tilt bed or roll off is by far the most common delivery method because it doesn’t require customer assistance. The container will arrive on a trailer that will tilt back and place the edge of the container on the ground. The truck and trailer will pull away and allow the container to slide or roll off the trailer onto the ground. Here is a video that shows how this delivery method works. 

This delivery method requires the customer to have an anchor point on the delivery site. A chain can be attached to the container and then attached to the anchor point. The trailer then pulls away and the container slides onto the ground.

20ft and 40ft shipping containers will arrive on a flatbed trailer attached to a semi-truck. The customer will need to provide a means to lift the container off the trailer, which could be a crane, forklift or any other heavy equipment. 

Customers are able to arrange a date and time to go to the depot and pick up their containers. We recommend that you have the proper equipment needed before attempting to move the container.  

Note: Customers choosing this delivery option often get their shipping container sooner and get a pricing discount. If you are interested in this method, please call 866-544-3050 for more details.

When scheduling your container delivery, you should tell us what direction you want the doors to face when the container is on the ground. That helps us figure out the “door orientation,” which refers to the direction the doors should face when loaded on the trailer.

Think about where you want the driver to place the shipping container and then also consider the shipping container’s surroundings. Those factors will help you decide between:

The doors will face the back of the truck and will be the last thing off the trailer as it is delivered. An example of using doors forward would be if you are placing your container against a fence, barn or other structure.

The doors will face away from the truck and will be the first thing off the trailer as it is delivered.

If you’re getting the standard tilt/troll-off delivery, your property must be accessible by truck and trailer and there must be a relatively flat cleared area to place the shipping container. See exact shipping container dimensions here to make sure you’re clearing enough room for your container. Many customers get the container placed on bare ground (grass or dirt), while others prepare a foundation. 

The common types of foundations for shipping containers include asphalt, gravel base, grass or dirt, and railroad ties or pressure treated beams. 

Typically, it does not affect pricing. There is an abundance of caution taken before scheduling a delivery, including back and forth communication with the customer and watching weather forecasts to do our best to avoid delivering in poor conditions. Our customers, and Container One, don’t want the delivery driver to get stuck on, or negatively impact, a customer’s property. So, we do our research to pinpoint the most ideal date and time to deliver. However, if a driver were to get stuck, the customer is responsible for arranging a tow truck to assist in freeing the driver. We also ask our customers to call 866-544-3050 in advance of their delivery if the weather may cause a problem. 

In the majority of cases, a little rain will not impact delivery. However, if the weather is especially wet, causing the soft ground areas to turn muddy, we would recommend delaying delivery until ground conditions improve. Muddy conditions can prohibit the driver from being able to place the shipping container in the customer's desired location.

Frozen ground is OK because it is a solid surface - provided it is not too icy to get traction. Soft ground is a potential issue because the delivery truck could impact the customer's property and potentially cause the driver to get stuck. We want every customer to have a successful delivery, so we do our best to ensure these issues are avoided.

We contract only with DOT approved trucking companies that have all the required insurance and safety qualifications per federal regulations. We contract them because they’re dedicated to our high standards and pass our container inspection mandate. They know exactly what we expect of them and they follow our strict delivery protocol to ensure a safe delivery.

Our delivery process includes a five-point inspection performed by our drivers on every shipping container prior to loading. The driver then goes over the inspection with the customer at the delivery. The five-point inspection includes:

We hope that this has been informative and helped to answer any questions you might have about the delivery of your shipping container. If you have further questions, we invite you to give us a call 866-544-3050 or check out our additional information about how to buy a shipping container here.