Shipping Container Delivery Costs and Frequently Asked Questions

When you invest in a Container One shipping container, we believe you should know exactly what you’re paying for – not just the physical product, but the entire experience. We value your business and know you could have chosen to go elsewhere. And because we appreciate you putting your trust in us, we want to treat you right during the entire sales and delivery process. That means being transparent when it comes to delivery options and pricing.

These shipping container delivery FAQs below should clear up some of the questions you might have on the topic.

Q. How do you charge for delivering my shipping container?

Whether it’s your cell phone bill, concert tickets or auto service invoice, we all often pay more than we thought we would for products and services. Look closely at your billing statements, and you’ll see all kinds of “hidden fees.” There are shipping and handling fees, access fees, origination fees, transaction fees, disposal fees, environmental fees and more. So many fees that we have no idea what we’re even paying for.

We don’t believe it’s good business to show a price for a shipping container and then tack on the cost for delivery toward the end of the transaction.

We’re the only company in the industry that includes delivery in the price you see for 20 ft. and 40 ft. shipping containers. No hidden fees. We generate these prices using our proprietary calculator that gets you the best price based on your zip code.

Because cost is a big factor in deciding where to buy a shipping container, we believe it is important to ensure your quoted price includes delivery of the container. Container One always generates a delivered price, so the quoted price for 20 ft. and 40 ft. shipping containers includes everything - including delivery.

Note: 53 ft. shipping containers are not available in every market, are site-specific, and require unique shipping methods, which often leads to additional delivery charges.

Q. How does my shipping container get delivered?

We offer four delivery methods to get your shipping container where you want it:

Tilt Bed/Roll Off

The container will arrive on a trailer that will tilt back and place the edge of the container on the ground. The 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.

Customer Assist

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.

Flat Bed

20 ft. and 40 ft 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. *53 ft. shipping containers are delivered on a container chassis and require the customer to unload using a crane or 15,000 lb. forklift.

Customer Pickup

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.  All 53-foot shipping containers must be picked up from the depot - delivery is only possible if you can lift the container off the trailer with a forklift or a crane.

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 for more details.

Q. When you place my shipping container, where will the doors face?

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:

Doors Forward

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.

Doors to the Rear

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

Q. How does inclement weather (rain or snow) affect delivery or pricing?

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. We also ask our customers to call us in advance of their delivery if the weather may cause a problem. 

Q. What if the weather looks like it might cause a delivery issue?

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.

Q. What else about your shipping container delivery process sets you apart from the competition?

We hire the best drivers in the industry. They are contracted and dedicated to us and know exactly what is expected of them each day. Also, 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:

1. There are no visible holes in this container
2. The seals appear to be intact
3. The floors are intact and in good condition
4. The doors on the shipping container open, close and latch
5. The door handles are intact 

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 or check out our additional information about how to buy a shipping container here.