Cargo Container

[Stimw]

Regular steel 20's are ballpark 5000# 40's are ballpark 10,000#.
You can probably drop one end 4' and not hurt them if the doors are closed and all 4 lock rods are fastened. You should see how they are treated at the ports!
I've delivered and picked up many of them with a 48' Landaul. A company that I used to work for rented them out for storage and construction sites. We just tilted and pulled out from under them. To load there was a hydraulic winch on the front of the trailer. The hard part was keeping the box straight on the trailer when loading. The Landaul beds were flat with no sides. I would have to stick a piece of pipe in a pocket and use it for a guide. We used a 15,000 forklift or a 4 high stacker in the yard to move them around and store them.
If you can put it outside that would be better than wasting under roof space.

 

[rgood]

Thanks for the Ideas Stimw - Covenant wouldn't allow it outside - I think another advantage of it is due to it's strength I can build a loft above it.

Or store hay on top of it

 

[Willl]

I think another advantage of it is due to it's strength I can build a loft above it.

Or store hay on top of it

Up to a point, the top panels were never designed to support a lot of weight.

 

[Lawnman TX]

RGood,
I have a 20 footer inside my shop and it is great. Metal buildings are not very secure, you only need a cordless drill to get in...

I am about to build a new building and am going to move my container in there as well. Makes a great tool room or controlled access area.

Hay on top should be no big deal, I have 2 300 gallon water tanks up there at the end and just welded a piece of channel iron across inside the contianer to the sills and it has held up great.

Just have it delivered on a roll off truck and they can get it pretty close to location. Have them drop it on some pipe if you need to push it up into a cornor, A 763 bobcat will scoot it around, just won't lift it.

You can lift it up onto blocks with 2 high lift jacks in the cornor holes.

 

[rgood]

Thanks for the feedback - I think I'm setting up delivery for Friday.

Had 2 different vendors competing for the sale - But only one offered roll-off delivery - The other said, "Rent a fork lift". I wouldn't mind pushing the container with a fork lift, but I'm not putting it on the ground.

 

[rgood]

The Container arrived today - I ordered this from a Major Vendor - And the Container was a Major POS. Beat to heck on both sides - Had some holes in it that had been filled with sealant - 3 different colors of paint.

I sent it back - Called the vendor before I turned it around - They apologized, said the salesman was on vacation. I didn't expect it to be in perfect condition - But I plan to put walls inside of this thing and my walls would be crooked. We'll see what their response is - They seemed apologetic on the phone - We'll see what the result is - Bad deal cause shipping is not cheap.

 

[tommu56]

The Container arrived today - I ordered this from a Major Vendor - And the Container was a Major POS. Beat to heck on both sides - Had some holes in it that had been filled with sealant - 3 different colors of paint.

I sent it back - Called the vendor before I turned it around - They apologized, said the salesman was on vacation. I didn't expect it to be in perfect condition - But I plan to put walls inside of this thing and my walls would be crooked. We'll see what their response is - They seemed apologetic on the phone - We'll see what the result is - Bad deal cause shipping is not cheap.

They should eat the shipping product wasen't what was advertised!

tom

 

[EddieWalker]

When I bought my containers, I went to their yard and picked out the two that I wanted. It was about an hour and a half drive each way, but worth it when I saw how bad some of them were. I just wrote down the numbers of the two I liked, and that's what they delivered.

I don't thin anybody really cared which ones went where, and if I hadn't been specific on the two that I wanted, they would have just loaded the two closest to their truck.

Eddie

 

[Taylortractornut]

We got a cheap 53 footer from a man for storage at work. the passenger side had been damaged and we got it for 500. it was an insulated American brand Freuhaf or Great Dane I cant remeber. Had wood floors. he boled 2 pannels of composite 1 1/4 sheets to the inside to stiffen the week side and provide protection from my fork lift when driving it in there. We had some 2.5 foot 3 latered shelving built into it and left the front of the trailer opern for Tire storage and spare engine and drive line storage. I found another in similar shape and a friend bought it and has it on a farm as a house. He has flouresent shop lights and conduit added in it like ours and a shelving unit and a bathroom and a wall seperating his bed room. He is building a slant roof top on it no to make a sight attic and to hold back hard weather. It doesnt take much to heat or cool it. Hes made a nice house for around 2200. He thought about this alot and had decided this because 6 months of the year he works away from home.

 

[schmism]

check your local craigslist

in the st louis area there are usually always a few for sale.

20' and 40' are the most common around hear.

FYI the 20' weigh about 5Klbs the 40' is about twice that.

also FYI a ~80hp Case tractor with FEL will lift a 20'. (ask me how i know)

 

[Cat_Driver]

Check with Zoning laws. I was stunned to realize I could not have on AFTER I purchased it.

Learn from my mistake.

 

[schmism]

Check with Zoning laws. I was stunned to realize I could not have on AFTER I purchased it.

Learn from my mistake.

so elaborate on what "failed" in the zoning law?

 

[rgood]

I have Home Owner's Assoc that wouldn't allow it outside - My intent was to put it inside my barn to save the cost of concrete and to get a secure and bug free Air Conditioned space installed quickly.

The Vendor delivered an acceptable unit the 2nd time - Not an outstanding unit/needs some work - But I can make it work.

20' units are harder to find than 40' units - The decreased supply makes them hold their value. I looked on Craig's list for months and found nothing - If you can find one, you can get a tow truck to pick it up for you and deliver it.

 

[EddieWalker]

I saw several signs advertising them for sale in North Texas last week. 40' container for $2,450.

Eddie

 

[rgood]

Ya, $2,400 is not cheap during a Depression and then you add sales tax and delivery to that !

 

[EddieWalker]

No sales tax on farm use here in Texas. Delivery might add up, but you are still getting a secure, instant building for $7.65 a square foot.

Eddie

 

[rgood]

You are right Eddie, but it wasn't long ago you could get a 40' container for less than $1,000

 

[jinman]

You are right Eddie, but it wasn't long ago you could get a 40' container for less than $1,000

. . . and gasoline for under $1 per gallon, but don't hold your breath for those times to return anytime soon.

I think there is a glut of containers on the market. Around here, they've held their price pretty well with the delivery price changing as fuel prices fluctuate. The current average price of a quality 40-footer is $2200 to $2300. If the supply of containers wasn't so great, they would probably be $3000 or more. Like Eddie, I think the cost per square foot for instant secure storage is pretty darn good. I think they are bargain. They're ugly, but a bargain all the same.

 

[Charlesaf3]

so quick math, ex labor is it that much cheaper than a shed roof frame building? say 320sqft, say 4yds concrete at under $500, 16x20 building, 60 studs at around $240. 10 joists, and then 18 pieces of ply/OSB for sides, and 10 for roof. Seems like give take $1000 dollars or so before windows etc, but you'd have to pay extra for those in the container as well.

Granted leaving out labor is BIG. But a shed doesn't take that long.

 

[rgood]

I wanted to get something installed quick so I could press on with the A/C etc.

Pouring Concrete in Florida, in August didn't sound appealing to me - And I don't have much concrete experience - But I have enough to know, you better have plenty of friends show up the day of the pour - And you need one person that all they do is talk to the concrete man and write the check and one lady to keep the Ice tea going to the guys - And there's no guarantee on how precise the poured floor is going to end up.