Moving shipping containers

[bdog]

I am looking at getting a shipping container to store some things in. Not sure yet if going with a 20' or 40' long version. From what I gather they have special trucks that deliver them and unload them at your place. I will need to move it about 100' to its final position. Flat ground no rocks.

Can I just push or pull this thing into place? A quick Google search shows some people saying you can and others saying you can't as they are easy to bend and foul up the alignment of the doors being able to close.

I don't have anything that could pick it up but I am pretty sure my dozer could drag it no problem. I do have a friend who has dozens of cranes and owes me a favor but I don't want to bother him with this if I can safely move it myself.

 

[bcp]

Some ideas:

shipping+container+wheels

shipping+container+skid

 

[CMV]

Dumb question but can't the guys who deliver it just place it where you want it? Smallest things I've seen move them are F350 and rollback trailer.

Figure it's 8,000 lbs for a typical 40'. All that weight is on 4 small corner pieces so would make a mess dragging it.

 

[TractorNH]

I have a 40' standard height (not the high cube) container and it is probably every bit of 9k lbs. I had to get it moved from where I got it to my place and hired a towing company with a 40' 50 ton Landoll. He winched it onto the trailer and was able to get it to my place but the last 50' I had to go with it I needed to make a 90 degree turn and then drag it into place. The spot was too tight for him to be able to back it in there. When he was sliding it off I had set it on wood 4x6's to give it more of a point load to slide it on. Pipes or other steel would have made it slide easier but there is NO WAY I could have just dragged it across the dirt. I worked my JD 350C dozer hard to get the container dragged into place and at one point even needed help from our 580CK backhoe to help pull it along (I was in loose but dry dirt). The JD 350C is about 10k lbs and has brand new tracks with aggressive grousers. With the container empty my 350C can barely pick up one end of it. Your 550J is about 18k lbs (and 28 years newer) so it should be a bit easier for you to maneuver it.

In the first picture, the container was dropped off right where my dozer is parked with one end of the container about 10' closer to the camera than where the front blade is sitting. I had to drag it around that corner like the arrow shows.

 

[TractorNH]

Dumb question but can't the guys who deliver it just place it where you want it? Smallest things I've seen move them are F350 and rollback trailer.

Figure it's 8,000 lbs for a typical 40'. All that weight is on 4 small corner pieces so would make a mess dragging it.

Depends on the location and whether you can really get a truck in there. a 40' container on a trailer with a truck is pushing 70-80' total length. I had to make a 90 degree turn with it and go another 50' where the truck couldn't get into. The container is meant to support it's full weight on the 4 corners but the corners don't stick down below the side or end rails.

 

[Billrog]

I've moved a few of them into place for customers with my 580 backhoe with ease. One had a skid steer but it wouldn't move it. To move it a distance in one case I had them put fence posts under it as it moved to act as rollers and not dig up the driveway.

 

[Captain Dirty]

I am looking at getting a shipping container to store some things in. <snip> I will need to move it about 100' to its final position. Flat ground no rocks.

Why not say "Drop it HERE"?

Does the delivering carrier have a revenue enhancing "lift gate service" premium? For 100 feet of flat, rockless ground you might finesse that with a 6-pack.

A couple of warnings: If lifted with a single point, 4-legged sling the longitudinal top rails may buckle; most container handling equipment has a spreader to take the compressive forces of a top lift. Used containers are often sold because wear/damages exceed some specification; I've seen sills rusted through, severe dents, etc.

 

[Dave Pee]

Piece of cake!

I had to pull the semi out of the sugar sand in the road, with a 40 ft container (mighty Tacoma to the rescue). Then with a tight driveway etc etc, he ended up dumping it close to where I wanted it.

Tried to drag it - no go.

Bottom line: buy some 6 or 8 inch wood fence posts, and put those under the container. Rolls like nobodys business!

 

[TractorNH]

I've moved a few of them into place for customers with my 580 backhoe with ease. One had a skid steer but it wouldn't move it. To move it a distance in one case I had them put fence posts under it as it moved to act as rollers and not dig up the driveway.

20' or 40' containers? Our 580CK couldn't budge the 40' by itself.

 

[rustyshakelford]

I sold our 40 HC to a buddy across the street. We hauled it on his 20+5 Trailer. Was a mess but worked. My 100 hp Deere lifted it enough we could back the trailer under it. There痴 way to move them but they are a pain. You have the equipment and knowledge for sure. We didn稚 have any issues with door alignment. It痴 been moved 3 times since I had it

Brett

 

[Stimw]

I used to repair containers, move them with a stacker/packer and pick up and deliver with a 48' Landoll and KW Semi.
Used to own a 20'er and now a 45'.
I had my 45'er grounded and then later needed to move it so I could put up a 40' X 60' red iron building.
I hooked my 3 pt onto one pocket at a time with my 3510 Branson and lifted it, sort of and dragged it.
It wasn't easy but I got it done.
20'ers are in the 5000 lb range and 40-45-48'ers are in the 10,000 lb range.
You can jack them at all 4 corners under the pockets to level and square up the doors to work properly.
Second pic you can see how far I moved it and turned it 90*.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Each of my loaders can lift one end of this forty footer, but we basically just dragged it 500 feet to it's new location. They are quite robust. The excavator surprisingly couldn't lift it, but I think he had cylinder seal issues.

Pushing it in among trees was a harder, slower process.

 

[bdog]

Thanks guys. As others have alluded to I don't think they can back into where I want it. It involves some turns that would be difficult.

I think I will just have them drop it here and then try moving it with my equipment and if it doesn't work call my buddy with the cranes.

 

[4570Man]

I’ve moved a semi trailer out of a hole with locked up axels about a hundred yards. I picked up the front and set it on my rollback and picked up the back and we drove it about a hundred yards. It’s all my SVL-95-2 will do to lift one end of a semi trailer. You’ll never do it with an average tractor. I don’t think dragging it with a dozer will be a problem.

 

[bcp]

Lots of videos moving a container with a dozer.

container+dozer

Bruce

 

[City Farmer]

Last weekend, my Case 350 dozer pushed the 20 container around, on uneven ground like it was nothing. I moved it a half mile with the Ford 4500 BH. The BH didn稚 like it at all but I had it moved in 2hrs.

 

[TractorNH]

Last weekend, my Case 350 dozer pushed the 20 container around, on uneven ground like it was nothing. I moved it a half mile with the Ford 4500 BH. The BH didn稚 like it at all but I had it moved in 2hrs.

20's are a piece of cake, 40's are a whole different animal just due to the weight of them.

 

[bdog]

Thanks guys. I don't think I will have a problem dragging it. If the dozer alone won't do it I also have another rubber tracked crawler with 100hp that weighs 20k and I could hook them both to it. My main concern was if dragging it would damage the container. Looking at the videos bcp posted I don't think it will.

 

[Industrial Toys]

With those resources, it will be FUN!

You might want to make sure your doors are tightly closed, but even that probably won't matter if you attach down low.

 

[CMV]

Would putting the back on a 2x10x8, cupped side up, help make it easier to skid across the ground? Or would it just pull right off the board? In my mind, it seems that would help - lift front a little, drag on back corners with board to make it want to ride over the ground vs cutting as it goes.