In the modern world shipping containers have many uses, in addition to transport and storage. While a shipping container may appear to be a simple rectangular box, there’s more to them than meets the eye. There are a lot of posts online about the many advantages of shipping containers, but in this post, we’ll highlight the top 5 mistakes people make when buying or hiring a shipping container so you can avoid them.
#1 – DON’T CHOOSE THE WRONG CONTAINER FOR YOUR NEEDS
This brings up an all-important point. You must first think hard about what you’ll be using the container for before committing to either buying or hiring one. While many containers look similar, they’re not all the same.
To break it down, let’s list some of the common varieties of the shipping container:
- Standard shipping container
- High cube container
- The reefer (refrigerated)
- Top loading shipping container
- Sideloading container
- Dangerous and hazardous goods container
- Flat rack container
- And more…
Obviously, the top one on the list is the most common, and it’s just your basic shipping container.
There are also various sizes. The most popular is the 20ft container, followed by the mammoth 40 footers. There is also a baby 10ft container, plus some custom-sized containers.
#2 – CHOOSING THE WRONG SHIPPING CONTAINER COMPANY
Not all companies that supply shipping containers in Australia are the same. Prices vary for a start. Some companies only stock certain types of container and may not have what you’re looking for. You also want to ensure that the company you do choose delivers to your location. Otherwise, how will you get your container to where it needs to be?
Again, this comes back to first thinking about your requirements, then doing some research online and over the phone to determine which shipping container company best suits your needs.
#3 – BUYING OR HIRING A CONTAINER THAT’S BEEN OVER-MODIFIED
Containers are remodelled, chopped up and refashioned for many different purposes these days. If your goal is to buy or hire a container that’s been modified to suit a specific need, make sure that the container hasn’t had too much steel cut out of it, and that the modified version is still super strong and stable.
You don’t want to end up with a container that starts to fall apart when you move it or use it.
#4 – LOOK INTO THE HISTORY OF A USED SHIPPING CONTAINER
Brand new containers are not a problem, but if you want a used container, you may want to try a discover what’s been shipped or stored inside that container in the past. This information may or may not be available, but it’s worth checking.
As an example, if you plan to build a spare bedroom, granny flat or home office from a used container, you don’t want one that’s previously been used to store or haul chemicals and other hazardous materials.
#5 – DISCUSS YOUR NEEDS WITH THE CONTAINER COMPANY FIRST
With so many people shopping online, it can be easy to fall into the trap of purchasing a used shipping container online without first taking a look at it in real life. You also need to make sure you discuss your needs with the container company first. Don’t purchase sight unseen, as you can’t really tell the true condition of the container from a couple of photos on a web page.
Make sure you, or someone you know, first checks out the container before making the purchase or hire.
Can we help? Yes, Ask Tiger Containers.