How to Self Pack a Shipping Container
All About 20ft Shipping Containers
Shipping containers have a variety of uses depending on your needs. Traditionally containers are used for transporting or storing belongings, but in the last few decades cargotecture has become more popular with shipping containers used as building blocks for houses, apartments, swimming pools, malls, pop-up cafes, restaurants and a variety of other projects that we’ve covered in the Gateway Gazette. The uses of shipping containers really is only limited by your imagination. In this blog we take a closer look at 20ft shipping containers, one of the most popular container sizes here at Gateway.
Types of 20ft shipping containers
Here’s a list of the basic shipping containers Gateway Container Sales have on offer:
- Standard 20ft shipping containers – 2.59 metres high X 6 metres long X 2.44 metres wide
- High cube 20ft shipping containers – same length and width but 2.8 metres high
- Reefer (refrigerated) 20ft shipping containers – for keeping your goods cool or frozen
- Side door 20ft shipping containers – for loads that need side access
- Open top 20ft shipping containers – for loads of unlimited height
- Flat rack shipping containers – for unusual width loads
New or used?
At Gateway Container Sales we sell both used and new 20ft shipping containers. You don’t always need to buy a new one even to move your gear halfway around the world.
Uses for secondhand shipping containers
- A good quality used 20ft shipping container can ship your goods around the world and be sold on at the other end
- For transportable on-site storage you can also have a used shipping container
- An older, cheaper 20ft shipping container can be used as permanent on-site storage yet still be secure from both the elements and unwelcome human/animal visitors
- There are many architectural uses for secondhand containers.
New shipping containers
- Where precision is required in construction then new shipping containers are best used for architecture
- If you plan to move goods between Australia and other countries over a longer term then a new container could be useful, saving on longer-term hire costs
- If you are planning on a one way trip then a new container can provide added peace of mind.
Why would you want a 20ft shipping container?
Here are some ideas from the mundane to outright insane for you to buy a shipping container from Gateway Container Sales:
- You want to move all your gear abroad. A standard 20ft shipping container can typically hold all your gear from a 2 to 3 bedroom house. You would sell it on at the other end.
- You need to store your gear in a secure yet movable storage space, perhaps on a building site
- You are exporting perishable goods and need a refrigerated (reefer) container to do it
- You are a sports club and want to store your gear on site
- You want a granny apartment in the garden for your folks when they visit
- You need an office to work in away from the kids
- You want to build a mansion using eco-friendly, sustainable and low cost materials.
What makes 20ft shipping containers so useful?
Thanks to the regulations that govern their size, shape and build, shipping containers are uniform in the way they are made. Ultimately they were designed to sit on a ship, train or truck on exactly the same fixings and moved with maximum efficiency almost anywhere in the world.
Architects have latched onto this standardisation too, using them as 6 metre long ‘bricks’ that can be fitted together, cut and modified in a range of different ways that are both wide ranging yet stem from their stand size and shape.
All 20ft shipping containers are:
- 6 metres long X 2.44 metres wide
- Made of Corten steel that lasts decades in all climates
- Have wooden floors that have been treated with pesticides and anti-fungal chemicals
- Have high quality doors that open 270 degrees, allowing every square centimetre of the container to be loaded
- Are highly secure.
With the wide range of shipping containers available there are variations to the basic concepts above. Wider? Taller? Conversion? There’s one for every occasion!
Buy your 20ft shipping containers from Gateway today!
So, you’ve read this far and want to buy a 20ft shipping container from Gateway Container Sales? We have hundreds of shipping containers in stock to buy or hire, have a browse to see what’s on offer. See something you like? You can request a free quote for a specific container or a general quote and we’ll get back to you within 24 hours. Have a particular project in mind? Contact our friendly team today to discuss your needs!
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