5 Things to Consider in a Shipping Container Conversion
Shipping Containers for Sale in Brisbane: Purchasing Guide
If you are thinking of buying shipping containers for sale in Brisbane, then there are some key tidbits of information that you should be aware of first.
By knowing how to look for the right container, how to identify what kind of container you require and what questions to ask the broker, you will have no problems when you go to buy shipping containers.
How to find the right shipping containers for sale in Brisbane
Brisbane is a hub for shipping containers and as such there are a range of options for you. Before you buy a shipping container consider the following:
- Location: Try to choose a company close to where you live to reduce potential delivery costs.
- Reputation: Select a company that has a solid reputation in order to avoid frustrations or disappointment as much as possible. If a firm has a poor reputation the internet will soon tell you!
- Price: Shop around for prices in order to be sure that you are getting a good deal, but remember that it is not always best to buy the cheapest option. The old adage ‘buy cheap – get cheap’ applies even with shipping containers!
Though they may look simple, shipping containers have things that can go wrong. They can be bent, dropped, will rust over time and their seals will degrade. As with all items on the market there will be a ‘market value’ for a given shipping container – a super-cheap one won’t always be of the quality that you hoped for.
What kind of shipping containers do you need?
You can either buy shipping containers or rent them. If you are planning to use the container for an extended period of time (six months or more) then it makes more economic sense to buy a container. Remember that the container can be sold on after you have used it so it can make financial sense to buy it with that in mind – though you won’t make all your money back you could well be better off than a longer term rental would cost you.
There are a variety of choices available to you:
- Size: You can find containers between 10 and 48 feet long; 20 foot containers are the most common.
- Grade: Used containers come in three different grades – A, B or C. A and B grade containers are still in very good condition and C grade are in fair condition. A Grade is going to be vermin and weathertight, while B Grade will be weathertight. The seals may not be so good on C Grade containers, so have it inspected to assess whether it will meet your needs.
- ISO Standard: if you are planning to transport the container occasionally, then it is important that your container conforms to ISO standard sizing otherwise many transporters will refuse to move it.
Shipping containers come in various shapes and sizes to suit your requirements, some of the commonest containers we stock are categorised by size below:
10ft General Purpose
This is a three metre long ISO shipping container. It has sealed doors and a wooden floor. Being an ISO container it can be sent on any truck, train or ship in the standard way.
The 10ft container can be used for storage or transport with A Grade containers being vermin and weatherproof.
20ft General Purpose
This is a six metre long box and is the workhorse of the shipping container world – by far the commonest shipping container we have. Like the three metre shipping container, it has wooden floors and sealed doors at one end.
Our 20ft containers have a payload capacity of 28,190 kgs and, being ISO, can be sent on any truck, train or ship built to carry containers.
These containers can be high cube (2.9 metre) or standard height (2.59 metre).
40ft General Purpose
The largest of the ISO container sizes at 12 metres long, the 40ft container will do the job for large, bulky goods and has an approximate maximum payload weight of 26,710 kgs.
As with the 20ft container there are high cube (2.9 metre) and standard (2.59 metre) variants.
Reefer
Reefers are shipping containers with active air conditioning units that can control the temperature within to an exact level, ranging from +30°C to -30°C. They are plugged into the main power supply of the vehicle they are travelling on, or ashore/at dockside are plugged into mains electricity to keep the contents at the right temperature.
These can be 20ft or 40ft sizes – though will have a lower cubic capacity than their general purpose cousins by virtue of the machinery that is used to make and keep the contents cool.
Flat Rack
Amongst the different unusual shape/sized containers available are flat rack containers. These come as 20ft (6 metres) and 40ft (12 metre) sizes and are useful for transporting vehicles and other cargo that might not fit into the internal dimensions of a box container.
Side Opening
Where protection from the elements is still required but the cargo is oversized or awkward to load, a side opening container can be used. These come in standard ISO sizes but the doors are on the sides, and they can come with or without end doors.
Open top shipping container
Again for ease of loading and unloading, you can buy or hire an open top shipping container. This is protected from the elements with a tarpaulin. These come in ISO sizes and can be stacked as with the general purpose containers we described above.
Questions to ask providers of shipping containers for sale in Brisbane
When you are looking for shipping containers for sale, there are some important questions that you should ask a salesperson:
- Find out about the condition of the container and inspect it yourself – ask to see the CSC plates, which tell you when it was built. Do check the seals and that the container meets the description that the vendor has given.
- Ask them about any fees that may be included over and above the purchase price.
- When it would be delivered.
- If there are any special requirements for it to be delivered – space, time etc.
- About any guarantees or warranties.
The takeaway
The humble shipping container comes in an array of shapes and sizes, and may have had quite a life before you set eyes on it. It pays to go in with a bit of knowledge so you can get the best container for your needs. If you need a container for tool storage then you could be happy spending a couple of thousand bucks on one that doesn’t look pretty. But if your purpose is to store office archives or move your family home to Europe you will need a better quality one that will cost a fair bit more, and protecting your goods in all weathers as it travels or sits in your company premises.
Bear these tips and tricks in mind and you should walk away with the right container for the job.
Contact our team of experts to discuss how you can purchase shipping containers for sale in Brisbane now.
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