Shipping Container Delivery
Buying a shipping container is a straightforward process with Rent-A-Container. The following information will make sure your delivery service is just as convenient.
Our Delivery Process
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Ordering/Scheduling
- 1) Order is placed - during the order process the customer gives us door direction, delivery address and delivery contact/phone number.
- 2) Our logistics team will contact the customer to discuss a delivery date, the delivery location and any other issues or questions can be addressed at that time.
- 3) Our logistics team will finalize a delivery date and time window with the customer and our local delivery partner.
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Day of Delivery
- 4) All of our delivery partners are instructed to call the customer prior to arrival.
- 5) The driver arrives and makes contact with the customer to finalize the specific delivery site.
- 6) The container is tilted off to the ground.
- 7) The customer can inspect the container with the driver.
Being prepared to receive your container delivery is important for you, the delivery driver, and the health of your shipping containers. Below is a comprehensive overview of the delivery process and how you can best accommodate a smooth experience.
Average time to receive a shipped container after placing an order with Rent-A-Container? We generally deliver containers 5-10 days after an order is placed. If you need one sooner, just let us know and we will do all we can to get the container delivered when you need it. We will always work with you to find a delivery date and time window that works.
What Should I Have Prepared Before Having a Shipping Container Delivered?
- Site selection and preparation.
- Decide which way you’ll want the doors to face when unloaded as this will determine how your container is positioned on the delivery truck (you provide this information at the time of the order but it can be changed if need be).
- Be available on the day of delivery.
- Entrances, exits, and pathways to the property and the specific delivery site must be cleared of debris and obstacles.
- Ensure there is enough space for the delivery driver to maneuver and unload your container at the site.
- Be ready to guide the driver so the container can be delivered as close as possible to where you want it.
- If you are having the container set on railroad ties or blocks, ensure you have the necessary help on site to move them during delivery.
The Best Delivery for the Site and Container
Typically, shipping containers are delivered on trucks with roll-off trailers for convenient and fast drops. However, there are several options on which shipping containers can be delivered to a drop site.
Tilt-bed Trucks
If you order a 20 ft. container or two 10 ft. containers, we can take advantage of tilt-bed trucks. These truck’s beds can conveniently tip down to gently place your container on the ground. As the driver pulls forward, the bed of the truck gently slides out from under the container. The result is a beautifully positioned container right at your site.
Tilt-bed or Roll-Off Trailers Pulled by a Truck
These roll-off trailers perform the same action as the tilt-bed truck, but instead of being one single unit, the tilt-bed trailer is separate from the truck pulling it. This type of trailer can be used to support multiple 20 ft. containers or your longer 40 ft. and 45 ft. containers.
Flatbed Trucks (**not used unless specifically requested)
Able to pull up to 45 feet of container, flatbed trucks are another delivery option for shipping containers. These trucks require the receiving company or purchaser to have access to a crane or heavy machinery able to unload the storage unit. These trucks are typically only used in the delivery of shipping containers over several hundred miles.
Rent-A-Container will always consider the best delivery options for you based on the containers ordered and the requirements of your specific site.
Make Sure Your Site Has the Required Clearance
The trucks also need ample space at your delivery site to maneuver. Assume that you will need the following
- 100 ft. of straight clearance for 40 ft. containers and 60 ft. of straight clearance for a 20 ft. container. Measure the space from where the back of the container will sit.
- 12 feet total width for the truck to deliver the container.
- 14 feet of vertical clearance is required for the truck and container to drive under an obstacle safely.
- 16-20 feet (depending on the truck and trailer) of vertical clearance is required at the actual delivery site in order to safely complete the tilt-off delivery.
Site Preparation Guidelines
Selecting a Place For Your Container
Choose a Dry Hard Surface
The trucks that deliver shipping containers can weigh up to 45,000 pounds! Be sure your site can accommodate the potential weight. Try selecting sites with established and compacted hard surfaces. This can include parking lots, cement and compacted gravel pathways and platforms, hard surface areas.
Avoid Wet Areas and Soft Ground
Areas that hold a lot of water are not ideal for shipping container sites for several reasons. One, they can result in the delivery truck becoming stuck or destroying your property while driving over it. Two, shipping container floors and steel foundations can corrode and fail over time if continuously exposed to these types of wet conditions.
Preparing Your Site
Creating An Elevated and Flat Site
Whenever possible, provide your shipping container with a leveled or flat surface that is slightly elevated. Cement slabs are ideal.
Flat surfaces ensure that both doors will open and close in order to seal properly, and elevated areas ensure that water and runoff do not affect the condition of your container.
When necessary, you might consider preparing your shipping container site yourself. Utilizing a proper mixture and foundation of clay, sand, stone, and crushed gravel as well as a compactor will allow you to build the optimal hard surface.
Another option is to use a prefabricated footing to place beneath your container. Most commonly people use railroad ties or even concrete blocks. If you opt to use blocks, enture they are solid and do not have holes like cinder block which can crush under the weight of the container..
If you do decide to use railroad ties, you must ensure that you have someone there to move them during delivery. While they may be able to help, you should not assume that the delivery driver will be able to move them for you.
Remove Obstacles and Clear the Path for the Driver Before the Delivery
Check and measure your entrances and the pathway to ensure that the delivery driver has full clearance around your space. Clear out debris, vehicles, branches, and other obstacles that might require the driver to get out of the truck. Doing so will result in a quick, clean delivery (sometimes as quick as 15 minutes).
Communication with Site Personnel and the Driver
Be sure to give appropriate security or site access to the driver prior to their arrival at the site. This means letting all necessary staff that work at the drop site notice of the delivery and arrival time as well.
If there will be additional directions or requirements for the driver, please be sure to communicate these in a timely manner. This might be security access, rough road condition warnings, or site specific suggestions.