Overview
30ft shipping containers are no longer in common use in the shipping industry but they are a very popular size for static storage use. For this reason we have a number of 30ft container options available, but prices will vary with geography more than a lot of other sizes of shipping container due to limited regional availability. There are 3 common types of 30ft shipping container in the open market which are all constructed slightly differently.
Used Bulk materials 30ft containers. These come with a door that opens like a letterbox. This allows bulk goods (e.g. rice) to be tipped out. these also have hatches in the roof designed for loading these bulk materials and are typically close to 9ft high (halfway between a standard height and high cube container). When used for storage use the doors will need modifying so ensure the doors work as you want them to.
30ft cut downs. When offering a new or refurbished 30ft container, we take a new or used 40ft container and cut it down to 30ft in length. this gives you standard opening doors and a solid structure, but you can get a circa 120mm tolerance in the length dimension only (as when we cut we need work with the corrugations on the side of the container)
Original 30ft freight containers. These are now very rare and we only see them pop up very occasionally. The only ones we have seen for the past years are very old 30ft containers that customers have previously purchased and used for storage. As they have been out of service for over 10 years we would suggest a lot of these are very old and near to the end (or past the end) of their serviceable life as a storage container. We will not offer any of these for sale through our website as we guarantee that all of our containers have come direct from import use. If you see these advertised elsewhere we strongly suggest to take care as we would view them as poorer quality.
As standard they come with a single set of double doors at one end only and a plywood floor throughout. (the bulk materials containers will have different door configuration options care fo this letterbox door opening which must be converted if the container is to be used for storage) The right-hand door will always open first. Each door has locking rods or bars to help close them and keep them shut.
All 30ft containers sourced from us you can trust to be secure, wind and watertight and long lasting.
30ft containers may be made up from COR-TEN Steel, (Used ex bulk materials containers), or a mix or Corten and mild steel (refurbished or fabricated units). All provide good quality units that will last for many years. Most designs will fit most customers needs well, but there are small differences between designs and this is where we are here to help. If you have a specialised requirement in mind or prefer a particular build or manufacturer then please contact us and we can make recommendations based on your needs. Otherwise we will typically quote on the most cost effective option(s) based on currently available stocks and your location.
Guarantee
All our shipping containers are checked over by a professional before sale. With the repair standard we specify we are confident to be able to offer our industry leading 2 year wind and watertight guarantee on all new, refurbished and used shipping containers. This means if your shipping container has a natural defect which results in a leak or other issue relating to its fitness for purpose as a storage container in its first 2 years we will come out and repair it free of charge.
Lifespan
Shipping containers usually only suffer from wear when they are handled and moved to and from a truck, boat, train or container stack. As most of our customers buy a container that will remain static in one place, aside from the rubber door seal, there is very little to wear or go wrong with it.
We regularly see refurbished and used shipping containers that were supplied as used 10+ years ago performing very well with little to no maintenance. So you should expect this sort of lifespan. The only exception is the rubber door seals that can wear out more quickly if the doors are used frequently.
New or one trip shipping containers should last an extremely long time, but as manufacturing techniques change so frequently (every 5-10 years or so) it is very hard to test the exact lifespan of a container. We know that a typical one trip container is circa 12 years younger than a used shipping container, and as we would expect 10 years solid use from a used container, its pretty safe to assume that a 20-22+ year lifespan for a new shipping container is very achievable.
Container Condition
Shipping containers are available in various conditions which effect their price and lifespan.
New (One Trip)
New (or One Trip) shipping containers are the very best quality option available. Freshly built in a factory (normally in China) they are moved to the UK with freight inside them which helps dramatically reduce the overall cost of the shipping container. These almost new shipping containers may have the odd imperfection consistent with this first trip but they will be in otherwise immaculate condition.
These one trip shipping containers are approximately 12 years younger than the average refurbished or used container we sell (or 12-20 years younger than a used container sold by any other trader) so the container will have a significantly longer lifespan. If these containers are to sit static on your site then they will also remain in very good condition. In 12 years time a one trip container you purchased from us that has sat static on your site will more than likely in better condition than an average used container we are selling at the time.
These containers come in green or blue without any logos and look a lot smarter than a refurbished or used shipping container.
Refurbished
Refurbished shipping containers are the middle ground between new and used shipping containers. We take the best quality used shipping containers and ensure they are of sound construction, leak free, have a good solid floor, a fully operational door and intact doors seals (where applicable). These are a lot neater than basic used containers and a fair bit cheaper than new (one trip) shipping containers.
We also repaint these containers in your choice of basic colour in a marine quality paint and add a high security lock box (padlock cover) to the shipping container. As these are made from used shipping containers there will still be dinks and dents along the frame of the container, but the repaint will give a much smarter appearance when compared to a basic used container.
Sometimes we make a refurbished shipping container by cutting down a larger shipping container to size (for example a 40ft shipping container may be cut down to make 4x 10ft containers). In these cases we typically offer our easy open or flat panel door option. These fabricated doors are much lighter (but still made from steel at least as thick as the steel in the corrugated sides of the shipping container) and much easier to use over a long period of time but they do not come with a rubber seal around the doors.
Used
All our used shipping containers are sourced direct from shipping industry use. We do not offer used containers that have previously bought as ‘used’ as these shipping containers will commonly be of a poorer quality and have a much shorter remaining lifespan.
Used shipping containers will come in their original shipping liveries and will usually have some dents and surface rust. We sell these strictly as ‘cosmetics not guaranteed’ meaning we don’t and can’t guarantee how good they will look. If you require a smart shipping container we recommend looking at our refurbished or new (one trip) ranges. However, your used container will not have any large bows or dents – it will be in the correct overall shape, free of any holes or leaks and in a good stare of repair. Depending on your location and our nearest local depot, we can often offer viewings in our yard or photos of a specific container for your approval in advance of delivery.
Container Types
Information about the types of 30ft shipping container available.
30ft Standard Containers
Standard 30ft shipping containers (AKA dry freight containers, dry vans or general purpose containers).
These are 8ft 6 high externally and have 1 set of double cargo doors at one end only.
External | |
---|---|
Length | 30ft |
Width | 8ft (2430mm – 2450mm) |
Height | 8ft 6ins (2590mm) |
Internal | |
Length | 29ft 4ins |
Width | 7ft 8ins (2330mm – 2350mm) |
Height | 7ft 10ins (2380mm – 2390mm) |
Door Opening | |
Width | 7ft 8ins (2330mm -2380mm) |
Height | 7ft 6ins (2280mm) |
Other 30ft Containers
There are a number of other types of 30ft container types that are very specialised. Examples include Tank Containers, Cakebox Containers, Offshore DNV Spec Containers for the oil and gas industry and more. Please contact us if you’re looking for something not listed above.