General PurposeGeneral Purpose Shipping Containers
The standard box, and the right answer about eight times in ten.
The container range
Shipping containers for sale and hire
Ten, twenty and forty foot, in general purpose, high cube, side opening and dangerous goods set-ups, each sold new single-trip, cargo-worthy used or as-is. Ask for photos of the actual container, with delivery quoted for your location.
By length
Pick the length your ground will take
Measure the spot first. A length is ruled in or out by the space and the way in at least as often as by how much has to fit inside.
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10ft
10ft Shipping Containers
Room is tight — a narrow side path, a setback that leaves almost nothing, or you just want a locked spot for the mower, a compressor and the tool racks.
- Used from
- $4,350
- New from
- $6,400
- Hire from
- $22/wk
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20ft
20ft Shipping Containers
There is roughly seven metres of flat, straight ground for it, and you want the size most people end up glad they picked.
- Used from
- $2,200
- New from
- $3,300
- Hire from
- $27/wk
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40ft
40ft Shipping Containers
The site is roomy, the truck can get a long straight run at it, and storage per dollar is what counts.
- Used from
- $2,600
- New from
- $5,500
- Hire from
- $42/wk
Go straight to the length: 10ft shipping containers for a tight block, a narrow side passage or a courtyard with one gate; 20ft shipping containers where there is room for the default answer, and the cheapest box most weeks; 40ft shipping containers when the run-in is long enough to land one and you want the most room per dollar.
Check the grade before you compare prices. Cargo-worthy is the grade we check wind and watertight before it leaves the yard. As-is units are cheaper again and are not sold watertight — one may carry a patched repair, a soft spot in the floor, or a door seal that no longer seats properly, and we will tell you exactly what is wrong with a particular unit rather than let you find it out on delivery day. New single-trip containers are unmarked, sealed, and have made one loaded voyage. If the container has to keep rain off whatever goes inside it, buy cargo-worthy or better.
Prices on this page are guide prices in AUD and exclude GST. They are starting figures for the grade named, they move with condition, availability and which depot the unit has to come out of, and none of them is a quote until the cartage to your address has been worked out.
By set-up
Doors, height and what it is rated for
General Purpose
High CubeHigh Cube Shipping Containers
The same footprint as a standard container with an extra foot of headroom — 2.
Side OpeningSide Opening Shipping Containers
A container with doors down the full length of one side as well as the end.
Dangerous Goods
Dangerous Goods Shipping Containers
Purpose-built storage for flammable liquids and other dangerous goods — bunded floor, vents top and bottom, shelving, and the compliance plate that lets a workplace inspector sign it off.
By grade
The grade decides more than the length does
Two cargo-worthy 20fts in the same row can be a thousand dollars apart on the floor and door rubbers alone. Settle the grade before you compare anybody's price.
| Grade | What you are looking at | Sold watertight? |
|---|---|---|
| New (single-trip) | Built, loaded once, shipped once, unloaded here. Straight walls, clean floor, unfaded paint, seals that have never been out in the weather for long. If the container is going somewhere it will be looked at — a front yard, a shopfront, a display — this is the one. | Yes |
| Cargo-worthy used | A working container that is still certified fit to carry freight at sea. Dents, surface rust and old shipping-line paint are normal and expected. Wind and watertight is checked before it leaves. This is the grade most people should buy and about seventy per cent of what we sell. | Yes |
| As-is | Retired from sea service and sold on its faults. Cheapest by a distance and completely fine for a lot of jobs — a tool lock-up under cover, a bund, a site office shell, a base for a build. Not sold watertight. We photograph the faults and tell you what they are before you buy it. | No |
In person
Every container on this page can be inspected in the yard
Ring, drive out to 24 Forest Hill Fernvale Rd, Forest Hill, QLD, 4342 and walk round the actual unit before you buy. On used stock it is the surest way to know what you are getting.
Too far away? Ask for photographs of the specific container and they will come through before delivery.
Questions
Choosing between them
What size shipping container should I buy?
Work backwards from the space, not from the stuff. A 20ft needs about seven metres of straight, reasonably level ground and is the cheapest container per cubic metre in most weeks. A 40ft is better value again per cubic metre but needs roughly thirty metres of run-in to deliver. A 10ft is the answer when the block genuinely will not take a 20ft — it costs more per cubic metre, every time.
What is the difference between a standard container and a high cube?
300mm of internal height, and nothing else. A standard is 2.59m tall externally, a high cube 2.90m. That extra foot is what lets you line the walls and still stand up, fit a roller door with head clearance for a forklift, or put a mezzanine over one end. If the container is going to be converted rather than just filled, buy the high cube.
Can I buy a container without seeing it first?
You can, and most people do. But we would rather send you photographs of the actual unit than a stock image — ask and we will, before delivery. If you are within driving distance of the Lockyer Valley, ring and come out to the yard instead; on used stock it is worth the trip.
Do you sell new containers?
Yes. New single-trip units are built overseas, loaded once, shipped here and unloaded — so they are effectively new but have made one voyage. Straight walls, clean floor, unmarked paint and seals that have not weathered. They cost more than used and are the right buy when the container will be seen, converted, or has to be reliably watertight for years rather than months.
Get a price
Not sure which one you need?
Tell us what is going in it and where it is going. We will tell you which size and grade the job actually needs — including when the cheaper one is the right answer.
Rather talk? Call us on 0477 410 500, Mon–Fri 7:30am–5pm, Sat 8am–12pm