What To Consider When Buying A Used Container

Shipping containers for sale are offered according to their condition. Basically you pay more for one in good condition than bad condition.

While this sounds obvious there are a few things to take note of that you can use to negotiate a better deal over, or factor in whether it is worth your while to buy that particular container unit.

First of all if it is to be used for the purpose of shipping cargo across the sea, it must be sea worthy and up to international standards. It must be strong enough to withstand being on the bottom of a six stack of containers, all filled to the brim with loose cargo. It must be waterproof and weatherproof. Weatherproof means it can withstand the onslaught of the seas in heavy weather. A cubic metre of sea water weighs a metric ton (or tonne – 1000kg or 2200lbs).

Keep in mind that not all shipping containers are built to be used on ships. Many are only designed to be transported by truck or train. These containers are not as strong or weatherproof as sea going units as they don’t have to withstand the harsher elements and greater forces faced at sea.

Being made of steel, no matter what the intended use of the container may be, it should be free of rust. Look both inside and outside the container and particularly on the top and bottom where it might be easy to miss deep scratching, a patch of rust or some bubbling in the paint. Most rust occurs in the seams at the corners first where microscopic air holes are left during the welding process. These allow the ingress of tiny amounts of sea water and the rusting begins.

The doors are another area of concern to be inspected. Do the levers and opening and locking mechanisms work properly? Can the unit doors be closed let alone the container made secure? Are doors a factor or do you intend to remove them and replace them with your own doors or windows anyway? If you are buying a container to use as a shed or housing unit you could save money by choosing one with dodgy doors. While it would negate the sale to someone shipping cargo to China it might make the unit a bargain for you.

How good is the interior? Many containers have plywood floors and these can take a hammering in the course of daily life for most containers. Are there any insect infestations or animals hiding in the corners and crevices? Containers used on ships are often deloused by quarantine authorities but some units for sale may have been standing in a stack in a yard for a long time and have attracted unwelcome fauna.

A few years ago a container that arrived in Japan from Australia carried hundreds of venomous Red Back spiders, a cousin to the North American Black Widow. While it waited in a holding yard the spiders had made a home inside the container, bred and while on voyage hundreds of baby spiders had hatched. The report on the news caused something of a mild panic among many Japanese, unfamiliar with poisonous spiders in their country let alone possibly in their homes.

In Guam they have a problem with snakes, many of which make it into air portable and sea going containers, often lying between two units in a stack. The same problem has occurred with containers leaving African ports as well as those from South America. The rule is to ask questions about the history of the container and be alert.

Always check the container yourself before accepting delivery. If that is not possible, use a reputable broker or dealer in second hand containers as they will check for you and refund or replace as necessary. Of course, always ask for a discount, they can only say yes or no and the odds are at least 50/50 they will say yes!

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