Buy Container
Please click the button below and enter your postal code below to find the best shipping container prices for your location. We offer ground level delivery within 200 miles of each of the cities listed below, or customers are welcome to send their own truck to pick-up the container at the intermodal depot at no additional charge. Click below to see prices on shipping containers for sale throughout the country.
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There's a lot of information out there about how to buy used shipping containers, but a lot of it is out of date or just flat out inaccurate. It's important to understand that shipping containers are a byproduct of the global logistics industry. Containers are rarely scrapped, and are usually loaded when sent back out of the US or Canada. Some containers are sent back empty, and a very small percentage are made available for sale to companies like ours. We post prices online so you can buy shipping containers on our website. Here are 10 things we think you should know before you buy a shipping container.
Due to the supply chain issues caused by the global pandemic, we've seen a shortage of end of life used shipping containers available for sale. The lack of containers has caused the price of shipping containers to more than double over the past year. The speed at which containers are moving through ports has slowed dramatically, and at the same time demand for containerized freight has increased. Those issues continue to compound over time to slow the speed of cargo delivery. Some people are calling it a shipping container shortage, but we think "logjam" is a better term for what's happening.
Not sure how the process of buying a shipping container online works? We offer used shipping containers for sale through a simple online buying process. Watch this video for step-by-step instructions on how to get shipping container prices and buy used shipping containers online. Please feel free to contact us with any questions, we're always happy to help.
Used shipping containers come in a wide variety of conditions. The most common are One Trip, Cargo Worthy (CWO), and Wind & Water Tight (WWT). There are also "As Is" Containers, which we do not sell because they are usually damaged, and thus cannot be guaranteed. As well as containers repaired to IICL (Institute of International Container Lessors) standards.
While we don't offer IICL containers as an option, we do sometimes sell IICL condition containers. Our experience has been that containers repaired to IICL standards are in excellent structural condition, but don't look cosmetically different than CWO or WWT containers (and, due to dents often being patched/welded instead of simply pounded out, IICL containers can sometimes look less visually appealing than their wind and water tight or cargo worthy counterparts.
Please Note: All used containers will have rust/dents. Make sure to check out the sample photos prior to making your purchase. No matter the grade, every container we sell is guaranteed to be structurally sound, and comes with our one year warranty.
We've partnered with a 3rd party financing company to offer rent-to-own shipping container financing. Individuals can spread out their container payments over 12/mo, 24/mo, 36/mo, or 48/mo with rent-to-own financing.
We're one of the largest buyers of used shipping containers in North America. By working directly with some of the largest intermodal shipping container companies in the world, we help our customers leverage our buying power and quality standards to buy quality shipping containers for sale at a fair price. We also believe in providing up-front and transparent pricing. We're proud to have helped thousands of customers buy conex containers and rent storage containers throughout North America.
For customers who plan to export their container, please make sure to purchase a CWO (cargo worthy) or One Trip container as well as a CSC Survey. Please note that we cannot move loaded containers, and strong recommend customers that are exporting their container work with their shipping company to pick-up the container after the survey is complete.
There are a few things to consider before you order a container, the most important is to be ready for delivery. We deliver containers on a roll-off trailer, so you won't need a forklift or a crane to unload at delivery, but you'll need to make sure you've got enough space for delivery and that your site is ready for the truck.
Our haulers need 80' of additional space in order to deliver a 40' shipping container (120' of total space), plus room for the truck to maneuver. Please make sure you've got space for delivery. 20' shipping containers are delivered on a different size truck, and so we only need an additional 55' of space (75' of total space) to deliver 20' containers.
Shipping containers are held to very specific dimensional standards to ensure they can be safely stacked on top of, and below, any other shipping container in the world. Standard shipping containers are 8' wide, and are measured in TEU's (twenty-foot equivalent units). Ocean cargo containers are held to a rigid standard to ensure that there are no issues during shipping. Each intermodal shipping container (sometimes called "conex" containers) must be able to not only stack perfectly on a cargo ship, but also lock into chassis trailers safely and securely stack on rail cars. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) sets the standards for shipping container dimensions (via ISO 668).
The information listed on intermodal shipping container doors is standardized so that the container can be handled at any port in the world. From the manufacturer information on the CSC plate, to the size & capacity information, to the container identification number, everything is standardized on a shipping container. Furthermore, to ensure the same equipment can safely handle the containers anywhere in the world, shipping containers are held to a very specific set of specifications and dimensions.
Usually the websites that you see offering you "Free Shipping Container Quotes" or to "Instantly Compare Storage Container Quotes" from multiple vendors are just lead generators. You might notice that most of the time when you call, nobody answers (if they even have a phone number listed). That's because they don't actually sell containers... they just sell your information.
Whether it's a commissioned sales rep in a call center cubicle, or a sole proprietor, there's a strong chance the person leaving you voicemail messages has their compensation tied to whether or not you buy. Western Container Sales doesn't believe you can talk anyone into a 9,000-pound steel box... None of our reps earn direct commission on container sales or rentals.
We know what a hassle it can be to call for a shipping container quote, as well as how annoying it can be to fill out a form on what appears to be a conex container rental site and consequently be bombarded with salespeople from third party companies because your information was sold as a lead. Unlike the big guys, we offer shipping containers for sale online with prices posted on our website. Why do we do this when other companies won't? Simple, we know our prices are fair, and well below what you'd see with our large corporate competitors.
Western Container Sales will get you a fair price for a used shipping container sourced directly from global intermodal equipment providers, pulled from their inventories at your nearest intermodal depot. Because the containers were recently moving cargo, we know they won't leak and we guarantee it. Check out our current shipping container prices (please note they do change with inventory levels). We also make renting steel storage containers just as easy, with our online rental order form.
Unfortunately intermodal depots are busy places and most of the containers stacked up are being used for cargo. When you buy a used shipping container from our company, we act as a broker and source a container directly from global intermodal equipment providers.
For used containers we are unable to allow the customer to request their color, however we can offer beige and grey color options for One Trip containers. If you're ordering multiple units, we can usually guarantee matching units (upon request, based on availability).
Exporting a container is far more complex than buying one. We highly recommend all customers who need to use their container for export work with a freight forwarder first... and then reach out to us to buy the container about a week or two before you plan to pick it up.
We also recommend that your freight forwarder coordinate all of the trucking. Because we offer ground level delivery, and can't move loaded containers, you'll likely need a crane to load your container onto the chassis when the truck comes to pick it up. A simpler option is to work with your freight forwarder to arrange a hauler to drop the container on a chassis so you won't need a crane to load it onto the trailer later.
Because the containers are stacked at the intermodal depot, we cannot obtain photos or guarantee a specific unit. The depots are storing empty shipping containers for shipping lines and intermodal equipment providers. When we place an order for our customers, they pick the next container off the stack that meets their criteria.
The shipping containers we sell come directly from the intermodal depot, and because depots are so busy they don't have the ability to let customers select from a wide variety of container options. Additionally, not every container in the stack is for sale (over 95% of containers at depots are not available for sale and are still being used for cargo). 041b061a72