So you bought a shipping container and maybe had it rebuilt into a home offsite. How are you going to get it to your construction site?
There are several ways and considerations that I will share with you to transport your shipping container to your job site.
Transporting a shipping container on land with a tilt bed truck is the most popular method for distances less than 200 miles. Beyond that, a flatbed truck is the best way. But, you will need a crane or forklift at the site to remove it off the truck.
Here are the different types of ways to transport a shipping container along with their pros and cons:
The Best Ways to Transport a Shipping Container
| Vehicle | Pros, Cons, and Considerations |
|---|---|
| Tilt Bed Truck | *Best for less than 200 mile distance *Container easily slides off the bed of the truck *No additional equipment needed to remove the container from the truck *Costs more than a flat bed truck *Can drop shipping containers off and upon pre-poured reinforced concrete slabs. *Not good for unloading the container upon piers or to vertically stack containers |
| Flat Bed Truck | *Used when distance is beyond 200 miles *Cost less than a tilt bed truck *Without side rails makes it easy to remove the container from the truck bed *Will need to pay the added cost of using a crane or forklift to remove the container from the truck bed *Maximum weight capacity is 48,000 pounds. This is not a problem because an empty container is approximately 8775 pounds *Most are 48 feet long. So, a 40 foot long container will fit nicely (maximum length is 53 feet). *Maximum width is 8.5 feet. Shipping containers are 8 feet wide. So, it will fit well. *Maximum height for some is 8.5 feet. This could be a problem if you are using the most desirable high cube containers that are 9.5 feet. |
| Step-Deck, Drop Deck Trailer Truck | *Can carry taller loads since the bed steps down. *Will pass under bridges that other trucks would not be able to travel underneath. *Like the flat bed, it does not have side rails. So, contain can easily be removed with a crane or forklift. *Maximum weight capacity is 48,000 pounds. This is not a problem because an empty container is approximately 8775 pounds *Most are 48 feet long. So, a 40 foot long container will fit nicely (maximum length is 53 feet). *Maximum width is 8.5 feet. Shipping containers are 8 feet wide. So, it will fit well. *Maximum height for some is 11 feet. High cube containers, that are 9.5 feet high, will fit easily on the deck. desirable high cube containers that are 9.5 feet. |
| Double Drop Deck Trailer | *This truck has a deck similar to the step-deck truck. But, it has two areas that drops down. *Maximum weight capacity is 45,000 pounds. *Maximum length is 29 feet. *Maximum width is 8.5 feet. *Maximum height is 11.5 feet. *Used for cargo that is 10 ft. to 11.5 ft. tall. |
| Removable Gooseneck Trailer (RGN) | *Gooseneck can be removable *The flatbed can function as a ramp. *Not used for transporting containers as much as oversize loads like cranes, agricultural equipment, and large caterpillar tractors. *Maximum weight capacity is 150,000 (plus) pounds for stretch RGN’s. *Maximum length is 29 feet. *Maximum width is 8.5 feet. *Maximum height is 11.5 feet. |
| Truck with a Mounted Crane | *The crane is smaller than a stand alone crane. It has limited boom lengths. *The crane can be used to unload the shipping container from the bed. *The crane can be used to stack a limited number of containers. *Truck can transport only 20 foot long containers and not 40 footers. |
| Crain | *Most cost effective for larger shipping containers. *Can be used for the finished out shipping container homes that is heavier than an empty unaltered shipping container. *Best for stacking several shipping containers *Can be used to move containers over obstacles like power lines and trees. *Shipping containers are built with corner castings that make them easy for crains to transport them. *Will require the additional cost of an additional truck with an additional driver and a licensed crain operator *12 ton truck mounted hydraulic crain can cost $1,500 per day plus the cost of the operator (Building Construction Cost with RSMeans data 2020 RSMeans.com.) |
| Forklift | *20 foot shipping containers are built with slots below their floors to be easily moved with forklifts. *Larger forklifts with longer tines are required to move 40 foot long shipping containers. *Needs to be a rough terrain type so it can maneuver easily on the unfinished site. *Only heavy duty forklifts can be used to mover 40 foot shipping containers. *Some of the largest forklifts that “piggy back” upon trucks might be limited to be able to lift 8000 pounds. Be careful, shipping containers are a bit heavier than that. |
| Pickup Truck | *Can be used to drag a shipping container along the ground or a shipping container on wheels or blocks. *Need a pickup truck with enough power to pull the weight of the shipping container. *The ground needs to be flat and not muddy or soft. |
| Boat or Ship | *Shipping containers are built to be transported on ships. *The shipping container converted into a home with additional windows and doors might not be a water-tight or as structurally stable to travel across the seas. *Good method to transport the shipping containers to distant oversea destinations. *There are additional logistic costs. *The owner of the shipping container will be responsible to pay all import taxes, customs, local charges, storage fees, insurance, and other expenses. *The owner will be responsible to transporting the shipping container home to and from the ship. |
| Train | *It usually takes more time to transport containers via trains compared to trucks. *Like transporting on a ship, there are logistical considerations for the owner of the container to coordinate. *Although you might have seen shipping containers on train beds, the rail line might treat your shipping container home as just another cargo and not a container to be filled with cargo. So, the cost will be more expensive to move the container if treated as another piece of cargo. *The owner will be responsible to transporting the shipping container home to and from the rail yard. |
Moving a 20 ft. Long Shipping Container Home with a Forklift that has 6 ft. Tines
20 foot long shipping containers already have slots under their floors. So, the tines of the forklift can be inserted in them to move the shipping container off trucks and upon the prepared foundations.
With forklifts, the shipping container can be placed directly on pre-poured reinforced concrete piers. This is something that cannot be done with tilt bed trucks.
Forklifts with 6 foot long tines can be used to move the 20 foot long shipping containers. But, don’t use 6 foot tines on 40 foot long shipping containers because the tines might puncture through the floor of the container.
Moving a 40 ft. Long Shipping Container Home with a Forklift that has 8 ft. Tines
Shipping containers that are longer than 20 feet will need forklifts with 8 foot long tines to avoid breaking through and puncturing the floor of the containers.
Hydraulic Lifting Jack Can Help Remove the Container Off the Truck Bed
The hydraulic jacks are mounted on the ground and on both sides of the truck bed. It is attached to the container that is on the truck bed.
Once the hydraulic jacks are attached to the shipping container, the container is lifted slightly upward and off the bed of the truck.
Then, the truck drives away leaving the shipping container still elevated over the ground.
The hydraulic jacks lowers the shipping container upon the ground
Once this is done, the shipping container will need to be moved and placed wherever on the site it is to be used with other equipment like a crane or forklift.
Mechanical Lifting Jack has Pros and Cons When Used to Lift the Container Off the Truck
Mechanical lifts are less expensive than hydraulic lifts. But, they are slower.
This type of lift uses chains to hoist and lift the container off the truck bed. Other than that, it is similar to the hydraulic lift mentioned above.
Important Considerations Prior to Transporting Your Shipping Container
- The Cost of transporting the shipping container to your construction site often does not include the cost of unloading the shipping container from the truck. It also does not include placing the shipping container upon the foundation or on top of other shipping containers. So, negotiate the cost to do this BEFORE hiring the trucking company to transport your shipping container.
- When hiring a trucking company to transport your container, you will probably be required to pay a non-refundable deposit.
- The trucking company will often charge for the idle time the truck driver waits for the shipping container to be removed from their truck.
- The trucking company is often not legally required to deliver the shipping container at your job site, even if it a long distance away from where the truck stops along the way to the site, if the roads are impassible. Impassible roads could be due to rough terrain, low power lines, overhead telephone and cable lines and trees, or tight turns on the roads that trucks cannot maneuver. Preplan the path that the truck can take to deliver the container at your site.
- Since renting and driving large trucks requires a special licenses, most home owners cannot transport their own shipping containers themselves.
- Delivery of shipping containers via local suppliers is usually the most economical way to buy and transport shipping containers to your construction site.
- If you add walls, doors, windows, appliances, millwork, plumbing fixtures and other finishes to your shipping container home before transporting it to the site will make it more difficult and costly to lift and place the heavier end product upon the site than an empty shipping container. This will limit your options of the types of transporting equipment you will be able to use.
- Have your site ready for the delivery of the shipping container prior to the delivery of the shipping container. That includes: cleared land, clearing out any low trees, relocating low power and telephone lines, having the foundation or piers ready.
- Choose a delivery day that will be dry at the site so the ground is not muddy or soggy.
