Shipping Container Delivery Service
Shipping Container Transport and Delivery Service
Welcome to our container delivery service page—your comprehensive guide for businesses and homeowners needing reliable shipping container delivery. A container delivery service is a logistics company that moves large standardized containers, ensuring your goods are transferred efficiently and safely in standard-sized containers. This page covers everything you need to know about the delivery process, how to prepare your site, and answers to frequently asked questions. Understanding these steps is crucial for ensuring a safe, efficient, and cost-effective delivery experience.
We provide a professional container delivery service to any home or business site in the US. Our network of transportation companies is among the best in the industry, and our transportation division personnel are experts at moving empty containers across the country, backed by a family-owned container management team with decades of experience.
Our partner trucking companies and drivers are licensed and insured, ensuring your container arrives in the same condition as when it left the depot. Moving a shipping container is an exacting process, making safe transport essential, and understanding shipping container delivery options like flatbed and tilt-bed trucks helps you choose the right setup for your site. Using this kind of service also offers a robust logistics framework for delivery planning and execution.
Our delivery service includes either placing containers on the ground with a tilt-bed (roll off) truck or a flat-bed truck. A flat-bed truck delivery requires customers to lift off containers at the time of arrival. Generally, flat-bed trucks requiring lift-off of containers by the customer are used for long-distance deliveries in excess of 150 miles.
Setting up a Delivery
Important things to consider when scheduling a container delivery include:
Door Facing Position
The position of the container doors when we load the container delivery truck: Doors facing the cab of the truck will be tilted off last, and doors facing the rear of the truck will be tilted off first.
Availability
It is imperative that someone be available at the site at the time of delivery.
Your delivery driver will call you in advance to confirm everything is ready for delivery, so it’s important that you are available to be contacted on the delivery day.
Communication
We recommend customers clearly communicate delivery readiness and your hours of operation with our Operations Group when we set up delivery.
You will have dedicated agents available to support you through scheduling and delivery coordination questions and other delivery-related services. This helps provide reliable communication during scheduling and on delivery day.
Prepare your Site for Delivery
Here are some important steps to follow when preparing your site for a shipping container delivery:
Hard Surface
The combined weight of a double-axle semi-truck, with a 48-foot tilt-bed trailer, and a 40-foot High Cube container can be as much as 40,000 lbs, and a 40-foot High Cube container can haul up to 58,448 pounds in fully loaded containers.
Soft surfaces, such as mud or wet grass, could pose a delivery problem. Heavy containers may also significantly increase transport costs if site conditions complicate delivery. Therefore, it's important that your delivery surface is firm to account for weight distribution.
Level Surface
When 40-foot containers are not placed on a level surface, they can flex. This does not hurt the container, but can affect the ease of opening the doors (which are hinged on the corner posts). Fully loaded units put more demand on the supporting surface, so weight and dimensions matter when you prepare the site. For example, new one-trip 20-foot and 40-foot containers can carry substantial payloads—20-foot containers can carry a payload of 47,899 pounds, while 40-foot units can haul up to 59,039 pounds of cargo—so a firm base also helps support the container safely during placement and use.
After the container has been delivered, if you experience doors that are too tight to open or close properly, this generally means that the container needs to be leveled. In the majority of cases, this will free up the doors to close smoothly.
Space for Truck to Deliver
When the container is delivered, the tilt-bed trailer (roll-off) delivery truck is backed into position and tilted up, and the container then slides off as the truck and trailer pull forward.
Space for Truck to Maneuver
Please make sure the truck can access your delivery site. There must be enough space for the truck to make wide turns, get between gates or other obstructions, and safely set up for delivery.
Remember, trucks make wide turns which enable our container movers to load and unload heavy equipment with ease. This container transport process uses containers designed for seamless transfer across ships, trains, and trucks, so the same unit can move between those modes without unloading when transporting shipping containers.
Property Roadway Considerations
Road inclines and declines, rough roads, weather affected roads, tight turns:
When transporting shipping containers, experienced container movers need enough access space, and depending on your location, conditions like road inclines and declines, rough roads, weather affected roads, and tight turns can affect successful moving containers in the city, including residential areas.
Communicate any potential delivery hazards or complications to our Operations Team so that we can problem-solve together and confirm wide-turn access for safe transport solutions setup.
Provide photos of your desired delivery site, if applicable, and let us know if you’re expecting any weather conditions that could affect a delivery, especially if you’re coordinating with one of our nationwide shipping container sales locations to arrange regional transport.
Free from Obstructions
We need 12 feet 6 inches of clearance from the ground to the top of the container; and a total of 16 feet of clearance to allow for the highest extension of the tilt-bed trailer.
It's important that there are no power lines, tree branches, or other obstructions at the site that do not meet the above height restrictions. Depending on your location, city streets and residential areas can also create route constraints when moving containers.
Weather Conditions and Rescheduling Your Delivery
Please communicate any slopes, soft ground, narrow access, or other hazards to our Operations Team so we can plan transport solutions, including when a crane may be needed to place containers, and determine whether special permits are required for containers over 102 inches wide.
If you need to reschedule your delivery due to weather conditions or any other factors, please inform us by 12 PM the day before your scheduled delivery. For an oversized or overweight shipment, local permits and applicable safety standards may also affect timing. In tighter sites, the crew may need specialized equipment to place containers accurately, including a crane in some cases.
Once the Driver Arrives
Driver Inspects the Delivery Location
When it comes to the shipping container delivery cost, it’s important to note that our delivery quote is based on the driver and container arriving and the container being tilted and placed on the ground within a one-hour window of time, thus completing the delivery. If a delivery requires the driver to extend the time frame beyond one hour, there may be an extra charge.
Once confirmed, the driver will meet you and inspect the delivery location prior to offloading the container.
For safety reasons, it is up to the delivery driver to decide whether the site is suitable for the delivery truck.
When the driver has determined the delivery site is safe and accessible, the driver will proceed to offload your container.
If the driver is unable to safely deliver the container, the customer has two options:
- Place the container at an alternate location, or
- The container gets returned to the depot, and the customer is responsible for a delivery and return charge.
You Inspect Your Shipping Container
Once your shipping container is delivered and in position, take the time to inspect it. Keep in mind that used shipping containers can be anywhere from 18-25 years old and can show signs of heavy use and wear.
Whether you buy a New One-Trip, Used Cargo Worthy, or Used Wind and Watertight container through Container Management, Inc. shipping containers for sale, we guarantee that the containers comply with the following:
Inspection Checklist:
- Walls and roof: No holes or leaks (wind and watertight)
- Doors: Open and close properly
- Floors: Intact and functional
Once you have verified that the container is in acceptable condition, confirm with the shipping container moving carrier driver that you’re satisfied.
However, if you are concerned with the container’s condition, please do not let the driver leave your site until you call us to discuss. Please provide us with photos of the containers by text or email.
We strive to offer a safe and cost-effective delivery service for our clients. By following this procedure, we can potentially avert you having to pay an additional delivery cost. Just like you, we want to avoid the driver having to come back for the container to return it to the depot.
IN ORDER FOR US TO TAKE ANY ACTION ON A CONTAINER, WE MUST RECEIVE YOUR NOTIFICATION, AT A VERY MINIMUM, WITHIN 24 HOURS OF DELIVERY.
Check out our informative FAQs on shipping container deliveries for more answers about our shipping container delivery service or read answers to Frequently Asked Questions here.
Frequently Asked Questions about Shipping Container Delivery
How do you move a shipping container?
We use a tilt-bed trailer for shipping container transport, the specialized process used to move the unit and place it safely on the ground. For deliveries over 150 miles, a flat-bed or step-deck trailer may be used, requiring customers to lift the container off upon arrival.
Can I pick up the container if I have my own delivery truck?
Yes, we can lift the container at our depot and place it on your tilt-bed, flat-bed, or step-deck trailer, provided your trailer meets state highway requirements and the container is securely fastened. Pickup trucks are not suitable for container transport.
How much does it cost to deliver a container?
- Delivery is quoted with a one-hour unloading window to avoid hidden fees.
- Pricing depends on distance, trailer type, site conditions, and whether the unit is being used for storage or broader container transport services involving freight, construction materials, household goods, or heavy machinery.
- Delivery costs depend on the distance to your site from where we store the containers, including regional markets such as our Cincinnati, Ohio shipping containers for sale service area. Contact us by phone (Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm EST) at 708 639-4992 639-4992) or email jordan@containermgt.com.
- Standardized containers help reduce per-unit shipping costs and support flexible options such as Full Container Load and Less than Container Load.
- If unloading goes beyond the included hour, additional charges may apply. Transport services often range from $2.95 to $3.10 per mile, and heavier containers can increase costs significantly.
How much space is required for delivery?
- A 20-foot shipping container requires about 65 feet of straight-line space for delivery and another 20 feet of turning space.
- A 40-foot container requires roughly 130 feet of straight-line space and another 20 feet of turning space for the truck and trailer; larger or specialty units, including a 45-foot container, may require more room, especially when arranging Cleveland, Ohio shipping container deliveries to tighter urban or industrial sites.
- All units require a minimum width of 12 feet.
- We need 12 feet 6 inches of clearance from the ground to the top of the container; and a total of 16 feet of clearance to allow for the highest extension of the tilt-bed trailer. For extremely tall cargo, open-top or similar equipment may be needed, which can change clearance planning.
- It is imperative that there are no power lines, tree branches, or other obstructions to the necessary height clearance.
How should I prepare a site for my shipping container delivery?
- Meet the space requirements noted above.
- Your delivery site should be level and firm. We have delivered on level grass, dirt, cement, and pavement for customers purchasing shipping containers for sale in Columbus, Ohio and other regions we serve.
- A level surface is especially necessary for 40-foot containers, and the driver or transport specialist will evaluate site access before offloading.
Can weather affect my shipping container delivery?
- Yes, weather can affect delivery, and our transportation services can also be impacted by ground and site access conditions.
- If you plan to place the container directly on the ground, as opposed to concrete, black-top, or gravel; rain or snow can make the soil less firm and difficult to support the massive weight of the truck and shipping container.
- We ask that you keep an eye on the weather report and advise if we need to reschedule for a time when the ground will be dry enough to accept the weight of the truck, trailer, and container.
- To reschedule your container delivery, we require a minimum of 24 hours of notice prior to the established delivery date.
- If a container is being delivered to a firm surface; i.e., established road bed, asphalt, or cement; rain generally will not affect a delivery.
How long will delivery take after I order a container?
We strive to deliver containers as soon as possible from your order date. Delivery dates are advised at the time of your order and can take up to 4-5 days from your order date Monday through Friday.
Do I have to be present for the delivery?
An individual needs to be present at the delivery site with cell phone accessibility to the driver.
Can a ground level portable container be move loaded with container moving services?
We do not move loaded containers with our tilt-bed trucks.
Can we place blocking devices under a container to raise it off the ground?
We do not recommend that containers be raised off the ground unless a specific ground condition requires it. Please give our Operations Group a call to discuss how this can be accomplished when utilizing our tilt-bed trailers. At a few of our locations, we do offer delivery utilizing a side-unloader. In this case, a container can be placed on top of a fixed foundation.
Can I pay the driver with a check when he arrives?
Our drivers do not accept any payments. As a result, we do not offer a COD program.
Download our pdf complete guide on our “Shipping Container Delivery Service” including “How to prepare your site for a shipping container delivery”.
Download our pdf complete guide on “Flatbed Broker Deliveries”.
Further Site Delivery Preparations
Space to Deliver
- When the container is delivered, the tilt-bed trailer (roll-off) delivery truck is backed into position and tilted up, and the container then slides off as the truck and trailer pull forward.
- For a 20’ container, about 75 feet of straight-line space is needed, and 20 feet of turning space.
- For a 40’ container, the truck and trailer will need about 110 feet of straight-line space, and 20 feet of turning space.
- All units require a minimum of 12 feet of width for a stress-free setup.
Space to Maneuver
- Please make sure the truck can access your delivery site. There must be enough space for the truck to make wide turns, get between gates or other obstructions, and safely set up, because shipping container moving services require enough maneuvering room for safe setup. This helps our container shipping services stay timely and efficient. Remember, trucks make wide turns.
Free from Obstructions
- We need 12 feet 6 inches of clearance from the ground to the top of the container, and a total of 16 feet of clearance to allow for the highest extension of the tilt-bed trailer.
- It is important that there are no power lines, tree branches, or other obstructions at the site that do not meet the above height restrictions, which helps container moving services complete delivery safely and keep the container secure during placement, including in busy service areas such as our Kansas City, Missouri shipping container market.
Container Delivery Space
Ready to Get Your Shipping Container Delivered Safely and Efficiently?
At Container Management, Inc., we pride ourselves on being a top-notch container transport company with nationwide experience, backed by over a decade of service and a network of skilled drivers and dedicated specialists supporting regions like our St. Louis, Missouri shipping container sales and delivery area. Whether you need a standard 20-foot container or a high cube, new or used, we ensure your container is delivered safely, efficiently, and on time, and standardized container systems helped fuel the modern era of globalization while improving shipment tracking and management across networks and reducing port dwell times to support lower inventories.
Get your free quote today and experience reliable service you can trust. Contact us now and let us handle your shipping container needs from sale to delivery with professionalism and care.
