Month: March 2019

People love to trade. This is something normal, and it’s been going on for millennia. In history classes, we often learn only about great battles and wars. This is important, yes, but one key factor is being left out. The thing that’s left out is the market. Most civilizations came to be powerful only by having a great market. This riled in new people, new profits and amazing new discoveries. The great waters that divided countries were filled with ships. Now, in the modern world, trade is doing better than ever. The sole reason for this can be attributed to cargo and shipping containers.

The marine transport industry boomed when they were invented. In the mid 20th century, cargo was transported in a complicated way. Everything that went on a ship needed to be checked and sorted. This wasted a lot of manpower and a lot of time. As well as that, there was no standard present at that time to ship goods.

But, thanks to the idea of Malcolm Mclean, this entire process changed. He introduced a simple box-like design for a container. This handy contraption became an overnight success. It made trade more accessible, faster, with the least amount of problems, and standardized across the world. Read more on this page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shipping_container

What are the different types of shipping containers and how much do they cost?

There are more than a dozen types of containers. But, out of all of them, just three will be enough to fill all your needs. These include standard ones and high cube types. Today, there are more than 20 million of these ingenious boxes. All of them are tested before being put into the business. The testing is always done by the ISO. This stands for the International Organization for Standardization. This entity makes sure that every container is in great shape.

The first type of containers is the 20-foot type. If you’ve ever seen a dock, you’ve most likely seen a few hundred or thousand of big metal boxes. Well, most of them are of this type. They can carry around 30 tons of cargo. When converted to pounds, this number becomes 67 thousand pounds. The prices of these models vary. If you’re planning on getting a used one, it will cost around 2100 dollars. But, for new ones, the prices can go up to 3000 dollars.

The second type is a 40-foot container. Now, these offer a lot more space, and a lot more volume compared to the previous ones. These cost around 10 to 20 percent more than the previous ones. And, since they’re a lot bigger, that means that they can handle a lot more weight. Containers of this type can handle a maximum load of 60 tons. This number converted to pounds is equal to 123 thousand pounds. Since they can handle more weight and they aren’t too expensive, this makes them the most cost-efficient. The regular price for a used container of this type is 2,850 dollars. But, if you want an entirely new one, then the price can go up to 5,000 bucks. Click here to learn more.

Finally, the third type of containers is 45 feet. These provide a little more space than the 40-foot ones. These extra 5 feet help a lot in cargo transportation, and they can sometimes lower the cost of it. The amount of weight it can handle is similar to the previous type. And, as far as the prices go, they can range from 2,950 to 5,850 dollars.

Where to buy them?

There are two options here. The first one is to buy locally, and the second one is to buy online. We highly recommend you to buy a container locally, and there are a few reasons for this. The first reason is that you can actually see the tank. This will allow you to inspect it, and see how well it functions. Of course, it’s only used as a shelter for things that need to go from one place to another. But, rust and holes can be more trouble than you thought.

The other reason for this option is that it’s a lot cheaper. You can find shipping containers for sale because many companies don’t sell their containers internationally. This is because the cost of transporting it will be way too expensive. However, if you want to, then you can get one online. The only thing we suggest is to pay extra attention when doing this. Many people have been deceived. This is because there are no warranties online, and you can be tricked with good looking pictures.

How to inspect them?

Most people don’t check the used containers thoroughly. The outside look of them can be deceiving and clean, but there are many things to look out for. Firstly, get near and check the metal for rust. Look down around every corner and see if there are large patches of rust. If there is a substantially rusty place, and the metal is weak, then that isn’t a container you’d want to buy.

The next thing to do is to inspect the roof. Most people come never carry a ladder. Of course, you almost never need one. But, be sure to take one with you when you inspect a container. Most of them have roof problems and leaks. This is also the place where the rust resides.

After this, you need to get inside. Preferably, after the doors have been closed for a longer period. This will allow you to make a sniff test. When you get inside, smell all the corners for mold or toxic chemicals. Bring a friend with you to help with this, just in case. Finally, close the doors while you and your friend are still inside. This should be done on a sunny day. By doing this, you can see any holes where sunlight might come in. And, if sunlight can get in, then water most definitely will. If a container passes all these tests, then it’s good to go.

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