Containers specified for the way your sector works

On projects running longer than a few months, buying a container usually costs less than continuous hire and leaves you with a resaleable asset. A 20 ft unit is the practical default: it fits most compounds, ships on a standard tilt-bed and is easy to move on.

If the compound is tight, a shorter 8 ft or 10 ft unit will still take a full tool inventory. Where the programme includes site administration, pair a storage unit with an office unit rather than trying to make one box do both jobs.

For trades, access speed matters more than raw capacity. Double door and roller door units let you reach stock from either end instead of digging to the back of a 40 ft box.

Refurbished units are usually the best value here: the structure is sound, the paint is tidy and the saving over a new one-trip unit is significant. Check the published condition notes on each product page before ordering.

Farm sites are hard on equipment and often far from a hard road, so plan the delivery route carefully. A tilt-bed truck needs a firm, level approach; soft ground in wet months is the most common cause of a failed delivery.

High cube units suit bulky, light loads such as bagged feed and fleece. Where produce needs holding at temperature, a refrigerated unit is an option provided a suitable power supply is available at the placement point.

The deciding factor is the door. Loading a ride-on mower through standard end doors is possible but tight; an open side or double door unit removes the manoeuvring problem entirely.

Set the container on a level base with a shallow ramp or timber threshold so machines can be walked in and out without lifting. Keep fuel in a compliant store rather than loose inside the container.

High cube units are worth the small premium here because the extra headroom lets you run an additional shelf level across the full length of the unit.

If the container will be used as a working space rather than pure storage, an insulated unit will hold temperature far better through winter and reduce condensation dripping onto stored parts.

Standard dry vans are the workhorse of overflow storage. A 20 ft unit takes roughly ten standard pallets on the floor; a 40 ft unit roughly double that. High cube versions allow double stacking of lower pallets.

If you are buying several units, plan the yard layout before delivery. Leave a clear swing arc for the doors and enough width for a forklift to turn square in front of each opening.

Where components will not turn through end doors, an open side unit gives access along the full length. Open top units suit crane loading of items that are lifted in rather than pushed in.

For controlled liquid storage, bunded units are designed with containment built in. Check the published specification for each unit and confirm suitability for the substances you intend to store.

New one-trip units present best where customers will see them, because the paint is fresh and the panels are undamaged. Open side units convert into a trading front with minimal modification.

Confirm any local requirements for siting a container on commercial premises before you order, and plan how power and lighting will reach the unit at its final position.

Office units arrive with an interior already fitted, which removes the conversion work. Read the published specification carefully, since the level of fit-out varies between units.

Where the container will hold anything sensitive to damp, an insulated unit plus a passive vent is a far more reliable answer than a standard box with a dehumidifier.

Book with slack in the schedule. Delivery is a flat $450 and estimated at 5 business days.

Refrigerated units need a suitable power supply at the placement point. Confirm the generator or mains feed before the unit arrives, not after.

Specialty and modified units are specified around a defined task. Read the product specification carefully and confirm that any structural modification is compatible with how you intend to lift, stack or secure the unit.

If the container forms part of a documented site system, keep the product specification with your records so the unit can be identified later.

Most households find a 20 ft unit is the right balance between capacity and the space it consumes. Measure the delivery route first: a tilt-bed truck needs a straight, level approach and clear overhead space.

Refurbished and used cargo-worthy units are the value option for static storage, where a few cosmetic marks do not matter. New one-trip units are worth the difference if the container will be visible from the house.