moving shipping services

Moving Full Containers Demystified

Shipping containers are a great solution with so many uses. They can hold a ton of stuff and keep it all safe and dry. Some common uses include home, office, retail or commercial storage, mobile offices, pop-up shops, construction site buildings, tiny homes and more. Since shipping containers are portable, it is only natural that you’d want to move your full container. But it isn’t always as easy as that. There are many factors to consider when moving a shipping container including the distance, size and what you are putting in the container. Here are some suggestions and solutions when it comes to moving your container.

Please note: Super Cubes does not move other people's containers. Below are simply helpful hints for moving your container yourself.

Distance Matters

Are you moving the container across your site, across town, or across the country? Depending on the answer to this question, you may need different equipment to help out. Obviously, the shorter the distance, the more options you have. Cranes and forklifts can move a full container for an onsite move. If your container is going across town, there are trucks that can move 20’ containers. If you are moving across the country, things get a little trickier. Keep reading.

Size Matters

Both the size of the container and the weight of the contents will make a significant difference in transporting your shipping container. 20' containers are routinely used when individuals move from one location to another. They weigh 5,000 pounds when empty, and putting a 3-bedroom home in one will add an additional 5,000 – 7,000 pounds. There are various kinds of trucks that can pick up full 20's. However, these trucks are generally in high demand, so using them to move across the country can be expensive.

40' containers are a different matter. They weigh close to 10,000 pounds empty, which is getting to the upper end of what tilt-bed trucks can handle for picking up and setting down containers. For that reason, most ground-level trucking companies cannot pick them up or set them down with their trucks.

Containers are great, but they do come with some logistical challenges.Hopefully this information will help you plan your move. Super Cubes does not move full containers, however, we are happy to be a resource if you run into technical questions while booking your own container move.

Contents Matter

What is inside the container also makes a difference. If you are moving general freight, that opens more doors than household goods. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) governs the movement of household goods carriers. Household Goods (HHG) carriers have to provide specific services: binding and nonbinding estimates; inventorying; protective packing and unpacking of individual items at personal residences; and/or loading and unloading at personal residences. Additionally, they must carry appropriate insurance. That is why when you start asking around for help in moving your container, often the first question is if it is empty or has something in it. If you say there is anything in it, the follow up question is about what type of goods. If a trucking company is not set up as that type of carrier, they cannot do that type of work.

Shipping containers are a great solution for many use cases, but they do come with some logistical challenges. Hopefully, this information will help you plan your move. Super Cubes does not move full containers; however, we are happy to be a resource if you encounter technical questions while booking your own container move. Remember, thorough planning and understanding of your transport needs can make the process smoother and more efficient.