Shipping Containers Blog

Posts Tagged ‘lockbox’

Shipping containers are used for more than import/export of goods. They are used by the shipping industry, businesses and individuals as a way of keeping items safe.

Steel storage containers are  secure methods for storing expensive tools and equipment.   Made of durable, corten steel they have a weatherproof patina which is especially designed to enable the storage container to resist rust.  The double doors are fitted with a high security locking system which can be further enhanced by the addition of a container lock box.

The container lockbox is a steel shroud, which protects the padlock and prevents access by bolt croppers, chisels or angle grinders.  When used with hardened steel shackled padlocks unauthorised entry to the shipping container becomes very difficult.  Shipping container security is greatly enhanced as a result.

So when you need additional space to store your items securely, think about the advantages a shipping container can offer for them.

There are many different reasons for hiring a shipping container rather than getting involved in shipping container hire.   Mostly this is to do with the length of time you need the container for or using the container on a trial basis to see if it is the solution for you.   If you are considering hiring a shipping container for over 9 months it may well be more economic to consider buying a shipping container.   If you no longer require your container after this time you can either ask the company you bought it from to buy it back or sell it on ebay.

Whatever your decision here are some useful things to consider

1. To hire a container you will be asked to pay the delivery and collection charges up front.  Therefore you need to try and source your steel container from a depot near to you.   You want the haulage charge to be as small as possible in order to reduce costs.
2. The minimum hire length of a shipping container will normally be 28 days.   Even if you want your shipping container hire to be for less time than this you will still probably be asked to pay for the full 28 days.   This is normally paid per month in advance.
3. Very few companies will hire containers if they are to be used for export shipping.   This is because of the costs involved in reclaiming a container once it has left the country should you default on payment.
4. It is important that you ask about the notice you need to give when you no longer require your shipping container.   Most companies require a weeks notice.  As you will have already paid for the collection up front no further fees should be payable.
5. If you decide you want to buy the shipping container whilst you have it on hire, you should have the collection charge taken off the overall cost of the container.   If you have hired the container for over a year, most companies will give you a discount on the final purchase price.
6. The condition of the container is very important.  If you want to hire a second hand container then you should ensure that it is guaranteed to be wind and watertight and structurally sound.
7. If you wish to hire a new/once used container generally the minimum period of hire is for 2 years.
8. Refrigerated containers are also available for hire as well as storage/shipping containers.
9. Consider where you are going to place your container, as you really need a level surface in order to open the doors without difficulty.
10. Finally, you need to consider the security of your shipping container.  Ask for a lock cowl (lockbox) and a CISA heavy duty container padlock to prevent illegal access from bolt croppers and angle grinders.

Whatever you decide to do, don’t forget to discuss your needs with the company you intend hiring from.   There are many different options available and they may be able to suggest different answers to your particular needs.

When thinking about Shipping Container Sales (or even hire) there are quite a few things you should consider.   Here are 10 that you might want to keep in mind.

1. The cheapest  to buy are 20ft Shipping Containers or 40ft Shipping Containers.  This is because these are the most common sizes used by the Shipping Lines/Transport Companies etc and therefore the most readily available.   Sizes such as 10ft etc are often cut down from larger containers and, due to the labour involved, are often more expensive.
2. Your shipping Container should be made out of corten steel.   This is a highly rust resistant and strong material that is weather resistant.   If you are considering buying  second hand shipping container then it will probaby be painted in the colours of a Shipping Line Company.   There will probably be places where the paint has been scraped and a brown surface layer will have formed.   This is not rust!   Corten steel forms this patina to stop rust getting to the underneath layer.   Your steel container should last another 10-15 years.
3. You should check that your container comes with a wind and watertight guarantee.   When you take delivery of your shipping container walk inside it and look for any holes in the sides and don’t forget to look up and check the roof!   This should be easy in the daylight as the sunlight will show through any holes there might be.
4. The floor of a standard shipping container is made out of 27mm timber.   Check that there are no soft spots in the floor that might give way when the container is loaded.
5. Make sure that your shipping container is sited on level ground.   This means that the doors will open smoothly.   When the container is empty this potential problem is often not obvious as the doors will probably open easily.   However, once the container is loaded if the container is not sited on the level then things are about to get a whole lot worse!
6. If you are going to use your container for shipping then make sure it has a CSC certificate or plate.   This will ensure that your container is cargo worthy and that you have no problems when delivering it to the port for shipping.  Remember that a lot of people choose to buy their container rather than hire is so they can use it as a shipping container conversion once they get to their new country.
7. If you have any concerns about the security of your container have a lock cowl or lockbox put on at the depot before delivery.   This is a metal box that is welded on to the container doors to protect the padlock from illegal access and tampering from bolt croppers or angle grinders etc.
8. Some insurance companies offer a premium discount if you use an insurance approved heavy duty container padlock such as CISA.   It is worth asking the insurance company you use to insure your container’s contents whether they do.
9. If you are worried about condensation then it may be worth considering lining the container.   This can be carried out at the depot and can be done in a variety of ways.   The most common is done using ply either without or without the addition of rockwool behind.  You could also consider using a “thermal blanket” - the method used by a large number of the shipping lines themselves.  A cheaper alternative to the problem of condensation is a moisture trap.  These last for 4 months and suck up 2.5 litres of water.   They are extremely effective but you do have to keep replacing them.
10. Finally, make sure that when you arrange delivery of your container you take into account the access to your site.   If there are overhanging trees, low cables or the lorry has to cross a field then the lorry might not be able to deliver your container and you will be charged for wasted transport.   It is always worth checking at the time of purchasing your container and, if there are concerns, sending photographs of the site or arranging a site visit to make sure that your container can be delivered.

Having written about the Aces Basketball Team yesterday, we started to think about all the schools and sports clubs that have been ordering shipping containers to use as stores for their sports or ground equipment.

At this time of year, even though it feels as though we haven’t really had a summer, there is a change over in the sports played. Cricketers are looking to pack away bats, stumps, lawnmowers and rollers so that they will be safe and ready to use next year. Bath Ford Cricket Club, for example, took delivery of a 20ft container earlier this month to store their ground equipment in. The fact that it is a steel container means that they can leave it on site knowing that their equipment will be as secure as possible. With the lockbox and security padlock in place they have taken every precaution they can.

Schools too have been ordering shipping container conversions for PE storage. High View School in Barnsley had a container shelved with lighting and electrics and a personnel door so that pupils and staff could use it to store all the PE kit on site. Hindleys Community College had a 25ft container specially made to site alongside a sports pitch for the same reason.

But it doesn’t stop there. In the last month we have taken orders for shipping containers to be used for canoe storage, tackrooms, to house quadbikes as well as for a clubhouse for a football team.

Shipping containers being made of steel, with a secure locking system in the form of the lockbox or shroud which is welded on to the door to make illegal access to the padlock difficult, and the hardened shackle CISA padlocks really do offer a secure answer for sports storage.

Now I don’t mean by this that I am going to talk to you about painting your second hand shipping container green so it blends into the countryside.   This blog is about how by buying a shipping container you can flex your environmentally friendly muscles and feel good about the fact that you have done your bit to help the planet (and got a really good product into the bargain!!).

1. If you decide to buy a second hand shipping container then, obviously, you are recycling an industrial product by giving it a new life.   Most people use their ex-shipping container as a means of storage.  With the addition of a lockbox and a hardened steel shackle padlock you have a storage container that is not only extremely secure but has a whole new useful purpose.
2. New/once used shipping containers also can be environmentally friendly.   When used as part of a construction project these containers can be erected in much less time (and therefore use much less energy) than traditional construction methods.  A recent well known example of this was the Travelodge in Uxbridge.  Costs were a third .  less than a traditional build, and construction took a matter of months.  All achieved by using purpose built containers which were put together in no time on site.
3. Shipping containers can be converted into affordable housing that is ideal for enabling nurses, teachers, students etc to live near to their place of work/study.   This  reduces the carbon footprint by abolishing the need to commute.
4. On the subject of accommodation, shipping container conversions slot easily into towns and cities without requiring much - if any - additional infrastructure.   They can be easily transported onto brown field sites and connected up with minimum disturbance to their surroundings.
5. The flat roof of a shipping container is ideal for housing solar panels or growing a “green roof”.   The use of ceramic thermal paint for insulation means that the containers themselves are often better insulation than traditional houses.
6. Shipping Containers are often used as receptacles for recycling.   Think of the containers where you put your old newspapers in car parks for example.  10ft containers are frequently used to recycle clothes, shoes and the like.
7. Charities re-use shipping containers to transport items such as medical equipment, classroom furniture, books and clothes (all of which are being recycled themselves) to Africa etc.  Afterwards the container is often used to provide the community with additional covered space.
8. At the end of a containers useful life it can be totally re-used by recycling the steel and wood and turning them into something else.

These days going green and doing your bit for the environment has never been so popular.   Often, however, it involves additional effort and compromise.   With a shipping container  not only are you going green by giving an essentially industrial product a new life but you will have a supremely adaptable and long lasting practical product helping you in your everyday life -  in whatever role you have chosen for it!!

Storage shipping containers are extremely versatile and are being used by individuals and businesses alike. Shipping containers being used for storage has only really taken off during the last 30 years or so, but now it is extremely common to see them in use as storage containers everywhere from building sites, backgardens or even off shore.

Shipping containers are of a much stronger construction that portacabins or wooden sheds, so it is little surprise that they are being used so much as a means of secure storage. Storage shipping containers differ only from a standard shipping container in so far as it may not be of standard length - often being adapted to be anything from 8ft to 40ft as opposed to the traditional 20ft and 40ft containers that are standard on ships.

Storage shipping containers are often converted to make the organisation of the items stored within easier. Racking - or shelving - is often fitted and can be all metal, all wood or a combination of the two. Cupboards are also often put into the containers. These additions can be done at the depot but there is nothing to stop standard flat pack shelves or cupboards from local DIY store being fitted by the end user. As long as the holes drilled into the container are sealed properly with silicone afterwards so that the container remains wind and watertight home fitted shelving and cupboards are often considerably cheaper.

Another alteration that sets storage shipping containers apart from standard shipping containers are the additions of a lockbox and a heavy duty container padlock. The lockbox is fitted to the double container doors and acts as a shroud for the padlock stopping illegal access from bolt croppers or angle grinders. The padlocks themselves often have hardened steel shackles and are extremely robust.  Together, the construction, lockbox and padlock make it extremely difficult for all but the most determined to break into a shipping container.

People often are concerned about condensation in their storage shipping containers. This can be tackled through the addition of grafo paint to the container ceiling which absorbs moisture or by the simpler method of using moisture traps.  These moisture traps  are used on marine voyages and which absorb up to two-and-a-half litres of moisture keeping the stored goods dry.  They are extremely effective - after all no-one wants to have spent a lot of money to ship cargo half way round the world only for it to arrive ruined!

Storage shipping containers look as though they are here to stay. The fact that they are strong and secure, easily transportable, come in varying sizes and are easily fitted out to hold a variety of goods mean that they are an economic and practical for all sorts of storage needs.

Shipping Containers are an ideal solution for additional storage. Whether you are moving or renovating your house, want to clear your garage or spare room of all the clutter so you can use them again for their original purpose, the extra space that a shipping container provides could be the answer. Businesses too can save on expensive commercial premises by putting stock or archiving files in a shipping container.

A 20ft container is about the size of a single garage and is the most common size used for a storage container. Businesses often use a 40ft container as they need the additional space. The containers can be fitted out with racking so that they are well organised and keep their contents easy to find. Moisture traps are used to stop condensation and are particularly effective when storing paper or electrical goods that are sensitive to the damp.

Shipping containers are classed as temporary structures so normally do not require any planning permission. They can be sited easily on any level ground near to the house or office and painted to blend in with their surroundings. With the addition of a lockbox and a heavy duty container padlock they are very secure.

If you have a need for additional storage a shipping container could well provide the answer.

CS Shipping Containers provide steel shipping and storage  containers for sale and hire to individuals and companies in all parts of the UK. Our clients have a broad spectrum of storage needs which we are only too happy to help and advise on. Our containers can be delivered to you at your convenience or, if preferred, can be collected from our nearest  depot.

We offer a wide range of ex-factory and second user storage containers for sale, ideal for the storage of everything from industrial products to on-site sports equipment etc. To keep your container theft proof, we also offer security accessories, such as padlocks and lockboxes. Other products include moisture traps and ‘Grafo’ anti-condensation coating.

Our units can be converted to meet most customer requirements, for example they can be modified into office accommodation, workshops and garages, chemical stores, smoking shelters and even observatories and recording studios.

Our customers’ needs are varied. We supply individuals, small business, education, agricultural, construction and corporate clients.