Shipping Containers Blog

Posts Tagged ‘secure storage’

Recently there has been a change in the world of shipping containers.   The scarcity of 20ft second hand containers has meant that we are beginnng to see the price of 20ft containers being the same as, or sometimes more than, 40ft containers.  This will come as a surprise to many who think that the price of containers goes up the larger they are!

20ft used shipping container

The cost of new /once used shipping containers has been rising.  Even though cost wise shipping containers compare favourably to other means of secure storage, in the last month the cost of a 20ft new /once used shipping container has increased by nearly £200.  The next batch of new containers exported in from China is likely to be more expensive again.   Why should that be when the price of steel is dropping?

Shipping Container cost has always been dependant on both the condition of the container and its location (and therefore the transportation costs involved).   The market price of its principal constituent, corten steel, has also been relevant.  These are the factors that most people would consider to be the controlling influence on the cost of shipping containers.   What is often not taken into consideration as far as shipping containers are concerned is the effect of the currency exchange rate. 

For shipping containers, the currency exchange rate has had a major effect on the cost.   Anything to do with shipping uses the US Dollar as its currency.   As we all know the Pound Sterling has been dropping significantly against the US Dollar and this has meant that there are less shipping containers to the pound!   However, this has resulted in two other knock on effects on the cost of shipping containers.

 Firstly, as far as new shipping containers are concerned , the price increase has meant that less new shipping containers are being ordered.  As a direct result of this  some of the factories in China (the main producer of new shipping containers) have closed - and as we all know less competition is never a good thing for competitive pricing!

Secondly, the shipping industry itself is suffering in this recession with less actual shipping happening on a world-wide basis.   This has meant that the shipping lines are tightening their belts and are holding onto their  existing shipping containers for longer.  There are therefore less used shipping containers coming onto the market.  At the moment the second hand market is holding steady price wise, but prices will no doubt rise as second hand containers become scarcer.

All is not doom and gloom however.   In comparison to many other forms of storage, shipping containers are - and will be - priced favourably.  After all many other materials are also increasing in price due to the market conditions!    Shipping container conversions such as offices, accommodation and classrooms are going to continue to be a more economic solution than conventional building methods.  The modular construction of shipping containers and their integral strength mean that they are not only ideally suited for many projects but also that they are always going to be quicker to assemble and instal than bricks and mortar.  The fact that the containers are designed to be easily transported by road, rail and sea mean that delivery of the containers onto site  is not a problem.  In short, despite the price increases, shipping containers still have a lot going for them! 

How long this world-wide recession and the weakness of the Pound Sterling will continue is open to speculation.   What will always be true is that shipping containers will continue to be a versatile and economic solution.

We have been getting a lot of enquiries recently from schools asking about shipping containers for secure storage. Storage needs range from keeping bicycles safe, additional on-site storage for sports equipment to archiving school records. The requirements range from an 8ft container to a 40ft one.

What has been most marked recently though is the number of schools asking about shipping container conversions to provide classrooms either permanently or whilst a major redevelopment project is being undertaken. Obviously, whilst standard considerations apply to this sort of conversion such as insulation, windows, personnel doors, heating and lighting, special consideration has to be taken into account as the containers are going to be used by children. This affects lighting for example which has to be of a higher tamper proof variety than that installed in, say, a standard office conversion. Anti slip flooring is also important.

CS Shipping Containers also tries to arrange deliveries of either storage containers or the classroom shipping container conversion to fit in with the school time table. Often we deliver first thing in the morning before school starts in order to create as little inconvenience and to reduce any safety risks that may be incurred when children are around.

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.

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.

Yesterday we discussed what was meant by new/ex-factory or once used containers.  Today, as promised sees the turn of the second hand container.  When you consider that only one in five containers arriving on our shores go back into shipping, you get some idea of how vast the second hand domestic market for shipping containers actually is.

The new/once used/ex-factory containers we discussed yesterday are obviously suitable for shipping but what about if you want to buy a second hand shipping container for shipping goods abroad - what should you look for?

Just because a second hand container is on the domestic market, it does not mean it can not be used as a cargo container taking goods abroad.  If the container is still structurally sound and carries a CSC plate in date - usually on the doors of the container - it can be shipped internationally.

CSC stands for “Container Safety Convention” and the plate, pictured above, features as the equivalent of a passport for the container to be shipped internationally.  The CSC plate is issued initially for 5 years after the date of manufacture of the container and from thereonafter the container must be examined every 30 months in order to keep the plate up to date.

Some buyers use the CSC plate as an assurance that the shipping container is suitable for domestic secure storage, as it means it has been independantly inspected within the previous two-and-a-half years -  but, a lot can happen to a container within that time, and so just because there is a valid CSC plate it does not guarantee that the container is still wind and watertight.

Tomorrow we will discuss what to look for when buying a second hand shipping container for domestic storage.  In the meantime I hope that this blog has gone some way to explaining what a CSC plate is for those of you who wish to ship goods abroad.

Regular readers will know that we have been working hard on our new website.  It is designed to be easy to navigate around and give easily accessible information on shipping containers.

Today we have launched the almost completed site.   It does not have all the photographs that we had planned as yet, but does have some unique features such as a section on FAQ specifically relating to refrigerated containers - some of which we featured in last weeks blog.

There are specific sections on containers for secure storage, shipping which explain all the things you need to know when purchasing a shipping container to use in these ways.   There is also sections specifically designed for different applications such as companies, individuals, education etc.  Container Conversions also have a special section which we will continually update with new ideas and projects.

Let us know what you think of the new site and bear with us as we update our shipping container images.  Any ideas you have on how we can improve things we would love to hear.