Shipping Container Sales | Ordering Your Shipping Container
Our sales team deal with a range of shipping container orders from standard 20ft and 40ft containers to specialist container conversions, refrigerated containers and more. Every order that our sales team handle is unique and requires careful consideration. From the point of order to delivery our team will keep you posted on all updates through the process.
Shipping Container Order Lead Time
Once you have ordered your container, depending on the spec and weather we need to do any customisations for you, you may have typically 1-2 weeks to prepare for the delivery of the unit. It’s a good idea to check that your site is fully prepared to receive the container and if you’re not sure what’s involved in the process, please ask us. (if you have any deadlines to meet of course let us know and in many cases we can cover a job at shorter notice). Quite often, if you are at all unsure on vehicle access for your site, we can provide advice based on receipt of a site plan and some pictures showing us the access route and the place where you’d like your container to sit. In some cases, it may be possible for us to arrange a site visit by our haulier but, this is very much dependent on where you’re based and a site survey is ordinarily chargeable, but it does also remove risk for the customer.
Site assessment is your responsibility and we will try and guide you through the process. But, if you fail to provide us with ‘key’ information, then you could face a failed delivery charge.
In the picture to the right, our customer wanted to rotate the two containers shown in the picture, so they ran parallel to the green railing fence and have the two new 40ft containers we were delivering placed so the cargo doors of these containers, were facing the cargo doors of the existing containers. They took pictures of the site and provided a plan showing how they wanted all of them positioned.
It’s your responsibility to verify access to your site for either a rigid lorry (20ft containers) or an artic lorry (40ft containers).
We deliver a range of shipping containers around the UK and the only way we can do this is with your help in making sure that we can easily access the delivery location and that you’ve prepared the site ready to have the container dropped in its location. If we attempt to make a delivery and can’t complete it, I’m afraid you won’t get your container until the problem is resolved and you’ll be liable for a failed delivery, depot fees and then a re-delivery fee.
Do I Need Planning Permission?
Whilst shipping containers are deemed to be temporary structures and should be exempt from planning permission in most cases, it’s always a good idea to get written assurance from your local planning office that the container won’t be subject to planning permission. We also recommend to keep anyone nearby who may be affected by the container or the delivery, informed prior to ordering your container.
For further information on planning permission and ways we can help with containers that may require planning please feel free to check out our article do i need planning permission for a shipping container.
Make Sure Your Footings Are Level
The doors on shipping containers only operate correctly when the container is sat on a solid and level surface. We always advise you to make sure you have your container base or supports in place prior to delivery. These supports should be checked for levelness across the width, length and across the diagonals to ensure the container doesn’t twist. If it does twist, the cargo doors won’t open and close easily and if the container is really badly twisted, the doors may not operate at all. This is know as ‘racking’ your container. Typical supports can include concrete bases, flag stones or railway sleepers. The other advantage of elevating the container off the ground is protection for the underside cross rails. If the container just sits on the soft mud or grass, it will sit in water which will cause premature corrosion of the underside of the container.
We also ask you let us know if there are any obstacles we need to deal with on your site such as fences, walls, overhead cables etc. Again, we emphasise the need to provide pictures and information about the height of such obstacles.
Whilst all this may seem hard, checking all this in advance of delivery is ensure a smooth delivery with no additional costs.
The adjacent picture was provided by one of our customers who heeded our advice and prepared their site well in advance of us delivering the two 20ft side opening shipping containers they ordered.
Budgetshippingcontainers.co.uk offer the UK’s largest online range of shipping containers for sale with a nationwide network of storage and conversion yards and crane equipped delivery vehicles.
If you need a shipping container feel free to browse our online range of shipping containers for sale. You can also call us on freephone 0808 1234 215 any time 9am – 5pm weekdays and our team will be happy to discuss your requirements. Alternatively, you can use our online shipping container quote form or request a telephone callback. In both cases we aim to get back to you within 1-2 working hours (may take longer for more detailed quotes).