13ft Shipping Containers

Can I buy 13ft shipping containers?

13ft shipping containers are not a standard size, so no, unfortunately we can’t usually supply this size  ‘off the shelf’ from our depots. Also, you will find these can’t be used for export purposes as the container terminals (ports, rail-heads etc…), boats and trucks can’t handle non-standard container sizes.

However, if you need a 13ft shipping container for storage use we can build you one to order in one of our conversion yards. We are one of the few shipping containers traders with the right economies of scale in our larger depots to offer cost effective made to order shipping containers. We don’t actually source used 13ft shipping containers as these units don’t exist in the shipping industry as such, but we can make up both new and refurbished 13ft shipping containers as required.

Refurbished 13ft shipping containers

Refurbished 13ft shipping containers are normally built to order in our London, Birmingham or Liverpool yards. We take a used 40ft shipping container and cut it down into whatever length sections are required and then we blank off any open ends, add in new sets of our easy open / flat panel doors to any sections without doors, and then we add a high security lock box (padlock cover) before giving the whole thing a full repaint externally in your choice of basic color and adding lifting lugs so our trucks can delivery the container for you. This gives you a smart, secure and tidy 13ft shipping container that can be used for a wide range of domestic, commercial and industrial uses. The container may have some dents along the frame (as it was made from a used container) but any 13ft shipping containers we supply will be a lot neater than a standard size used container, as well as being dry and secure.

New 13ft shipping containers

Much like our refurbished 13ft shipping containers, the new 13ft shipping containers are also made to order by cutting down a new 20ft or 40ft shipping container.

For this type of build we will usually ‘cut and shut’ a new 20ft shipping container, so that you are given a container with full sets of original corner castings (lifting points) on the container itself. This gives you a container that is a close as possible to an original factory built 13ft shipping container (the factories won’t make an odd size container in volumes less than 10 units, so for a one off customer the option we are offering is the best quality option available). While it will not be possible to ship as the container won’t fit with container handling equipment in use, the container will offer a very similar strength in terms of max loading weight and max stacking weights.

Note: The max loading weight will be reduced by a factor similar to the total reduction in floor space from the original e.g. if the 20ft donor shipping container can take 30 tonnes of cargo, your new 13ft shipping container should be able to be lifted with approx 20 tonnes of cargo inside, whereas the basic refurbished units will not be safe to lift when loaded with cargo at all.

Would a 20ft shipping container be better?

With shipping containers, if you can work with a standard container size then this will typically work out a lot cheaper for you in the long run. As you can probably guess from the information above, a new 13ft shipping container will cost quite a lot more than a new 20ft shipping container, as to make up your 13ft shipping container we need to take a 20ft ‘off the shelf’ and then do a lot of work to it.

So if you can work with a standard 20ft container, or a standard 10ft container both these options will come in a fair bit cheaper overall when compared to a custom built 13ft shipping container. Unfortunately as 10ft shipping containers are also no longer used in the shipping industry either (outside of very specilaised applications) these are also not the most cost effective size. In this specific case a basic 20ft shipping container will commonly offer the most cost effective solution.

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).