There’s no question that shipping containers are very versatile. At Easy Move Containers, we offer them to rent or buy and we also have a rent to buy option. Our clients usually use them for short or long-term storage and sometimes for utility rooms of some kind, like a temporary office on a building site.

If you haven’t rented or received delivery of a shipping container before, you might be wondering what you need to do to get ready for the delivery.

Here are a few points to consider:

Choose Location:

The ground on which the container will sit should be level and stable. A concrete platform is best, but failing that, you can level the container using blocks or wood ties, as you can see in the videos below. 

There should be no gas or utility lines directly under the container, and the area should not be prone to flooding.

Access to Utilities

Some people decide that they want access to electricity and plumbing, but it’s not necessary. If you want utilities connected, it’s not necessary to have that done on the day of your delivery. You can hire an electrician and plumber to set up the necessary power and water lines at your own convenience. However, if it is your intention to use electricity and water/plumbing in your container, you will want to take that into consideration when deciding on location. 

Prepare the area for your container

Depending on the company you are renting or buying the container from, it may be delivered on a tilt bed truck or a crane truck.

At Easymove we provide the option of either a tilt-bed truck or crane truck. The crane truck is more expensive but it generally offers more versatility and has a higher weight tolerance as well. With some simple information, and maybe a few photos, we can determine what is best for the customer.

When you are deciding where your container is going to go, make sure there is enough clearance for whichever type of delivery you are expecting. In either case, the land should be free of tree stumps, yard equipment, car ports, and even things like kids toys and bikes. Just clear the area of any obstacles, so there is nothing that is going to get in the way or create delays or obstacles. 

This includes reviewing the access road to the property. Narrow roads, overhanging trees, power lines, and sharp bends can all interfere with the delivery of your container. 

Pre-Delivery Consultation

To ensure your shipping container delivery goes smoothly an Easy Move Containers agent will have walked you through the delivery process on the phone. You may have ordered accessories such as shelving or extra locks, and these will be delivered on the same day. 

Okay, so you have decided to rent or buy a shipping container to store your household or business items. It’s a lot of extra space, but there are a couple of things to consider before you start to pack a container.

• Organize and categorize

Good packing starts before you open the container doors by sorting out the items for storage. If you are packing up a household, declutter first and organize items by type and room. For commercial goods

• Are you going to be moving the container?

Though containers are sturdy and will protect your belongings, when in motion, the items inside may shift about.  You do want to balance the weight and use packing materials to protect fragile items. For example, if you are storing household items, protect mirrors and glass tabletops by sandwiching them between mattresses.

• Do you need access to any or all of the items you are storing?

It would not be unusual to pack your container and then, a few weeks later, discover that there are items that you need to get out. Imagine packing all your winter garments away, and then a business trip comes up to a cold country. You’d want to collect some warm garments to take on your trip. There are two things to consider here. 1) Save a rough map of where in the container you’ve packed certain items. 2) Pack items that you are likely to need access to towards the front of the container.

• Get the most out of the space

Think of the container storage space as a 3D space and maximize your investment by packing it up as well as along the floor of the unit. Stack heavier items at the bottom and lighter ones at the top and fill empty spaces with crumpled paper or packing material to prevent shifting. 

• Effective packing

Don’t randomly throw things in boxes and end up with several half-filled boxes. Instead, aim for fewer well-packed boxes. A full box is sturdier than one that is not packed well. Also, pack heavy items individually, either in a box or by wrapping them in protective cardboard or bubble wrap. This is to make it easier to unpack and move the heavier items. Clearly mark all boxes with a list of contents, and mark those that contain fragile items. 

• Shelving and accessories 

Shelving can be a useful addition to a container, whether it is being used for household or commercial storage. Other accessories include vents for air circulation, heavy-duty container dividers, and secure locks. 

There are hundreds of creative uses for used shipping containers but surely one of the most practical and common is using them for storage, either at your property or at a container storage facility. We look forward to answering any questions you might have on storing your items safely with Easy Move Containers whether that might be your RV or boat, or a collection oof household or commercial goods.