There are an estimated 17 million shipping containers in existence, and these convenient containers are used to help safely transport cargo and goods around the world on oceangoing vessels or trucks. These containers are quite sturdy and are designed specifically to carry heavy loads and be stacked.
Shipping containers are made of sheets of corrugated steel. This makes them extremely sturdy and strong. Containers are built to ISO specifications to ensure that they provide safe and reliable storage for companies using them. Shipping containers typically weight thousands of pounds and require cranes or other heavy lifting devices to move. They can be transported over land on flat-bed or other heavy-duty trucks.
Shipping containers are typically about eight feet tall, by eight feet wide, and either 20 or 40 feet long. Consistent width and height are important, as the original purpose of these containers is stackable storage on large ocean-going vessels.
There’s quite a selection of used shipping containers, as many sit empty once they reach their destination. Shipyards want them cleared from their storage areas, and it is impractical to recycle them. As a result, people who would like to buy them to use as temporary storage facilities, office facilities or for other uses can often get excellent deals on these highly useful containers.
Because these containers are so sturdy and durable, they typically find use as outside storage facilities and sheds. Shipping container architecture is becoming popular, as these containers have been turned into homes and other buildings.