Where to buy cargo containers?

Shawn

Shawn

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Shawn
Tapping in to the hive of smarter than me and of pool of random information....

Where to buy a used 20' cargo container direct?

Criaigslist and FB Market Place are littered with brokers and most are fly by night twits hiring some random delivery dude with a truck and some are legit container resellers...but who are they buying them from? I know it is not the shipping companies listing the ads and the Interwebs and phone leads are coming up empty.

Have ability to move one so looking to avoid the broker markups and delivery fees...plus I just wanna know having bought a few over the years.

SF or Oakland is my market...any leads of who the freight companies are that sell them off to the brokers?
 
Shawn said:
Where to buy a used 20' cargo container direct?
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Look for container leasing/rental companies in your area. All the containers I've purchased were direct from leasing companies. Usually was able to find good deals especially on ones that needed work like a new floor or something. Never went through a broker, etc. However, you do need to have a way to transport them in my experience. You can also try directly contacting shipping companies as well but unless you have an inside track never had much luck that route.
 
You need to look to the southern border. A bunch of logistics companies that transfer goods from cargo containers to a trailer discard them. I know in Texas you can get them for around $4K
 
Shawn said:
Tapping in to the hive of smarter than me and of pool of random information....

Where to buy a used 20' cargo container direct?

Criaigslist and FB Market Place are littered with brokers and most are fly by night twits hiring some random delivery dude with a truck and some are legit container resellers...but who are they buying them from? I know it is not the shipping companies listing the ads and the Interwebs and phone leads are coming up empty.

Have ability to move one so looking to avoid the broker markups and delivery fees...plus I just wanna know having bought a few over the years.

SF or Oakland is my market...any leads of who the freight companies are that sell them off to the brokers?
Click to expand...

Got a local Mobile Mini near you? I have bought a couple from them. We have several businesses that sell boxes around here. Are they brokers? I guess they are? Got to go look at them first IMO. Your sales person will give you container number and I look at them. There are many grades good to junk. Who ever you buy it from can have it hauled for you.
Now one of my ex drivers has his own truck and trailer and hauled my last one for me. He got me a good deal on decent box. Just a heads up usually they just want to sell the beat up boxes.
 
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bought 4 "one trip" 40-footers from one of the craigslist goons a decade ago and had a good experience. they were cheap and delivered (albeit using a seriously janky flatbed tow truck with ratchet straps) -- any extra we paid was worth it to specify exactly where we wanted them placed and not need to think about delivery logistics.

They're all still at KRAL too. They had sunk into the asphalt about 1/2" last time I visited. They're heavy suckers.
 
Gary Ward said:
Got a local Mobile Mini near you? I have bought a couple from them.
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Yeah...called them as I really want a 15' container which the have and they quoted me $7k for a 20' when I can get them through the brokers for $3K
 
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