How to Correctly Buy Shipping Containers in Australia

shipping containers

Australia features thousands of steel shipping containers in its ports, junkyards, and warehouses. This gives you the opportunity to get used ones or purchase new ones for your needs.

Do you need a steel storage container to store specialty goods in onsite or to move your belongings to from another country or are you in the shipping business, where you purchase containers and then lease them out? Whatever the reason, Australia features a certain set of guidelines when it comes to buying shipping containers.

Buying a Shipping Container in Australia

If you live in or are planning to relocate to Australia, consider buying a shipping container. Australians use sturdy steel shipping containers for almost everything, from storing or transporting goods to now creating container homes.

  • Decide what you need the shipping container for. Do you need one for creating container homes, because there are some made for that purpose? If you decide on a new shipping container, high cubes often work the best for building so you don’t become cramped or feel claustrophobic, but standard ones work better for storing or transporting goods.
  • Do your research at the beginning because it will be an investment. Try to select a certified dealer, located near you so you can inspect the units in person. However, most of the time this isn’t feasible to make sure you choose a reputable, certified company. Check that they are a member of the ISBU Association.
  • Realize you may be dealing with a dealer as many shipping companies don’t deal directly with the public and prefer to work more with distributors. Reputable ones will arrange to bring your new shipping container out to you.
  • Ask to see high-quality photos of the container you’re interested in and from different angles. This gives you some idea of the shape it’s in, as well as how old it may be and how well cared for it was.
  • Aim to buy a container that features both sturdy steel sides and flooring otherwise you may need to replace the flooring for it to stabilize heavy loads properly.

According to most shipping container companies, it’s often more affordable to buy a steel shipping container and transport your belongings to Australia than it is to an entirely new household of belongings. Depending on if you’re shipping locally or internally, it may take a few days to several weeks to transport all of your items. If you purchase a container, you have exclusive use of the container versus hiring a container or sharing a container with others if you don’t have a large load. Generally, you can fit the contents of a 3-bedroom house into a standard container or the contents of an apartment and your vehicle.

✋ Warning

Keep your cargo safe and sound 📦 Learn the different types of shipping container securing methods in our latest article!

Australian Guidelines

Besides the basics, the government has its own set of guidelines for buying shipping containers in Australia, partly because it prides itself on being such an environmentally-friendly area and wants to avoid contaminants being brought in. Therefore, it is imperative that you think long and hard about not long what kind of goods you’ll need to transport but what kind of container works best for them.

The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service adhere to strict guidelines on what may come in and how it may be packaged. Since they prohibit most kinds of food from entering from another country, you’d be better purchasing a standard use container versus a refrigerated insulated one as you may not be able to use it, unless you’re only transporting within Australia.

However, the process is more complicated if you’re using a company to ship your goods overseas to Australia because not only do you have to adhere to proper guidelines on which kinds of containers to use, but you’ll need to fill out lots of forms to claim your belongings. Before packing anything in your new steel shipping container, you must clean thoroughly any outside equipment, including garden tools, sports equipment, and patio furniture before listing them so customs can inspect them. It’s important that you note anything you’ve owned over a year. They also have a long list of items that must be declared at customs, including anything created from wood, wicker, or straw, craft items, or anything involving animal fur, feathers, or shells from taxidermy to jewelry.

Shipping Container Business in Australia

Many other companies in Australia not only sell new shipping containers but also lease them out if you need them only for a short period of time. Their professionals will assist you in loading your container and offer door to door service.

The shipping container business is hopping over in Australia. Many people buy shipping containers to build container homes because they are more affordable, costing only around $700 for each square meter. You’ll find stunning four and five bedroom houses constructed out of these containers, including Australia’s largest container home. It is also cheaper to transport a 20-foot custom made cabin out of containers through Australia than to transport a regularly constructed home.

Now that you see how important the shipping business is in Australia, are you planning to jump into the game too by purchasing a shipping container from a reputable company?

Author Bio: Cherry Soriano is a writer at Media Buzzer, a News Trends website in the United Kingdom. She is a voracious reader of spy, romance, and fantasy books of all kinds. She is married with three active girls.