Shipping Containers and Storage Sheds
Generally, it is common to see storage sheds in the backyard of every house; storage sheds are typically made out of wood and the main reason for their popularity; it offers extra storage in an enclosed space. On the other hand, the idea of using shipping containers for storage has increased in popularity as it also provides secure enclosed storage space. Here we will suggest the benefits of using shipping containers for storage over storage sheds.
Durability and Maintenance
Shipping containers are made of steel, whereas storage sheds are usually made of wood. Shipping containers are built to last, with the steel construction; it can withstand six more containers stacked on top of it.
Shipping containers have an average lifespan of 25 years and will last longer if well maintained.
Security
In terms of security, items stored inside a shipping container are more secure than in a wooden shed; since shipping containers are made of steel, it is hard to break in. With shipping containers being wind, water and rodent proof, it gives you peace of mind knowing that your belongings are well kept inside the container. In addition, most shipping containers used for storage will have a lockbox installed; it adds extra security as it preserves your padlock and ultimately prevents bolt cutters.
Mobility
Shipping containers also offer the option for you to move them easily; as most shipping containers have forklift pockets, you can relocate your shipping container using a forklift to the ideal spot.
Here at ContainerWest and LuckyBox Storage, we offer shipping container rentals for storage and container sales. For more information, please visit our website or call us at 1-800-561-9530 for inquiries.
Used vs. Ex-rental Storage Containers
At ContainerWest and LuckyBox storage, we provide various storage options to fulfill your storage needs. Although our primary focus is on container rentals and modifications, we sell containers occasionally. In terms of storage containers to purchase, we offer new (one-trip) units and our ex-rental storage containers for sale. Here we will list the basic features of our ex-rental units and compare them with other shipping industry-graded “used” containers to suggest why our ex-rental containers are more suitable for you.
Our ex-rental containers are our older rental containers that are about 10 – 12 years old, and they are typically either Crème or Beige in color. They are all excellent condition. Even though our rental customers technically used these containers, we make sure that all of our ex-rental containers going for sale are wind, water and rodent prove guaranteed.
Perhaps the main difference between our ex-rental containers and other shipping industry-graded “used” containers is the condition and quality of the container. Shipping industry-graded “used” containers have all been on cargo ships, which are exposed to water and salt. On the other hand, our ex-rental storage containers have only been on land; they maintained their quality to qualify as suitable containers for sale. We genuinely believe that our ex-rental storage containers are in much better condition than the “used” containers in the market. It will also benefit you for long-term storage, as our ex-rental containers will last longer in time than a 20+ years old rusty bucket.
We sincerely understand that customers would like first to view the container to learn its condition before deciding to purchase; feel free to come by our facility and arrange a viewing of the container or request photos of the container, and we will send it over to you by email.
Feel free to visit our website or give us a call at 1-800-561-9530 for inquiries.
Drive up Self-Storage - Things To Keep in Mind
For our ground access drive up self-storage rental, we allow our valuable customers to park their vehicles on the driveway beside their storage unit to store their items. We also provide a garbage and disposal bin in our storage facility in Richmond, BC, for our customer’s convenience. There are regulations for the usage of our storage facility our customers should consider for all our customers to enjoy the convenience of our self-storage rental equally. Here are things our customers should keep in mind when using accessing our storage facility:
The type of vehicle entering our facility
As mentioned, for our drive up self-storage rental, customers can park their vehicle beside their storage unit to store their items. Our driveway is designed to accommodate space for moving vans or trucks to park and unload items temporarily. On the other hand, our driveway cannot fit big trailer trucks, along with a loaded container with items to store. The main reason being our driveway is relatively narrow; it would be very challenging, if not impossible, for a big trailer truck to turn. Moreover, the loaded container will block other customers’ access to their storage units.
It is also essential to specify that the driver should always be on-site. If other customers want to access their storage unit, the car will be mobile to move temporarily.
The use of the garbage bin
The garbage bin provided in our storage facility is mainly for personal use. It is crucial to remember that commercial waste, such as cardboard and other business-related waste, should not be dumped into the bin.
These are the regulations for using our storage facility; we should cooperate to make our storage facility enjoyable and usable for all our customers.
The Difference Between Our Portable and Stacked Storage Options
In terms of storage, we offer different options and services. If you are moving, we highly recommend our portable storage and stacked storage options; the two services mentioned are alike and similar. Here we will break down the details of each service and indicate the main difference between the two so that you will better understand which rental option to choose.
Portable Storage
We offer two container sizes for our portable storage option: 10’ and 20’. We will first deliver an empty container to your site. You then load the storage container up with your items at your location. We will pick up your loaded container and store it in our facility. We will deliver the loaded container from our facility to your new location whenever you are ready. After unloading all your items, we will pick up the empty container, which will be the end of your rental.
The maximum load for the items to be stored in the container is 3000 lbs. We charge a $100 viewing fee if you need to take something out from your storage container at our facility. The portable storage option is best if you are moving and do not have a location to store the container.
Stacked Storage
Our stacked storage option also offers two container sizes: 10’ and 20’. You will first arrive at our facility for this storage option with your items to store. You will load the container up with your items at our facility, and after loading is complete, we will stack the container up to the pile and store it for you. When you need your items back, please give us at least one business day notice for us to lower your container down to ground level. You will then come to our yard and unload the items from your container.
The stacked storage option is our most affordable storage option, given that you have transportation covered. The maximum load for the container is also 3000 lbs, and we charge a $100 viewing fee, just like portable storage.
The main difference between our portable storage and stacked storage option is transportation. We recommend our stacked storage option if you have your transportation covered, as it is the most economical storage option. We recommend our portable storage option if you would like to enjoy the complete package, with storage and transportation arranged for you.
Feel free to visit our website for more information or give up a call at 1-800-561-9530 for inquiries. We are always happy to help!
Drive Up Ground Access Self-storage Rental
Are you looking for extra storage space to store your winter sports equipment? Or you are looking for a secure storage facility to store items for your business. Our drive-up ground access self-storage rental may be the best storage solution to fulfil your storage needs; here, we will briefly introduce the service and explain why this storage option may benefit you.
Our ground access storage units are all made out of shipping containers; they are wind and waterproof guaranteed. All of our storage units come with 1-inch spray foamed ceiling for better insulation and to prevent condensation. It comes in different sizes: 7’, 8’, 10’, 20’ and 40’, to accommodate storage in different scales.
Moreover, our self-storage rentals also provide you with great convenience; we are located in a centralized area between Vancouver and Richmond, Mitchell Island, only a 25-minute drive from Downtown Vancouver. Our ground access storage units are located on a driveway; you can park your vehicle next to your storage unit and start loading/unloading. In addition, most of our storage units offer 24/7 access, so you do not need to rush. You are always welcome to come after hours if necessary.
In terms of security, our storage facility is surrounded by wired fences. All of our storage units have lockboxes installed, which helps prevent bolt cutters. Furthermore, we have 24/7 CCTV monitoring to ensure that our customer’s belongings are securely stored.
Visit our website to see the rate we offer for our storage unit rentals. Feel free to contact us or give us a call at 1-800-561-9530 to check the availability of these storage units.
Sea-Can Delivery and Offloading Requirements
If you are looking for extra storage and would like to rent a sea-can to be delivered to your site, our on-site sea-can rental will be the best option for you as we offer delivery to our customer’s location. In terms of sea-can delivery, two types of trucks have offloading capabilities: Crane and Tilt deck trucks. Each type of truck has its offloading requirements, and we will choose the kind of truck to carry out the delivery depending on the condition of the customer’s site. Here we will discuss the offloading requirement for the crane truck and the tilt deck truck, so you can have a better idea of either choosing a crane truck or a tilt deck truck for delivery.
Crane truck’s offloading requirements:
- Offload is right beside and parallels the deck of the truck.
- No reach.
- No obstacle.
- No overhead power lines.
Perhaps a Crane truck's main advantage is that it does not require a lot of space to carry out the delivery, as it will lift the sea-can and lower it to ground level right beside the deck. Crane trucks are widely used for sea-can offloading in a city setting, where space is often limited.
Tilt deck truck’s offloading requirements:
- At least 60 feet of straight runway is required for offloading 20’ sea-cans or less.
- At least 100 feet of straight runway is required for offloading 40’ sea-cans.
- No obstacles.
- No overhead power lines.
The Tilt deck truck has more turning capabilities than the Crane truck, and the offloading process is more straightforward. The Tilt deck truck is a go-to option for sea-can offloading, given that space is abundant to carry out offloading.
If you are not sure about the location, you would like your sea-can to be offloaded, will fit the offloading requirements of either a Crane or a Tilt deck truck, do not hesitate to consult us. You can let us know the offloading location, and our experienced logistic team will let you know if offloading could be carried out.
On the other hand, you are always welcome to arrange your own delivery for sea-can rentals. Visit our website: LuckyBoxstorage.com or give up a call at 1-800-561-9530 for inquiries.
Trucking Rate Increase Due to Rocketing Gas Prices
If you pass by any gas station during your daily commute, you will see that the gas prices have been increasing rapidly within these 2 – 3 months. Anyone who drives a vehicle will tell you that they are spending more every time they are at the gas pump. Correspondently, businesses affected by the increase in gas prices raised the price of their services or products to cope with this situation. As we offer sea-can deliveries to our customers, our trucking operation is very well affected by the unpredictable gas prices. We will have to adjust our trucking rates in response to the increase in expense.
We are doing our best to keep the delivery rate as low as possible for our customers. As we are located between the city of Vancouver and Richmond (Mitchell Island), we have kept the delivery rate unchanged for both cities to serve our community. The delivery price is kept at the lowest possible rate for other cities.
ContainerWest Crane Truck
In terms of sea-can rentals, for every quote and rental contract, it will state the pick-up fee will be determined based on the posted transportation rates at the time of return; if a year from now, the gas prices keep on increasing, the pick-up fee will likely be more than the delivery fee we currently charge. On the other hand, if the gas prices lessened a year later, the pick-up fee will likely be less than the delivery fee we are currently charging.
We want to mention that although we are happy to arrange delivery for our customers to make the rental process more convenient, customers are always welcome to arrange their own transportation.
Beware of scams for Sea-can purchase
With numerous online platforms that offer sea-can sales, it is only sensible to look for the best deal that we can find. Given the global shortage of sea-cans, which led to higher purchasing prices, various scams circled the sea-can to purchase market. Here we will list out some advice on identifying scams online so that you do not fall into the hands of fraudulent activities.
Be careful when browsing Facebook Marketplace.
Facebook is unarguably one of the most popular online platforms in terms of social media. With Facebook Marketplace, anyone could be a seller. It is surprisingly easy to post an advertisement; the only requirement is to have a Facebook account. Scams often use sea-can companies’ names or their original photos to make their advertisements look legitimate.
The most direct way to differentiate between a legitimate advertisement and a scam is the seller’s email address. For example, if you see an advertisement using the ContainerWest name, the person you communicate with should be using a company email address: Johndoe@containerwest.com.
ContainerWest yard on Mitchell Island, Richmond BC
Request to view the sea-can before paying for it.
Like purchasing any commodity, it is only reasonable for you to view the item before deciding to pay for it, especially when you are buying a sea-can that is usually worth more than one thousand dollars. We recommend to always ask for multiple photos of the container, or to be even more secure, request viewing the container at their location.
At ContainerWest, we will always send sea-can photos to customers upon their request. Customers are always welcome to come to our yard to view the sea-can they are interested in purchasing.
ContainerWest yard on Mitchell Island, Richmond BC
Trust your instincts.
When it comes to scams and fraud, sometimes it is obvious to catch. If we are not careful, it is easy to fall for it. It is always essential to trust our instincts.
Due to the supply chain issue, the industry is currently experiencing a shortage of sea-can. As a result, the price of a regular sea-can doubled or tripled. Scammers took full advantage of this phenomenon and offered cheaper than average sea-can prices to scam people. If you see a surprisingly cheap sea-can offer, you think, “This is too good to be true!” You are probably right. Moreover, if you feel that something is wrong when inquiring about the sea-can to purchase, you should be extra cautious.
After these suggestions, we hope you will not fall victim to fraudulent activities and to always choose legitimate companies when considering purchasing a sea-can. Feel free to send us a note or call us for more information.
Sea-can storage accessories and tips
You may be loading your belongings into a sea-can storage unit and wonder how to make the loading process more efficient and better organized. There is no perfect formula for storing your belongings efficiently, as it varies among individuals’ preferences regarding storage methods. However, some accessories help you better organize your belongings, save time, and optimize your storage space. Below we outline some suggestions and tips for getting the most out of your storage services.
Let’s start with accessories:
Storage boxes
Perhaps, storage boxes are the most straightforward and easily obtainable accessory that will help you better organize your storage unit.
Storage boxes are readily available at most department stores and at relatively low prices. By placing your items in a box and stacking them, you’ll better utilize the whole volume of storage space within the sea-can.
One other tip is to label your storage boxes. You will know which package has which items in it by doing so. This will save you time and frustration when searching for that one specific thing you stored away.
LuckyBox and ContainerWest stacked containers
Pallet Rack installation
Another way to better organize your belongings and optimize storage space is to install pallet racking inside your sea-can. Although pallet racking may cost time and effort to establish and is more expensive than storage boxes, it is unarguably more durable and will last longer.
The good thing about pallet racking is that you can always customize it to make it more applicable for your storage needs; choose the number of levels you want and customize the pallet rack’s size and height.
ContainerWest yard on Mitchell Island, Richmond BC
Storage tips
As we mentioned above, there is no one perfect way to store your items in a sea-can. Each individual has their own unique needs and ways of doing things. One essential storage tip we can recommend is placing items that you will need frequent access to near the sea-can entrance. This will save you time and effort while moving things in and out of your sea-can storage unit.
Feel free to send us a note or call us for more information on how to make the loading process more efficient and better organized.
Why buy a Sea-can when you can rent one?
If you are looking for extra storage options and decide to go with a sea-can, you may be debating whether to buy a sea-can or rent one. Although to buy a container seems favorable, depending on the circumstance, renting a sea-can makes more sense compared to buying one. Here we will find out why renting a sea-can is more beneficial than purchasing one.
Less cost for short-term storage
Perhaps you are looking to store your skiing equipment or snowboards that you will only use during the fall/winter season, or you are planning to move. You would need temporary storage space for 2-3 months, to rent a sea-can will be a better option for you compared to purchasing one, as the price of renting will be lower than to buy a sea-can.
LuckyBox stacked red containers
Free space
It does not matter whether you are renting or buying a sea-can, having a sea-can at your site will inevitably take up space. With our sea-can rentals, the free space will only be occupied when you need extra storage; once you no longer need the sea-can for storage, we will arrange a sea-can pick up from your site. Alternatively, if you purchase a sea-can, regardless of needing extra storage at the time, you will always need an area to place your sea-can, which takes up free space.
Sea-can modular containers
Changeable sizes
Another advantage of sea-can rentals is the option to upsize or downsize your sea-can. If you find yourself needing more space than a standard 20’ sea-can, you always have the opportunity to return the 20’ sea-can and rent a larger sized one to fulfil your storage needs. Conversely, if you purchase a sea-can, its size is fixed, and it takes more time, effort, and money to switch to a preferable sized sea-can.
Maintenance
Although sea-cans are known for being durable, purchasing a sea-can means that you are responsible for the maintenance to make it favorable for your storage unit. With our sea-can rentals, you can always expect the best sea-can storage offers; windproof, watertight and operable cargo doors. That way, you do not need to worry much about maintenance.
With the “container crisis” and supply chain issue going on right now, the price to purchase a sea-can skyrocketed. If you wish to save costs for temporary storage, sea-can rental is the way to go.
All in all, renting a sea-can may be a more sensible option, depending on your situation and storage needs. Feel free to send us a note or call us for inquiries.