If you are a business owner that needs to ship items by boat to other parts of the world, then you have likely heard about the virtues of shipping containers. Shipping containers can make it easier for you to protect the items that you are shipping, allow you to save time packing your products, and help you store your goods on-site without you having to worry about damage from the weather or theft. However, shipping containers tend to be a large upfront investment, especially if you purchase high quality shipping containers. Here are some questions that you should ask in order to make sure that your investment in shipping containers is right for you and that the process is as smooth as possible.

1. Can you pick up the shipping containers?

Shipping containers are really heavy. As a result, it can cost a ton of money for the company from which you are purchasing the containers to ship them to you. This cost is going to be rolled over to you. You need to factor in the cost of shipping when you think about whether or not it makes sense for your company to switch to shipping containers. If you live near the company that is going to sell you the containers, it will be far cheaper for you to simply pick them up by using your own truck or renting them. The cost of shipping the containers to you could be prohibitive and break your budget.

2. Can you pay to add ventilation?

The next thing that you need to assess is whether or not your product can withstand both extreme cold and extreme heat. The reason for this is because shipping containers are extremely sensitive to the environment in which they are located and tend to amplify the surrounding temperatures. If your product cannot handle extreme temperatures, then you need to factor the amount of money that it would cost for you to ventilate and heat the shipping containers in order for them to be effective.

3. Can you get them delivered by a tilt bed roll-off truck?

Finally, make sure that you can get the shipping containers delivered by a truck that has a bed that will tilt and allow the shipping crates to be rolled onto your property. If a truck will not be able to access the area where you need the shipping containers delivered, then you will need to pay to have a crane or delivery professionals get your containers where they need to be.

For more information, talk to a company that specializes in shipping crates, such as Portland Packaging Co Inc.