Container Transport: 4 Tips for Smooth Relocation

Shipping containers are at the heart of global trade, facilitating the movement of everything from electronics to machinery. It is the use of standardized 20- or 40-foot steel containers that can travel seamlessly from ship to truck to train in transit, making it exponentially more efficient to load, transport, and offload goods from one nation to another and even continents. 

Whether you need to move goods across a border or an ocean, containerized shipping enables you to keep your freight on track without facing unnecessary delays.

One of the most significant advantages of shipping container transport is the balance of cost-efficiency and security that it provides. These containers enable companies to move sizeable volumes of goods at a relatively low cost per unit, thus making it possible for businesses of all types and sizes to access international markets.

Additionally, the containers themselves are built with durability in mind. They are sealed, weather-resistant, and capable of withstanding rough handling and even the harshest conditions, ensuring that products always arrive intact and with a significantly lower risk of theft or tampering.

By adding the flexibility of container types, with refrigerated containers ideal for perishable items and flat racks suitable for heavy equipment that’s too large for standard containers, it’s no wonder that container shipping remains the top option for freight logistics today.

What are the most essential tips to keep in mind to ensure a smooth container transport process?

While container choice offers numerous noteworthy benefits, it is still essential to consider certain factors when facilitating this type of transport to ensure optimal outcomes. Whether you are shipping your containers overseas or domestically, adhering to best practices will help streamline your experience. 

The following are some of the most essential tips to keep in mind if you want to ensure smooth container transport:

1. Getting the Right Containers for the Job

Before proceeding, it is essential to consider your options in terms of container types and sizes and pick out a container that best suits your needs. While the most standard containers are 20-foot and 40-foot ones, it is also possible to obtain 10-foot, 45-foot, and 48-foot options if needed. 

In terms of container types, standard dry containers, refrigerated containers (also known as reefer containers), open-top containers, and flat-rack containers are among your main options.

Standard dry containers are best suited for general cargo and packaged consumer products, including items such as clothing and electronics. In contrast, refrigerated containers are a necessity for transporting products that can spoil, such as food or medical products. 

Open-top containers are well-suited for oversized loads that can fit through a standard container door, and flat-rack containers are primarily used for transporting machinery, cars, and other large and oddly shaped items. Regardless of the container type you choose, ensure you acquire containers that are structurally sound with no cracks or leaks that could negatively impact your cargo.

2. Getting Your Containers Prepped for Transport

Once you decide on the proper containers for you, prepping them is the next most important step. To begin, it is a good idea to thoroughly clean your containers and check them for any signs of pests or debris left behind from past shipments. 

Next, you can start using pallets, airbags, plywood, and other types of dunnage to block and brace your cargo and secure your load. As you do so, ensure that you distribute the weight evenly throughout the container to prevent shifting.

If you are shipping delicate goods that are susceptible to moisture damage, you may want to add moisture absorbers to your containers and take any additional weatherproofing measures that you see fit. Before shipping them off, also ensure that your containers are all securely locked.

3. Making a Transportation Choice

Your containers are filled up, secure, and ready to travel. It is now your turn to decide on the best choice for transporting them from point A to point B. When making a decision, consider several factors, including your timeline and budget. For instance, if you are shipping them internationally, ocean shipping will provide the most cost-effective option. However, it will cost you in terms of timing, as this option is the slowest.

Moving your containers by rail is a suitable option for inland transportation, offering mid-range costs and timing. On the other hand, transporting your containers on trucks grants you the most flexibility, but it also tends to be the most expensive option. 

Before deciding which option to go with, ensure that you consider the logistics of your containers’ pick-up and drop-off locations.

4. Ensuring Regulatory Compliance

Aside from costs and logistics, it is also essential that you keep all relevant regulations in mind throughout your container transport process. 

Standards and rules vary from place to place, typically covering factors such as refrigerator requirements, maximum weight capacity, transportation of hazardous materials, and fumigation policies, among other considerations. Especially if you are shipping your containers internationally, ensure that you obtain all the necessary permits and paperwork in advance.

Also, take the time to correctly label and mark your containers to accurately indicate the contents they carry, their weight, and any potential hazards they may contain. To avoid violating regulations, which can lead to steep penalties and costly delays, make sure you become familiar with the governmental authorities that oversee such matters. 

How Sigma Container Corporation Can Help You Facilitate Smooth Shipping Container Relocation

If you are in the process of planning your container transport and require shipping container movers who can efficiently and securely transport your containers from point A to point B, look no further than Sigma Container Corporation. 

We use specialized tilt-and-load trucks that simplify the process of transporting containers of all sizes, ensuring they are dropped off precisely where needed. Thanks to our delivery service, with these trucks and our experienced drivers, we can help you stay on track, preventing disruptions to your plans, and all for incredibly fair prices. 

In addition to our reliable container delivery service, we also sell and rent a range of shipping containers suitable for various needs. 

Thanks to our well-established relationships with container suppliers, we consistently maintain a steady supply of high-quality containers available in both new and used conditions. When you purchase a container from us, our shipping container movers will deliver it directly to you in just 1-5 business days. 

For more information about our shipping container delivery service or to learn about the types and sizes of containers we have available for sale or rent, call Sigma Container Corporation at (855) 340-3342 or contact us here.