Shipping container rental

[pcmeiners]

The logistics of moving is a nightmare, no less moving/storing 20,000 lbs. of tools until I sell my present house and purchase a new home.

Will be moving in the next year. Need to work on the house interior before I put it up for sale, but I need to store 150 boxes/cabinets (tools) before I start repairs. Checked out Pack Rat, Pod, ABF, U-Haul etc., all expensive or insecure storage, one wanted $900/month for a loaded trailer's storage.
Any way, I looked into a 20 foot container placed on my property to rent , again still expensive but much less then other options, most wanted $800 to drop and pickup the container plus 175.00/month rental; mind you Staten Island has a large container port, within 10 miles, one of the largest ports in the world.
Finally found a very reasonable container sales/rental company, AB Richards Inc, who services the eastern seaboard . They charged me $200 for the delivery and pickup, and $89.00/month container rental, very reasonable. Purchasing a container would have created other headaches.

https://www.abrichards.com/

 

[Strouty]

It never goes like you plan, I would buy one, move, unload, resell later. They hold their value well.

 

[Bretny]

SI you should be paying just under $2k for a 20ft container delivered. Where you store it idk.

I know storage places are very pricy.

 

[469 runner]

I used Pack Rat to move garage equipment and tools to my new residence. It was dropped off, one week later I had it loaded and it was picked up. I arranged to have the container delivered to my new residence 300 miles away 1 week later. I got a call from the driver that was to do the delivery that I had to be present to receive the delivery. Not what I had been told. Then was told that the container was too heavy and was unable to be lifted. WTF? It was picked up, shipped, and at a warehouse, but was too heavy to be delivered? I had to make arrangements to rent a small truck and go to the warehouse and take some things off the container to lighten the load. I may have removed a couple thousand pounds. It was very inconvenient. A real hassle. I think the driver was inexperienced and was scared to handle the forklift.

I would never use Pack Rat again and would recommend others look to other companies.

 

[maxpat82]

150/200$ for delivery and the same for pick up and 90-100$/month is what I had been quoted for by a compagny less then 10miles from my home.

But it was against the city rules to have a maritime container as a temporary storage.

 

[pcmeiners]

"It never goes like you plan, I would buy one, move, unload, resell later. "

Tight fit on property for even a 20 ft, if loaded I would need a crane to load on a trailer if I going to move it over the road, this is only for temporary storage. If this was not NYC and I had the land to put it on I would buy an insulated 40 foot, use it for the move, then sell it. Logistics **** when you have >30,000 lbs in tools. Hoping the city does not create issues for me. Pack Rat has a nasty rep.

 

[Strouty]

A bit confused, sounded like you rented a container? How is buying one any more of a logistics issue to renting one?

 

[pcmeiners]

I rented, when I do not need it anymore, the company picks the container up; at this point I only need a temporary storage unit until I do interior home repairs. If I purchased one for transport to a new home I would need a crane to pick up the heavily loaded box (approx. 18000 lbs), no less I would need (2), 20ft containers; cranes and permits are not cheap in NYC. To add to this I can only fit (1) 20ft box on my property at time; legally I can only have a 200sqft box without a permit, so I would need to rent a crane and trailer twice. Another factor, if any of my neighbors complaint, I have 30 days before the city comes down on me, then I have 120 days to get rid of the container; I will have the repairs done in that time, might even sell the house in that time, possibly.

Still think I should buy a container?

 

[Lucid Moments]

I would still buy one. Use it for no fee monthly while you do the internal repairs then sell if for a very large percentage of your money back. Not for moving, just for temporary storage. I bought one for $1,500.00 and the purchase price included delivery. Am still using it so I don't know how much I could sell it back for, but I only netted $500 that makes the per month cost pretty reasonable.

 

[machsnell]

I have never paid more than 1500 even for 40 footers.

Easy to move unloaded if you have any friends with bobcats.

But I hear you for the delivery hassle and dropping it so you lose a couple grand not a big deal. Convenience cost.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[pcmeiners]

At this point I am happy that I do not need to pay hundreds a month for storage offsite. I do envy you guys who live in areas without major government restrictions, gets crazy when you live in a major city. Perhaps I will purchase a container when I do move but that depends on variables in the future.

 

[LXCam]

Could you construct a RV carport with a gravel base then disassemble and toss when you're done?

 

[pcmeiners]

"Could you construct a RV carport with a gravel base then disassemble and toss when you're done? "

Yes I could but 18000 lbs would disappear over night.

 

[matt_i]

This might sound odd but can you move some stuff to the area you will be going and place it in a ministorage there? Just thinking along the lines it might be less expensive to rent space there. Some downside to the time spent transporting and moving it, but it would be paid " up front" and the benefit would be a shorter move when the new property is acquired and could be handled in smaller bites as well instead of a mass move.

 

[pcmeiners]

At $89/month any offsite rental would be hundreds more per month, and with the rental located at my house I have access and I can control condensation . At this point I am good with my present rental. Hopefully I can find a place with some land like Strouty has (including as many Lista cabinets )

 

[BD1]

If not too late, check with moving companies . A friend did had the same issues. The company did delivery ,pickup, and stored in their yard. Was the best and least expensive. Your location may affect prices.

 

[csp]

I'm confused. Seems like there's already a solution in place, so why the back and forth banter or creating the thread to begin with?

 

[850xpeps]

I think I’ve missed the part about why you have to move one you buy but don’t have to move one offset that your renting? If both are staying onsite then why do you worry about crane prices and loading/unloading?

 

[LifeLongWNYer]

Just as a point of reference, I am getting ready for a move and need some temporary storage too. 40' containers are about $2,800-$3,200 around here, but each of the companies selling them here strongly stress that they only sell containers. They will not move one for you, either empty, or loaded, and when you are finished with your container, it is up to you to get rid of it. NO help from them.

Selling one probably wont be REAL hard, but getting a 40 footer moved is not easy. A construction firm might move one on a low-boy trailer, but getting it loaded could be difficult, depending on where you have it in your yard.




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[850xpeps]

Just as a point of reference, I am getting ready for a move and need some temporary storage too. 40' containers are about $2,800-$3,200 around here, but each of the companies selling them here strongly stress that they only sell containers. They will not move one for you, either empty, or loaded, and when you are finished with your container, it is up to you to get rid of it. NO help from them.

Selling one probably wont be REAL hard, but getting a 40 footer moved is not easy. A construction firm might move one on a low-boy trailer, but getting it loaded could be difficult, depending on where you have it in your yard.




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Most place selling around me is about $2700 for a 1 trip 40’ container and deliver cheap.

They are easy to move and load with a landall trailer. Lots of tow companies have.

 

[Bretny]

A 20ft container can be moved by a flat bed truck. Not sure on a 40ft.

 

[LifeLongWNYer]

I am working on my "saves" versus "to the trash man" and trying to be able to use a 20' container. That would solve several problems.

Good idea on the towing companies having a Landoll trailer, I hadn't thought of them.




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[WaterBoyz]

Just to toss in my 3 cents.

When I moved, the 53ft moving truck was split between the wife's stuff and my basement stuff. I rented 2 40ft containers placed on my lot where our new home was being built. The moving company loaded her stuff in one container and my stuff in the other container. Yes, 40 is a bit overkill but then they didn't have to pack them like as if coming from China. It was waaaaay cheaper than paying the moving company for storage.

I did look into buying but, in my market, it did not appear to be very easy to sell them. I only needed them for less than a year.

 

[pcmeiners]

"so why the back and forth banter or creating the thread to begin with? "
I started the thread to share what I learned concerning an economical alternative to the expensive storing of tools/household items off site or purchasing a container, in an urban area . So what is so terrible that it has become a discussion, no one is forcing bamboo under your finger nails so you read it.

"Most place selling around me is about $2700 for a 1 trip 40’ container and deliver cheap.
They are easy to move and load with a landall trailer. Lots of tow companies have."

For $99, a Landall type trailer is the only way you are getting it delivered.
If you have a place to put a 40ft container, a driveway about 100 feet, and if it is legal (in NYC, it is not legal without a permit which you will pay for heavily). Delivery here costs approx. 4-$500.
Now, as is I can only get a 20 ft, if I were to buy and load it up I bet I could get 20,000 lbs in it. For me to get that shipped would require a permit, a high capacity crane (Landall will not do it), wires temporarily removed, paid city services (police, building inspectors etc) and a huge sum of money to pay for it .

"I did look into buying but, in my market, it did not appear to be very easy to sell them. I only needed them for less than a year"

Same here, I hope to need it for less then 6 months, plus I may be legally required to remove it in 120 days .

"I think I’ve missed the part about why you have to move one you buy but don’t have to move one offset that your renting?"
When I sell my house I will then get a 28ft ABF truck to move 22,000 lbs of tools, which will likely need to be stored by ABF at their depot until I purchase a new house. Having any company store my stuff offsite for any length of time before I sell is expensive/insecure/prone to condensation.

 

[VocaTexas]

I sell and lease containers as a side business. For someone who only needs short-term storage or for a contractor who needs storage on a job site leasing a container is a very cost effective solution. For a 20 foot container locally I get a $300 pick up and delivery fee and $80 a month lease.

We had a severe thunderstorm move through the area the night before last. A house in town lost it's roof. One of the local contractors, who is a regular customer of mine, called me yesterday morning needing a container to remover undamaged items from this house before it rained again. Less than two hours later he had a 20 foot container sitting in the driveway and they were loading it.

If you have room and zoning will allow, buying is a great solution for long term. However many people do not have that option so for the short-term, leasing is best. At least that way they have easy access to their belongings instead of driving across town to a storage facility.

 

[pcmeiners]

Finally moved so I will be returning the container. Was very surprised I had no condensation/rust issues at all. Possibly due to the care the rental company took in sealing the container from water and minimizing air flow from the container vents. Also I placed plastic sheets on the floor to minimize water vapor traveling through the wood floor. Again I have to plug AB Richards for the reasonable rental fee.

https://redirect.viglink.com/?forma...8d1879ea4db6639656bbe1af129db4fc&libId=ki...

 

[karoc]

This is a good thread, I am in same boat. But I would want to purchase the container cause I figure my tools would be in storage little more than a year maybe two years. But I haven't been able to find some of these good to fair deals that I am reading about.