Tips For Buying Used Containers

Used shipping containers are a solid option for a lot of buyers. The price is lower, and for straightforward storage or job site use, a well-maintained used container does everything a new one does at a fraction of the cost. The problem is that quality varies a lot from unit to unit, and a container that looks fine in a yard photo can turn into an expensive headache once it is sitting on your property.
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Knowing what to look for before you commit saves you from that situation entirely.

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Start With the Roof

The roof is the most important thing to look at on any used container. Everything stored inside depends on it staying watertight, and roof problems are the most common source of leaks.

Look for:
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• Rust that has moved beyond surface discoloration into actual pitting or soft areas in the steel
• Dents that have created low spots where water pools and accelerates rust over time
• Any visible holes or areas where the steel has thinned significantly
• Previous patch repairs, which can indicate past damage that may not be fully resolved

If you can safely access the roof, run your hand across it. Solid steel feels uniform. Areas that have been compromised by rust or impact feel different under light pressure.

Understand the Grades First

Used containers are sold in grades that tell you roughly what condition to expect. Getting familiar with those grades before you start shopping makes the whole process a lot clearer.

• Cargo worthy: Structurally sound and certified for continued use in active shipping. The best condition you will find in a used unit.
• Wind and watertight: Sealed against the elements and suitable for storage, but not certified for cargo. May have cosmetic wear and surface rust. This is where most storage buyers land.
• As-is: Sold in whatever condition it happens to be in. No guarantees. Can be a reasonable deal or a serious problem depending on the specific unit.

For most people buying a container for storage or job site use, wind and watertight is the practical sweet spot. Cargo worthy units cost more but give you the closest thing to guaranteed structural integrity. As-is units are only worth considering if you can see the container in person before it leaves the yard.

Check the Doors Carefully

Doors that do not seal properly make a container essentially useless for weather protection regardless of how sound the rest of the structure is. This is the second most important thing to inspect.

Work through each of these:
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• Rubber gaskets: The seals running around the full door frame should be intact, flexible, and seated properly. Cracked, torn, or missing sections let moisture straight in.
• Door swing: Both doors should open fully and close without binding, forcing, or sticking at any point.
• Locking hardware: The rods, cam locks, and handles should move cleanly. Stiff or heavily corroded hardware is both a maintenance issue and a security concern.
• Frame alignment: If the container has been racked or shifted from impact or improper stacking, the door frame goes out of square. Doors on a racked container will never seal properly no matter how good the gaskets are.

Assess the Walls and Frame

Some surface rust on the exterior walls of a used container is completely normal and mostly cosmetic. Deeper rust that has progressed into the steel itself is a different situation.

Look for:
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• Rust that has created holes or significantly thinned the steel in any area
• Large dents that have compromised the structural corrugation of the walls, which is what gives the steel its strength
• Areas that appear to have been cut and re-welded, which may indicate previous damage that was repaired rather than replaced
• The corner castings at each corner of the container, which are the main structural connection points and should be fully intact with no cracking or significant deformation

Look at the Floor

Container floors take a lot of abuse over years of cargo loading and unloading. A damaged or rotted floor is not just an aesthetic issue, it is a structural one for anything heavy you plan to store inside.

Walk the floor and pay attention to:
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• Soft spots that flex underfoot, which indicate rot or moisture damage beneath the surface
• Forklift damage, deep gouges, or missing sections of flooring
• Staining that might indicate chemical spills from previous cargo
• Overall firmness across the full floor area, not just near the doors

A floor with soft sections needs repair before you load anything heavy into the container, and that repair cost needs to factor into whether the unit is actually a good deal at its asking price.

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Ask About the History

A shipping container seller who knows their inventory should be able to tell you roughly how old the unit is, how many years it spent in active cargo service, and what grade it is being sold as. Previous cargo matters too. Containers that carried chemicals or hazardous materials may have residue that affects what you can safely store in them afterward.

If you are buying without seeing the unit in person, make sure you are working with someone who stands behind the condition of what they sell and can answer specific questions about individual units rather than giving you only general descriptions.

​Ready to buy? Have questions about which size or condition is right for you? We're here to help with reliable shipping container delivery.

Call us at (612) 324-5309 or fill out our contact form to get a free quote.