How to rent a container for shipping

Advantages of hiring shipping containers

There are many advantages to hiring a shipping container, and cost isn't the only one!

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More flexibility

Many organisations need a more flexible solution when it comes to buying shipping containers. If you need a temporary storage container, a short-term transport solution, or need to frequently change storage capacity, then it makes more sense to rent a container for the period that suits you (31-day minimum).

Manage your money/budget

Renting a shipping container is more budget & cash-flow friendly, and short-term shipping container rentals are tax deductible if categorised as an operating cost.

There when you need it

Renting a container means it is there only when you need it; great for seasonal businesses and periods you may need more storage space than others.

Our high-quality containers offer protection against the elements. All containers for hire are waterproof, windproof & impervious to pests & vermin, and extra security options such as lock boxes are available.

Access to new stock

Our new build containers make up much of our hire fleet. So you have access to better paint jobs, more features and less superficial marks.

Are you wondering how to rent a shipping container? If yes, you’re not alone. This blog will take you through the nuances of all things container renting. It’ll also give you an idea of how much you should pay to rent a container. Read on! 

Renting a container involves keeping in mind a lot of things. This makes ‘how to rent a shipping container’ a very important question in the industry. With so many answers online, it’s easy to get confused. But now that you’re here, we’ll tell you how to rent a shipping container in the best way. 

How to rent a container for shipping

Container xChange provides a neutral platform for container users. With xChange, you get containers where you want and at a price that you want to pay. You can then forget your worries about how to rent a shipping container.   

Through xChange’s leasing platform you can find empty containers according to your requirements. The process is easy, hassle-free, and secure. Try it for yourself right here! All you’ve to do is choose, “I want to use containers”, select a drop-off and pick-up location, and hit search!

  • Shipping container rentals: Hire, lease, & rent   
  • Renting vs. buying containers: Why rent a shipping container   
  • Types and dimensions: How to rent a shipping container that is right  
  • Container rental accessories: Modify containers for special usage   
  • How to rent a shipping container: Different types of container leasing  
  • One-way lease: Container leasing options at xChange  
  • Shipping container rentals on xChange: The prices [2022]   
  • How to rent a shipping container: FAQs
  • How much does it cost to rent a container ship?
  • How do you buy and rent a shipping container?
  • How do I rent a container?

Shipping container rentals: Hire, lease, & rent   

Container users use the terms rent, hire, and lease interchangeably. Though, their meanings differ a little.  

Here’s how they’re different:  

Hiring: For a monthly payment, a user can use a container that belongs to another party.  

Renting: One user is allowed to use a container that belongs to another party in return for payment.  

Leasing: In leasing, there is a mutual agreement. And, according to the agreement, one user buys a container and gives it to another user for use for a decided period.  

In this blog as well, we’ll be using these terms interchangeably.  

How to rent a container for shipping

Renting vs. buying containers: Why rent a shipping container   

Renting and buying are two manners of procuring shipping containers. And, before we get to the question of how to rent a shipping container, you’ve to understand the why behind it. Why rent a shipping container rather than buy it? Or vice versa.  

Both renting and buying a shipping container have their advantages and disadvantages. Whether you decide to rent a shipping container or buy it depends on some important factors. These factors include:  

  • Your available capital
  • The duration you need the container for
  • The reason why you need the container

Based on these factors you decide whether it’ll help you to rent a shipping container or buy it. Here is how! Let’s imagine that you need shipping containers, and you even have the monetary bandwidth to buy them. Should you then go ahead?  

How to rent a container for shipping

There are scenarios where buying boxes is the best idea. One, if you’re looking for containers for permanent usage. Two, if you need to make drastic modifications to the boxes.  

Otherwise, the duration for which you will be using the containers is a very important aspect to consider. If your demand is forecasted to remain high for a long time, buying boxes makes more sense. But, if not, then those boxes can gather big maintenance costs sitting on your premises once the demand has reduced. That’s not great news for your profit margins.   

Now, if your demand for boxes is only for a brief period of time, the best idea is to lease shipping containers. Yes, you’ll be paying leasing charges. But they won’t compare to the hefty maintenance costs that come with buying containers.   

A good example to understand these are carriers that own and lease containers. This helps them balance the fluctuating demands of containers. Plus, it provides them the flexibility without the maintenance costs piling up.   

Here’s a table summarizing the scenarios, renting and buying shipping containers.

Buying vs leasing containers 

Buy containers  Lease containers 
You need only a few containers for storage on your premises. You need containers but don’t have the required capital.  
You need a few containers for storage and transportation. You are experiencing a temporary surge in demand for containers.  
You need to modify or convert the containers into something else. You are not sure of how the long-term demand will develop.  
You need a few containers for an unknown period for frequent usage.

Whether you decide to buy or rent containers, xChange ensures a smooth container transaction. It takes care of all the invoicing and paperwork. Check out how to rent a container easily at the best prices via xChange. Click on the banner below.  

How to rent a container for shipping

Types and dimensions: How to rent a shipping container that is right  

Once you’ve decided to rent a shipping container, the next task is to decide the container type. Since there are many kinds of containers to choose from, it’s essential to know your requirements. Here are the different kinds of shipping containers:

Standard containers  

The standard containers are the most common types of containers used in shipping. They come in two sizes, 20ft, and 40ft. These containers are made of aluminum and steel and have a slightly higher payload. These containers are mostly used to ship dry cargo like pallets, boxes, barrels, boxes, etc.   

How to rent a container for shipping

Standard containers can be customized on the inside for specific goods. For example, you can get hangers fitted inside the containers to carry clothes. Here are the dimensions and capacities of standard 20ft and 40ft containers.

Standard container dimensions 

Measure 20ft 40ft
Internal length 5.9m / 19.4ft 12.03m / 39.5ft
Internal width 2.35m / 7.8ft 2.4m / 7.9ft
Internal height 2.39m / 7.9ft 2.39m / 7.9ft
Tare weight 2,300kg / 5,071.5 lbs 3,750kg / 8,268.8 lbs
Payload capacity 25,000 kg / 55,126.9 lbs 27,600kg / 61,200 lbs
Cubic capacity 33.2 m3 / 1,172 cu ft 67.7 m3 / 2,389 cu ft

How to rent a container for shipping

High cube containers  

High cube containers or HCs are similar to standard containers in structure, length, and breadth but vary in height. This allows for more cargo to be stowed in the HC containers.   

How to rent a container for shipping

Here are the dimensions and capacities of high cube containers.

High cube container dimensions

Measure 40ft HC 45ft HC
Internal length 12.03m/39.5ft 13.55m/44.5ft
Internal width 2.35m / 7.8ft 2.35m / 7.8ft
Internal height 2.70m / 8.10ft 2.70m / 8.10ft
Tare weight 3,900kg / 8,598 lbs 4,800kg / 10,552 lbs
Payload capacity 28,600 kg / 63,052 lbs 27,700kg / 61,067 lbs
Cubic capacity 76.3 m3 / 2,694.5 cu ft 86 m3 / 3,037 cu ft

Reefer containers   

Reefer containers are special equipment, also known as, refrigerated containers. They are powered by generators and can maintain any temperature between -30°C and +30°C. They’re used to ship temperature-sensitive goods such as fruits, vegetables, drugs, ice cream, or meat.   

How to rent a container for shipping

Here are the dimensions and capacities of reefer containers. 

Reefer container dimensions 

Measure 20ft 40ft
Internal length 5.44m / 17.9ft 11.56m / 37.9ft
Internal width 2.29m / 7.5ft 2.28m / 7.5ft
Internal height 2.27m / 7.5ft 2.25m / 7.4ft
Tare weight 3,080kg / 6,791.4 lbs 4,800kg / 10,584 lbs
Payload capacity 27,700 kg / 61,078.5 lbs 29,520kg / 65,080 lbs
Cubic capacity 59.3 m3 / 2,093.3 cu ft 67.3 m3 / 2,380 cu ft

Double door containers   

Double door containers have doors on both ends of the box. This helps in easy loading and unloading. For example, a car can simply drive through from one end to the other instead of having to reverse. For the same reason, these containers are also used in construction sites as safe passages.  

How to rent a container for shipping
 

Here are the dimensions and capacities of double-door containers. 

Double door container dimensions 

Measure 20ft 40ft
Internal length 5.9m / 19.4ft 12.03m / 39.5ft
Internal width 2.35m / 7.8ft 2.4m / 7.9ft
Internal height 2.39m / 7.9ft 2.39m / 7.9ft
Tare weight 2,300kg / 5,071.5 lbs 3,750kg / 8,268.8 lbs
Payload capacity 25,000 kg / 55,126.9 lbs 27,600kg / 61,200 lbs
Cubic capacity 33.2 m3 / 1,172 cu ft 67.7 m3 / 2,389 cu ft

Open top containers  

As the name suggests, these are containers that have an open top. The open-top containers are made of steel with wooden flooring, but their roof is covered with tarpaulin sheets. These containers are used to ship large cargo like machinery, construction materials, or heavy raw materials that cannot be stowed sideways.   

How to rent a container for shipping

Here are the dimensions and capacities of open-top containers. 

Open top container dimensions

Measure 20ft 40ft
Internal length 5.89m / 19.4ft 12.03m / 39.5ft
Internal width 2.35m / 7.8ft 2.4m / 7.9ft
Internal height 2.35m / 7.8ft 2.34m / 7.8ft
Tare weight 2,260kg / 5,982 lbs 3,980kg / 8,774 lbs
Payload capacity 28,220 kg / 62,214 lbs 26,500kg / 58,422 lbs
Cubic capacity 32.7 m3 / 1,155 cu ft 66.7 m3 / 2,356 cu ft

Pallet wide containers 

Pallet-wide containers are commonly used within Europe. They transport wooden Euro pallets of the size of 1200x800x144. A pallet-wide 20ft container can carry 15 Euro pallets while a standard 20ft box can carry only 11. The pallet-wide box keeps cargo tight and doesn’t allow slipping.   

How to rent a container for shipping

Here are the dimensions and capacities of open-top containers. 

Pallet wide container dimensions   

Measure 20ft 40ft
Internal length 5.89m / 19.32ft 12.03m / 39.46ft
Internal width 2.44m / 8ft 2.44m / 8ft
Internal height 2.39m / 7.84ft 2.38m / 7.80ft
Tare weight 2,400kg / 5,291.09 lbs 3,800kg / 8,377.56 lbs
Payload capacity 28,080 kg / 61,905.80 lbs 26,680kg / 58,819.33 lbs
Cubic capacity 34.34 m3 / 1,213 cu ft 69.86 m3 / 2,467.12 cu ft

Flat rack containers 

Flat rack containers have sides only on the short ends. On the longer sides, there are numerous lashing rings that’re used to secure the cargo safely and within regulations. These containers are used to ship heavy loads that need to be loaded from sides or top such as machinery, pipes, etc.   

How to rent a container for shipping

Here are the dimensions and capacities of flat-rack containers. 

Flat rack container dimensions   

Measure 20ft 40ft
Internal length 5.94m / 19ft 12.13m / 39.8ft
Internal width 2.35m / 7.7ft 2.40m / 7.9ft
Internal height 2.35m / 7.7ft 2.14m / 7ft
Tare weight 2,360kg / 5203.8 lbs 5,000kg / 11,025 lbs
Payload capacity 30,140 kg / 66,458.7 lbs 40,000kg / 88,200 lbs
Cubic capacity 32.7 m3 / 1,154.3 cu ft 62.2 m3 / 2,195.7 cu ft

Side door containers  

Side-door containers have doors on long sides of the container in addition to the doors on the end. They make loading and unloading easy and fast as more workers can move through the extra doors. These containers are used to move cargo that’s bulky and cannot fit through the normal doors at the end.   

How to rent a container for shipping

Here are the dimensions and capacities of flat-rack containers.   

Side door container dimensions

Measure 20ft 40ft
Internal length 5.9m / 19.4ft 12.03m / 39.5ft
Internal width 2.35m / 7.7ft 2.28m / 7.4ft
Internal height 2.34m / 7.7ft 2.29m / 7.5ft
Tare weight 3,200kg / 7,054.7 lbs 6,100kg / 13,448.2 lbs
Payload capacity 20,800 kg / 45,856.1 lbs 30,400kg / 67,020.5 lbs
Cubic capacity 31.0 m3 / 1,094.7 cu ft 64 m3 / 2,260.1 cu ft

Hard top containers   

Hard top containers are similar to open containers but with a detachable steel roof instead of a tarpaulin sheet. The roof of a hard top container has points through which a forklift can load or unload specific types of cargo.  

How to rent a container for shipping

Here are the dimensions and capacities of hard-top containers.   

Hard top container dimensions

Measure 20ft 40ft
Internal length 5.89m / 19.4ft 12.03m / 39.5ft
Internal width 2.35m / 7.8ft 2.4m / 7.9ft
Internal height 2.35m / 7.8ft 2.34m / 7.8ft
Tare weight 2,260kg / 5,982 lbs 3,980kg / 8,774 lbs
Payload capacity 28,220 kg / 62,214 lbs 26,500kg / 58,422 lbs
Cubic capacity 32.7 m3 / 1,155 cu ft 66.7 m3 / 2,356 cu ft

Tank containers  

Tank containers are another special equipment and are cylindrical in shape. They’re made of strong steel with anti-corrosive materials. Tanks, also called tankers, are used to transport both hazardous and non-hazardous liquids.   

How to rent a container for shipping

Here are the dimensions and capacities of tank containers.   

Tank container dimensions

Measure 20FT
Inside length 6.058 m
Inside width 2.438 m
Door width 0 m
Door height 0 m
Capacity 21,000 l
Tare weight 26290 kg

One-trip containers  

Any type of container that goes only for one trip before it gets sold is called a one-trip container. The conditions of these containers are better than others as they’ve been used only once. This means they’re costlier but come with better long-term and resell value.   

Insulated containers  

Insulated containers are temperature-controlled and fully sealed. They often have double walls with vacuum to prevent heat transfer, vital to our cold chain. The insulated containers are different from reefer containers. While reefers maintain a particular temperature, insulated containers simply maintain the original temperature.   

How to rent a container for shipping

Container rental accessories: Modify containers for special usage   

To ensure that your cargo is safe during transportation, you can modify your standard containers. These are simple modifications and include: 

  • Boxes with locks to provide extra security
  • Shelves or racks for shipping clothes
  • Ramps for automobiles
  • Standard doors that are fitted in   
  • Standard locking systems for containers
  • Roller doors
  • Painted any color

How to rent a shipping container: Different types of container leasing  

Here comes the big question: how to rent a shipping container? The process of renting a container is done through a lease. A lease is a contract under which the container is provided by the provider to a user for a specific period. There are multiple kinds of container leasing agreements, and they all have some standard obligations for the lessee. You’re required to return the containers in about the same condition that you received them in. But the leasing company usually covers the costs of wear and tear to an extent.  

But, of course, these leasing conditions vary. In the table below, you’ll find an overview of the basic leasing agreements.   

Master lease   Long-term lease   Short-term lease   One-way lease 
Duration can vary 5–8 years Longer than 6 months Duration can vary
Maintenance is done by the leasing company Maintenance is done by the lessee Maintenance is done by the lessee Maintenance is done by the lessee
Drop off location is restricted Drop off location very restricted Drop off location very restricted Drop off location at shipper’s desire 

Master lease  

Master lease agreements are the most flexible ones regarding rental rates and container quantity. And, hence, the costliest as well. Master lease agreements include a lot of perks. Some of them are:   

  • you get many more pick-up and drop-off locations
  • you save storage fees by storing containers at the lessor’s depot
  • The leasing companies take care of repairs, maintenance, and repositioning of containers

The master lease works the best with carriers that deal with demand fluctuations and need large fleets of containers. 

Long-term lease  

The long-term leasing agreements are way less flexible than the master lease. Much of the arrangement is agreed upon in advance. This includes the number of containers, duration of usage, and delivery schedule. In long-term leasing, the lessee pays for the repairs, maintenance, and repositioning. While the leasing terms might vary, most companies define the long-term between 5 and 8 years. Usually, for this kind of leasing, the containers that are used are brand new.   

Lease buy-out  

One can also describe the lease buy-out agreement as “rent-to-own”. The terms of this agreement vary a lot. You can either pay a standard rental rate or pay a complete payment at the end. This agreement works when you don’t have the capital available to buy containers. But, if you fail to pay within the terms of the agreement, you risk losing your right to buy the containers.   

 Short-term lease  

The short-term leasing agreement is a great option for turnaround trips. Though, this type of container leasing usually charges higher rental rates. Leasing companies, generally, don’t lease containers for less than 6 months. So, in the short-term lease, there is a minimum leasing duration you must comply with.   

xChange’s leasing platform makes it easy for the users to find a good price. If you want a complete overview of average rates, per diem charges, and the number of free days, download our global leasing rates report.  

How to rent a container for shipping

One-way lease: Container leasing options at xChange  

Now, what if none of the above kinds of leasing arrangements work for you? Maybe you just need a few containers or need them for a short period only. Then, how do you rent a shipping container? The answer is the one-way lease.  

Container xChange is a neutral marketplace for all your shipping logistics needs. It connects 800+ vetted members and provides flexible leasing options in 2500 locations globally. Container xChange sees 100k+ transactions every month.  

Here are a few advantages of using the xChange platform:   

  • It brings all the partners in shipping on a single platform.   
  • Companies that would otherwise never connect can now connect seamlessly.  
  • Each user of xChange uses the same blanket, removing the hassle of different negotiations.  
  • It provides all the important information like locations and prices with transparency.   
  • All the members on the platform are thoroughly vetted to maintain user security.   
  • Creates a flow of containers between locations of high container demand and high container density.  
  • It takes care of all the invoicing and documentation.   
  • It helps in avoiding unexpected demurrage and detention charges.
  • It provides a singular and consolidated payment platform for easy transactions.   

Container xChange’s one-way leasing makes it easy for companies to meet their container needs in any scenario. It is a safe, transparent, and neutral platform that makes container transactions smooth. 

Shipping container rentals on xChange: The prices [2022]   

Container prices are subject to vary based on market situations such as demand and supply, location, and container type. xChange is a neutral platform where you can find available containers easily. The platform has 800+ certified members in 2500 locations globally.  

In the table below are the one-way leasing prices to rent 40ft HC containers on xChange.    

Paid by the supplier to the user  Paid by the user to supplier 
Poland to China: 1175 USD    China to Belgium: 3150 USD   
Germany to China: 493 USD    China to France: 3500 USD    

With xChange, you get market price transparency. It means that you can compare the prices and choose a deal that fits your requirements. If you’re looking to lease a container for your next shipment, why not choose a space that’s safe, reliable, and transparent? Get the boxes you need at a price you are willing to pay. Click the banner below and see how it all works. If you’re stuck, our team of experts is here to help you out 

How to rent a container for shipping

How much does it cost to rent a container ship?

The cost of renting a 40ft container varies depending on the market situation, the demand and supply of that exact container. But you'll have to spend somewhere between USD 2,800 to USD 3,100 to rent a 40ft container.

How do you buy and rent a shipping container?

To buy and rent a shipping container, become a member of the Container xChange. On the platform you can buy and rent shipping containers.

How do I rent a container?

To rent a shipping container, become a member of the Container xChange. On the platform you can rent shipping containers by going to the leasing page.

How much is a shipping 20ft container?

If you're looking for a 20ft reefer container, you can get one at US $12,835. The 40ft alternative costs an average of US $18,819. A typical 20ft open top container costs US $4,013. Note: The container prices here are based on thousands of transactions on the xChange trading platform in 2022.

How much does a container cost to ship?

Standard Size.

How much does a shipping container cost Adelaide?

You can hire a shipping container from as little as $120 (excluding GST). Keep in mind that the cost will increase if you decide on a larger unit.