All About Containers

There’s a lot of confusion about what the difference is between a shipping container and a storage container, and to be completely honest, it’s not unwarranted.

A shipping container can be a shipping container or a storage container. But when buying or renting from some container companies, a storage container isn’t necessarily a shipping container as it is made from lower-quality steel.

This is NOT the case with TITAN Containers. Other than our easy open 20ft storage containers, all of our stock is genuine shipping container grade, whether it is intended for use in transportation or for storage. A new TITAN Container may last for more than 40 years.

Our smallest is our 6ft storage container. Its external dimensions are 1.98m (length) x 1.95m (width) x 1.91m (height). It’s good as a secure outdoor lockup for storing business stock or bikes/personal possessions.

Our largest containers are 40ft shipping containers and 40ft storage containers. They are also available as high cubes – meaning they have an extra 30cm of head height compared to a standard model. That gives you a total internal capacity of just over 75m3.

While a single 40-footer will work out cheaper, 2 x 20 footers give you more versatility in terms of what you store. You could store one type of product in one 20ft container and something completely different in the other – which may simplify loading and storage.

Two 20-feet containers also mean you have two access points – one set of doors for each container. This means that your door will never be more than 20ft from the furthest corner of your container, which isn’t the case in a 40-footer – unless you choose a side door or double door option.

In most cases, yes – especially when buying, though there may be some respraying (at extra cost) if you want a number of small containers in different colours that are not readily available. The colours that are most widely stocked are blue, green and grey.

When renting, colours can always be requested when ordering. If we’re not able to provide what you’d like, we’ll explain your options.

Our smallest container (6ft) is 840kg when empty, while our largest 40-foot high cube is just under four tonnes. Standard 20ft containers – our most popular option – weigh 2,150kg when empty. The heaviest of all our containers is the 40ft ArcticBlast, a powerful blast freezer that weighs just over seven tonnes.

As with most UK container companies, our containers are made overseas. When shipping them in, they are usually loaded with goods on the incoming journey.

It helps keep the shipping cost down – and is also good for the environment, as transporting empty containers long distances is definitely not eco-friendly! So, in container land, we tend not to say ‘new’. We say ‘1-trip’.

Our used containers come in four conditions: Premium, Grade A, Grade B and Grade C. Premium containers are delivered in a ‘like new’ state. The next 10-15% of our stock in terms of quality is classed as Grade A.

Our Grade B containers are what we consider to be average-quality stock and are usually 15+ years old. The cheapest containers we offer are our Grade C models, which account for the poorest-quality 10-15% of our entire stock.

They might not look as good as a Premium container, but they are still functional and may be the right choice if you’re on a tight budget. Check out our special offers for current deals.

It’s mostly cosmetic. What kind of image do you want to portray? If you run a breaker’s yard, then storing parts in a Grade B or Grade C container may be perfectly adequate.

If you’re the manager of a prestigious company, however, and your containers are to be stationed at head office for everyone to see, then new (1-trip) or Premium quality containers would probably be more suitable. Please get in touch if you’d like to know more about how we grade our used containers.

All rental models are offered on a ‘best available’ basis. In most cases, that means very good condition, as we tend to sell off older stock on our special offers page.

The life expectancy of a well-maintained new container is at least 25 years. Most last a lot longer. Grade B containers, therefore, will likely have at least 10 years in them, though Grade C containers will be a little less.

However, even the poorest-quality containers can often be brought back to life with some TLC. We know of some containers that have been in use for well over 40 years. Check out our used containers page for more details.

Multiple types of container – including standard storage containers, side door containers and tunnel containers – are available as high cubes. This means they are 30cm taller than regular models.

As a result, they can store around 10% more goods – and they feel much roomier, too. When ordering a bespoke container conversion – for a garden room or a pop-up bar, for example – high cubes are often the ideal solution.

Reefer container is just another way of saying refrigerated container. We have a fantastic selection of these incredible high-tech containers available for rent all over the UK.

They’re perfect for all kinds of businesses, from corner shops and chemists to pharmaceutical companies and supermarkets.

Every job is bespoke, so it’s not possible to say until we’ve heard what you need. Why not fill in our quote form, and we’ll give you an idea?

What do you have in mind? Our engineers can do almost anything. If you think of a container as a blank canvas – or, better still, a LEGO-style building block – then we can adapt them, mix them and kit them out in any number of ways.

Among the many container conversion projects we’ve done are: pop-up bars and restaurants, bespoke garden room conversions, portable showrooms to take on the road to trade fairs and conferences and a towering Disney castle to tour the world.

Please get in touch and share your ideas with us. We love conversion projects and will be happy to let you know how we can help.

Our lead times range from as little as a week to several months, depending on the complexity of the job. Please fill in our quote form, and we’ll give you an indication of the price and time scale.

Yes – for obvious reasons. It’s like ordering a tailor-made suit: everything is customised, especially for you. We’d probably struggle to find another buyer if you change your mind.

Yes. If you provide us with details of what you need when completing our quick quote form, we’ll let you know what we can do and what the price will be.

It varies from day to day. We have hundreds of different welfare units at TITAN depots across the UK, though you’re in luck if you’re based in the South West as our site accommodation workshops are there. As a result, customers in Bristol and the surrounding areas are usually spoilt for choice.

While we can arrange for welfare units to be certified before leaving our depot, current legislation means that they will need to be re-approved by a local electrician upon delivery. Please contact us for more details.