Shipping Container Setup Guide: Transport, Placement & Maintenance in Australia

How to Set Up a Shipping Container on Your Property in Australia: Transport & Placement Guide

Setting up a shipping container on your property in Australia is a smart way to expand storage, manage materials, or create a secure workspace. But if you're new to container ownership, the transport and placement process can be more complex than expected. From choosing the right delivery truck to preparing a level foundation, there are several critical steps to get right. This guide walks you through everything you need to know to ensure your container is delivered, placed, and set up safely — without delays or costly surprises.

Transporting Your Shipping Container

Transporting a shipping container doesn’t need to be a hassle—if you choose the right type of truck. In fact, by choosing an appropriate vehicle to do the job, you can streamline the process and improve the overall price as well.

Following are a few of the most commonly used options for moving shipping containers from point A to point B:

• A Crane-Equipped Truck
  A truck with a built-in crane can load and offload your container with relative ease. Such vehicles are capable of lifting shipping containers high into the air to stack them or move them around other structures on arrival.
  
  
• A Tilt-Bed Truck
  A tilt-bed vehicle can literally tilt its bed to accommodate both the loading and unloading of your shipping container. This feature is quite useful, but contracting such specialty equipment tends to come at a higher price than simpler alternatives.
  
  A tilt-bed truck is also not as versatile as a crane-equipped option for placing your container in precise positions or overcoming obstacles that may be in the way onsite.
  
  
• A Flatbed Truck
  This type of vehicle offers you the cheapest transportation price from port or provider to your intended location. However, choosing a flatbed truck also requires a forklift or crane on arrival to pick the container up off of the truck and set it in place.

Q: What’s the best truck type for moving a container to a rural site?
A: A crane-equipped truck is best for rural or difficult-to-access areas, as it allows precise placement without needing extra machinery.

Placing Your Shipping Container

Once delivered, you’ll need to offload the container onto a pre-planned site. Choose a flat, clear area and make sure there's access for both the truck and any additional equipment needed.

A crane-equipped truck is especially useful here, as it allows for complex placements such as:

• Stacking containers
• Placing over fences or walls
• Positioning on pre-built frames or in corners

Q: Can a container be placed on a slope?
A: Ideally no. Containers should be placed on level ground to ensure structural integrity and prevent door misalignment or shifting.

Consider Final Placement Location

Pick out the right place for your container ahead of time. It should be as level as possible and clear of debris.

Plan out entry and exit spaces for the delivery vehicle and any additional machinery needed to move the container. Trucks equipped with cranes can safely place your container almost anywhere you need it to go. 

All of the following are possible for most crane-equipped delivery trucks:

• Positioning your container in a corner
• Offloading your container at a sharp angle
• Setting your container on top of a retaining wall
• Putting your container on a pre-built frame
• Adjusting placement to precise measurements
• Lifting and placing your container over a fence
• Assisting with level placement
• Stacking your container on top of another

Prepare the Foundation for Your Container

Prepping your space for a shipping container comes down to ensuring it's solid, level and safe from damaging environmental conditions. Ideally, your choice of foundation should be deep enough to guarantee your container does not sink into the ground over time or shift in any single direction.

A number of tested approaches to foundation preparation exist and are worth trying. However, each of these comes at a different price, and more costly options are only advised when absolutely necessary.

Q: Do I need council approval to install a container foundation in Australia?
A: In many cases, yes. Check with your local council, especially for long-term installations or structural modifications.

Pillars

A pillar is a type of foundation that is three times deeper than its own width.

This type of foundation is usually used in groupings of four or more to support shipping containers at their corners where the existing terrain is too soft for any other type of structure to be used. You can count on these lasting for quite some time, but they can be difficult to install and must be handled by a professional who has the right equipment.

A shallow implementation of this (less deep than 3x the width of each structure) can also work, but is more prone to shifting over time.

Concrete Pads

Concrete pads are a very sturdy way of supporting containers on soft soil or sand. However, this option is also prohibitively expensive when compared to individual pillars.

Blocks and Sleepers

Both railroad sleepers and sturdy blocks can be used to support your shipping container if your soil is not too soft and if achieving a perfect level inside is not a priority. 

As these materials lack the deeply embedded (or large, floating) stability of the previous options, they're not ideal for containers that need to be perfectly level or impervious to the environment and terrain. However, they can work reasonably well for less demanding storage needs, etc.

Tips for Easier Container Maintenance

Maintenance starts from the ground up. Here are two critical tips:

1. Provide airflow beneath your container to prevent rust, rot, and pest nesting.
2. Clear nearby obstacles like vegetation or debris to prevent impact damage during delivery and over time.

Provide Clearance for the Floor

Underneath your container, moisture can collect and gradually seep inside. It's also possible for animals to create secure burrows and nests under your container if it remains in place long enough, leading to potential pest problems.

Keeping your container off of the ground allows air to flow under it, preventing moisture problems from ruining whatever you choose to store inside. Open space underneath your container also makes it less attractive to pests who will not feel safe there.

Clear Away Nearby Obstacles

Uneven terrain and dense vegetation can both lead to your shipping container suffering unnecessary damage either when it's delivered or over time. Ensuring your container has its own space away from such obstacles can keep it in usable condition for longer.

Need Help Planning Your Container Setup?

Getting your shipping container professionally delivered and installed can save time, reduce risks, and ensure compliance with local and national regulations. Reach out to CBOX Australia for expert advice on container selection, delivery methods, and secure placement options.

Get in touch with our team here at CBOX to learn more about how set up your new container.