How to Transport & Ship Tote Containers (2024)

FAQs

What is the best way to ship plastic totes? ›

Sturdy boxes, bubble wrap, packing peanuts, and tape are the best packaging materials for shipping plastic bins. These materials protect against damage during transit.

Standard 20-foot shipping containers usually weigh over 5,000 pounds. Meanwhile, 40-foot shipping containers can often weigh over 8,200 pounds. Because of these heavy weights, shipping containers are often transported using semi-trucks or on flatbed trailers pulled by powerful passenger trucks.

Forklift. You can use a forklift to pick up a shipping container and move it, as long as it's only for a short distance. Say that you've purchased a used shipping container for storage purposes, and you've decided that the delivery truck offloaded the container too far away from your house.

Ensure your package is fully encased in an outer shipping container or packaging. The outer container should be made out of corrugated fiberboard materials. Other rigid containers such as plastic cases, wooden crates, and metal totes can be used, but are subject to additional handling surcharges.

Uniformity: Shipping containers standardized dimensions facilitate easy transportation via sea, rail, or road, presenting an efficient and cost-effective means of moving merchandise.

Getting Your Container off a Flatbed or Step-Deck Truck

The correct method will depend on the size of your container. Shipping containers that are 20-feet long or shorter should be lifted with a forklift that has 6-foot tines and is able to hold the weight of the container.

A storage container does not need to meet the stringent construction, dimensions, and materials of a shipping container. A storage container can be built from lower-grade steel and to any width, length, and height desired.

To move a shipping container without heavy equipment, attach a forklift or crane to a tractor/truck, or use a tow truck/flatbed trailer with a winch. Alternatively, employ levers, rollers, and pulleys to manually push or pull the container into position.

An alternative to tape as a means to double secure the lid on a plastic container is to plastic wrap it using a few layers as shown on the picture below. The plastic wrap has inherent gripping power that makes it very suitable for securing items l ike this without leaving any tape residue.

Everything Should be Dry: Don't pack damp or moist items, as the seal on plastic bins is good enough that it could create an atmosphere for mildew and mold growth. As a general rule, any item that shouldn't be wrapped in plastic in the first place (like leather) should also not be put into plastic tubs.

How to secure a storage tote? ›

Padlocks are one of the most common and simple locks for storage containers. There are lots of different padlocks to choose from on the market today. It's best to choose a “shutter” or “smart” padlock, as they are the most difficult to breach.

Typically an empty 20 foot shipping container weighs between 1.8-2.2 metric tonnes (about 3,970 - 4,850 lb) and an empty 40 foot shipping container weighs 3.8 - 4.2 tonne (8,340 - 9,260 lb) depending on what kind of container it is. For example, high cube containers tend to be heavier.

We recommend that the shipping container is raised up slightly from the ground to ensure its not sat in any wet puddles or mud, and to allow an airflow underneath which will dry out the underside of the container between wet spells. All this will prolong the life of the underside of the container.

Unlike cardboard mail totes that become damaged or worn down quickly, corrugated plastic totes can last for years with proper care. Reusability: Corrugated plastic mail totes are used many times for shipping or transporting goods.

o Yes, there is specific pricing for plastic containers. Please no outdoor deck boxes. Do you have restrictions on types of things that can be stored? o Yes, The UPS Store cannot accept hazardous materials, food, liquids, jewelry, cash, motor scooters or mirrors. Also, no item weighing more than 70 lbs.

USPS Rules For Poly Mailers

Poly mailers must be 2 mils thick for shipments up to 5lbs and 4 mils thick for shipments up to 10 lbs. Their overhang should not exceed 0.5" when the package is laying flat. First Class Mail can only be used for any poly mailer weighing under 16 oz.

While plastic containers are suitable for packaging over shorter distances, you can have many issues with long-distance shipping. For example, transfer shocks can damage the plastic containers and they could break easily.