Shipping Container Delivery

You’ll notice as you drive along the motorway, shipping containers are everywhere and constantly on the move. Here you can find out some details about how a container can be safely delivered to you. 3J Services Ltd hold large stocks of shipping containers, secure storage containers, site offices and cabins in various container depots nationwide. Our locations include Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Hull, Newcastle, Grangemouth, Aberdeen, London, Felixstowe, Southampton and Bristol. 

Standard Delivery using a Hi-ab Craned Vehicle

Our most common method of delivering shipping containers and cabins to locations around the UK is by using a Hi-Ab vehicle. These vehicles are usually a flatbed or skeletal trailer, equipped with a hydraulic crane (The Hi-Ab) which is situated behind the drivers’ cab. The craned lorries can range from 20ft to 65ft in length, 10ft in width and 14ft in height. Safety is our priority when moving shipping containers on site so we do ask that the area is as clear as possible of personnel and any obstructions prior to the arrival of the driver. This is to keep both our haulier and clients safe. The Hi-Ab crane is operated by the driver who will attach chains to the hook of the hi-ab and the four top corner castings of the container. He then uses a control pad lift to operate the Hi-Ab, off-load and position the container. 

Hi-ab vehicles are available as single rigids which are suitable for delivering smaller containers such as 8ft x 8ft units, wagon and drags for when you may need a vehicle with some flexibility to deliver more than one container to site and articulated vehicles which can deliver 40ft or 45ft containers, or multiple smaller units. We can also deliver units up to 14ft wide by working with our hauliers who have police dispensation for the majority of the UK!

Containers and cabins are best sited on hard-standing, level grounds. You can see some tips of how to do this here or ask our team. Our hauliers will need to park parallel to where the container will be off-loaded. To ensure a smooth delivery of your container, please ensure to advise your account manager of any site restrictions or obstructions that may cause an issue for our truck and driver. This includes over hanging trees, over head cables, grass or soft ground, hedges, walls etc. We will also need to be made aware of any specific site access or opening times.

Container Delivery Options​

We work alongside selected, specialist container hauliers across the UK who carry different types of vehicles within their fleet with different capabilities, including;

• Standard Hi-Ab Vehicles
• Flatbed Vehicles
• Side lifters
• Rear mounted Hi-Ab cranes
• Wagon and Drag
• Large vehicles with rear steering and extendable trailers

Our selection of vehicles and skilled drivers means that we can deliver containers to a variety of sites and locations in England, Scotland and Wales. If your container is loaded ready to be shipped you may need to consider using a side lifter, for this, the haulier will need to park directly parallel to the container itself so be sure to remember this when you have the container delivered. Using a rear mounted hi-ab crane will require a lot of clear space around the vehicle to allow the haulier to swing the container around into position, these are handy if you need to get the container in a tight spot. 

Another method of delivery and the cheapest option is to deliver your shipping container to you using a vehicle with no crane. For this type of delivery, you will need to provide the equipment to off-load the unit, such as a forklift truck or a mobile crane. This option is usually preferred when using containers in construction or site offices and cabins for building sites. 

Delivering Containers together and in Bulk

It is always more cost effective to deliver containers together. For example, we can fit up to four 10ft containers onto one artic vehicle, or two 20ft containers. If you are purchasing more than one container, it’s likely that we will be delivering your units on the same vehicle, usually an artic, to ensure you are paying the best possible price. Also, if you can be flexible with your delivery date, and the site is capable of accepting an artic vehicle, we may be able to tie your delivery up with another customers to split the delivery cost. 

If you are ordering containers in large quantities, we may ask to set up a Hi-Ab at your site for a day to unload all the containers which could arrive on non craned vehicles. This would save you a considerable amount of money on your container deliveries!

Delivery times

Hauliers and container depots usually operate Monday – Friday, 6am until 8pm meaning that the delivery of the containers can be anywhere within this time frame. We will keep in touch with you from the point of order to keep you up to date with when your container will arrive. Where possible, we try to provide you with an ETA for the driver the day before the delivery date. 

If you require a specific delivery date and time, please do let us know and we will do our best to accommodate.

Our hauliers provide a swift and efficient service and with this are allocated 30 minutes to arrive on site and off-load the container. If you feel you may need longer than this due to any restrictions please let us know