If you're buying a shipping container to use as storage, to turn into a tiny house or for any other reason, you need to unload it once it gets to your site. This can be more challenging than it sounds. Let these tips help you prepare.
Prepare the Site
Once you unload the shipping container, it's not that easy to move. If you need to move it down the line, you will generally need to hire a forklift designed for use with shipping containers, or you will need to us a crane hire service. To avoid that expense, prepare the spot for your shipping container before it arrives.
Ideally, you should measure the spot to ensure that it is large enough. You should make sure the spot is level. If you are in an area with a lot of rain, where the ground may wash away from under the shipping container, you may want to strengthen the ground with a layer of gravel or a bed of small rocks.
Make Sure There's Room to Manoeuvre
While choosing your spot for the shipping container, keep this tip in mind. In most cases, the shipping container is coming to you on a flatbed hauled by a large ute or a truck. Make sure that those vehicles have space to manoeuvre. If you are bringing in any extra equipment, also make sure that you can move that around easily in your area.
Consider Hiring a Forklift
To remove the shipping container from the trailer easily, you may want to hire a forklift. Note however that operating a forklift is not as easy as it looks. If you don't have training, you may want to hire an operator to help you.
It's also important to look at the terrain. If it is really rough, you may want to opt for a skid steer instead. Those tend to run on tracks rather than wheels, which makes them more stable. In all cases, find out the weight of the shipping container to ensure the forklift or skid steer can handle it.
Get Creative With Unloading
If hiring equipment to unload the shipping container is too expensive or if you don't have room for the equipment, you may want to get creative about how you unload the shipping container. If you've got a lot of time, you can actually unload a shipping container with a car jack, some breeze blocks and a few pieces of timber.
Just roll the trailer to the exact spot where you want the shipping container to go. Stack up some breeze blocks, put the jack on top of the blocks and jack up the container slightly. Slip a piece of timber under the container and across the blocks to stabilise the container. Repeat this process on all four corners until the shipping container is above the trailer. Then, move the trailer, and remove all the blocks one by one until the shipping container is on the ground.
