Is a 40ft better value than two 20fts?

On volume, yes — clearly. On placement, often not. Two 20fts can go on two different pads, be delivered by a standard tilt-tray, be moved independently later and be sold separately when you no longer need both. A 40ft is one delivery and one price, but it needs twelve straight metres and a long approach. The site decides this question, not the spreadsheet.

What access does a 40ft delivery need?

Considerably more than a 20ft: a long straight approach, a wide entry with no tight turn at the gate, level load-bearing ground for the full twelve metres, and clear air above the placement. If any of that is doubtful, send photographs of the gateway, the approach and the intended spot before you order — we would far rather change the plan on the phone than turn a truck around in your paddock.

Can a 40ft go on a hinterland block up behind Nimbin or Kyogle?

Sometimes, and it depends entirely on the road in rather than on your property. The bends on some of those ranges will not take a rigid twelve-metre load at all. Tell us the address early and we will look at the actual route rather than the paddock, because that is where these jobs are usually won or lost.

Are 40ft units available as high cube?

Yes, and it is a common choice — a 40ft high cube adds roughly 300mm of internal height, which matters if you are storing racking, machinery on stands or anything that has to be walked around rather than crawled over. It also means a taller load on the truck, so overhead clearance on the approach becomes a real question rather than a formality.

40ft Containers · sale and hire

40 Foot Shipping Containers

Twelve metres and sixty-seven cubic metres. The size that solves a big storage problem in one delivery — and the size that most often turns into an access problem if nobody measures the approach first.

Used from $2,600 ex GSTNew from $5,500 ex GSTHire Quoted per jobVolume 67.7m³

Get a 40ft price Call 02 6622 1322

§ 01

Dimensions

40 Foot Shipping Containers — dimensions
External (L × W × H)	12.19m × 2.44m × 2.59m
Internal (L × W × H)	12.03m × 2.35m × 2.39m
Door opening (W × H)	2.34m × 2.28m
Internal volume	67.7m³

Twice the volume of a 20ft for well under twice the money, which is why it is the best value per cubic metre on the list. The catch is entirely physical. A 40ft needs twelve straight metres of level, load-bearing ground and a much longer, straighter approach for the vehicle. Where the site is right it is the obvious buy; where it is not, two 20fts on separate pads usually beats one 40ft that cannot be placed.

§ 02

Where a 40ft works around here and where it does not

It works on the flat country. The cane and cattle blocks along the Richmond between Coraki, Wardell and Broadwater, the macadamia and grazing land out towards Alstonville and Wollongbar, the industrial land at South Lismore and the Casino saleyards end of town. Wide gates, long paddock tracks, and enough level ground to put twelve metres down without cutting a bench first.

It works for volume jobs: an entire farm shed being decanted, a business moving stock out of a leased shed, a builder consolidating three sites into one lockable box. On a per-cubic-metre basis nothing else on this page comes close.

It does not work in the hinterland. Nimbin, Dunoon, Bexhill, the roads up towards Kyogle and back behind Mullumbimby are steep, narrow, cambered and in places overhung with growth that nobody is going to trim for a delivery. A rigid twelve-metre load simply cannot get around some of those bends, and a sidelifter needs stable footing on four pads to place one at the end of it.

It also does not work on soft ground without preparation. Twelve metres of loaded container concentrates enormous weight on four corner castings. On river flat, on filled ground, or anywhere that has been under water and been rebuilt, get pads or sleepers under it and let us know what the surface is before the truck is booked.

Grades matter
Cargo-worthy is the grade we check wind and watertight before it goes on a truck. As-is units are cheaper again and are not sold watertight — one may have a patched repair, a soft floor section or a door seal that no longer seats, and we will tell you exactly what is wrong with it before you buy. New single-trip units are sealed and unmarked. If the container has to keep rain off what is inside it, buy cargo-worthy or better.

§ 03

What it costs

Guide prices across the range, ex GST
Size	Used from	New from	Hire from
10ft Containers	$4,350	$6,400	POA
20ft Containers	$2,200	$3,300	$27/wk
40ft Containers	$2,600	$5,500	POA

Guide pricing only, ex GST. What you actually pay delivered depends on the grade, where you are and what is standing in the yard that week. Ring 02 6622 1322 and we will give you a real number instead of a range.

§ 04

40ft — common questions

Is a 40ft better value than two 20fts?: On volume, yes — clearly. On placement, often not. Two 20fts can go on two different pads, be delivered by a standard tilt-tray, be moved independently later and be sold separately when you no longer need both. A 40ft is one delivery and one price, but it needs twelve straight metres and a long approach. The site decides this question, not the spreadsheet.
What access does a 40ft delivery need?: Considerably more than a 20ft: a long straight approach, a wide entry with no tight turn at the gate, level load-bearing ground for the full twelve metres, and clear air above the placement. If any of that is doubtful, send photographs of the gateway, the approach and the intended spot before you order — we would far rather change the plan on the phone than turn a truck around in your paddock.
Can a 40ft go on a hinterland block up behind Nimbin or Kyogle?: Sometimes, and it depends entirely on the road in rather than on your property. The bends on some of those ranges will not take a rigid twelve-metre load at all. Tell us the address early and we will look at the actual route rather than the paddock, because that is where these jobs are usually won or lost.
Are 40ft units available as high cube?: Yes, and it is a common choice — a 40ft high cube adds roughly 300mm of internal height, which matters if you are storing racking, machinery on stands or anything that has to be walked around rather than crawled over. It also means a taller load on the truck, so overhead clearance on the approach becomes a real question rather than a formality.

No-obligation quote

Get a delivered price for a 40ft

Tell us the address and what the ground is like. You will get one figure with the cartage in it, not a range.