Preparing for Shipping Container Delivery in Virginia: Facts and Suggestions
Now that the purchase of your shipping container in Virginia is complete, it’s time to start preparing for the next phase of the process: delivery. This will entail some preparation on your part, so get ready to prep the area and think about where you want everything to go.
When you are preparing for delivery at the site, your first thought will be to guarantee the driver’s safety while doing the drop off. This will, in turn, ensure a seamless process that will go quickly. If you fail to prep, you may have to pay fees from your shipping container provider.
Here are some facts and suggestions regarding site prep:
The Trucks
Most containers are delivered with either a roll-back truck or a flat-bed truck. Ask about this beforehand, as the designated truck will dictate the site conditions and prep work.
Roll Back Trucks: This is the most common way to deliver a unit. They’ll put it right on the ground wherever you want it to go. Keep in mind, this truck and trailer combo measures 55 feet long. In order for your driver to maneuver without issues, you’ll have to do your part to ensure your site is accessible.
- Deliveries of 40-foot shipping containers take more clearance than 20-foot storage shipping containers. Why? They are being dropped off by a larger truck.
- The ground must be dry and compact at delivery to ensure the truck can get out in out without getting stuck in soft ground conditions such as sand or mud. To aid in the process, position 4”x 4” boards, concrete blocks or railroad ties under the unit to encourage air flow. This way, it won’t sink into the ground.
- The standard full-length truck at Transocean ensures drop off of one 40-foot, 45-foot or 53-foot storage container or two 20-foot storage shipping containers at one time. Don’t have enough room on your site? We will bring along a smaller 28-foot truck to deliver one 20-foot storage container, but we ask that you tell us beforehand.
Flat-Bed Trucks: This happens to be the cheapest method of container delivery. This entails you being responsible for unloading the container.
- A 20′ container weighs 5,000 pounds.
- A 40′ containers weighs 9,000 pounds.
- Before accepting a flat-bed delivery, you should have clear access to the proper equipment in order to offload the unit. These can include anything from cranes and fork-lifts to top-lifts and boom-trucks. You would use these for larger orders, government agencies, or industrial requirements.
Factors of Delivery
How much space you have: You need plenty of space for those large trucks, no matter which one makes the delivery. They must have enough clearance to make wide turns, maneuver once on your property, cross culverts, and get between gates.
In general:
- When the container is being delivered on a full-sized truck with trailer, drivers need at least 70 feet of space.
- When delivered on a small tilt bed truck, drivers will need 40 feet of space.
Clearance: Trailers with containers at 13’6”H, can get up to 16 feet tall when they are raised. Are there any overhead obstructions that may pose a concern? These obstructions can include tree branches, electrical wires, and bridges. It sounds like a no-brainer but you wouldn’t believe how many people are unprepared and haven’t ensured clearance!
State of the ground: You can’t set down a shipping container on mud or wet grass because it will sink. But even more importantly, the truck delivering the container will sink too and not be able to get out. You need firm and level ground to ensure this doesn’t happen.
Safety concerns: We can’t speak for others, but Transocean Equipment Management trains its drivers in precise and safe container delivery. Our drivers take the utmost care to avoid damage to your unit and the surrounding property. However, in the event the driver doesn’t feel like he or she can safely deliver the container where you have specified, they will have no choice but to leave and charge you for an unsuccessful delivery. This is why we can’t stress enough the importance of checking the surrounding area to ensure safety, clearance, and solid ground.
Contact Transocean Equipment Management in Virginia
Every container delivery is different. We would be happy to discuss the specifics of your shipping container delivery in Virginia when you contact us at 910-483-7828.