Pickup vs. Delivery: Can You Haul a Container Yourself?

If you have a big truck and a trailer, picking up a container yourself can look like an easy way to save on delivery. Sometimes it is. More often, the equipment, permits and risk make delivery the cheaper and safer choice.

Here's what it takes to haul a container yourself, how it compares with delivery, and when pickup makes sense. When you buy shipping container near me stock, delivery from the nearest depot is usually the simplest option.

What a container weighs

• 10ft: about 2,900 lb empty
• 20ft: about 4,900 lb empty
• 40ft: about 8,200 lb empty

Those weights are before you add the trailer, and long before you load anything inside.

What you'd need to haul one

A suitable trailer

• A flatbed or equipment trailer long enough for the container and rated well above its weight
• Or a tilt-bed trailer that can let the container slide off at your site
• Proper tie-down points and rated chains or straps

A typical utility trailer isn't built for a container's length or weight.

A suitable truck

• A tow vehicle rated to pull the trailer and container
• Brakes rated for the combined weight
• In some cases, a commercial driver's license or special endorsements, depending on the combined weight and your state's rules

A way to load and unload

This is the part people forget. At the depot, the container is usually loaded with a forklift or container handler. At your site, you need a way to get it off:

• A tilt-bed trailer that slides it off
• A forklift rated for the weight (and long enough forks)
• A crane

Without one of these, a container on a flatbed has nowhere to go.

Rules and permits

• Weight limits: combined vehicle weight may push you into commercial rules.
• Oversize loads: containers are 8 feet wide, which is usually within normal width limits, but check height on your trailer, especially for high cubes.
• Securing the load: loads must be tied down to legal standards.
• Insurance: check that your policy covers hauling a container.

Rules vary by state, so check before you plan a pickup.

The real cost of DIY pickup

Add up:

• Truck and trailer rental, if you don't own them
• Fuel
• Your time, often a full day or more
• Loading and unloading equipment at each end
• Risk: damage to the container, your vehicle or property
• Any permits or licensing costs

Compare that with a delivered price. For most buyers, delivery wins, especially once loading and unloading are counted.

When pickup can make sense

• You own a tilt-bed trailer and a suitable truck
• The depot allows customer pickup and will load it
• The distance is short
• You have equipment at your site to unload it
• It's a small container, such as an 8ft or 10ft

Ask before you plan a pickup

Not every depot allows public pickup. Ask:

1. Do you allow customer pickup?
2. What equipment do I need to bring?
3. Will you load it, and what's the charge?
4. What paperwork do I need at the gate?
5. Are there hours or appointment requirements?

Why delivery is usually better

• The right truck: a tilt-bed truck designed for containers
• Unloading included: the container slides off where you want it
• Experienced driver: who knows how to place it level and square
• Less risk: no damage to your vehicle, trailer or property
• Saves your time

Delivery is priced on distance from the nearest depot, so buying from nearby stock keeps it affordable. See how delivery distance affects price on our locations page.

A side-by-side example

Picture a buyer 40 miles from a depot who wants a 20ft container.

Picking it up themselves, they'd need to rent a truck and a trailer rated for the container's length and weight, pay the depot's loading fee, drive there and back, and then find a way to get the container off the trailer at home, perhaps by hiring a forklift. That's most of a day, several rentals, and the risk of damaging the container, the trailer or the driveway.

With delivery, a tilt-bed truck brings the container, slides it onto the prepared spot and leaves within the hour.

Once every cost is added up, delivery usually comes out cheaper, and it's certainly simpler.

FAQ

Can I pick up a shipping container with a pickup truck?

Not safely on its own. You'd need a trailer rated for the container's length and weight, and a truck rated to tow it, plus a way to unload it.

Do I need a special license to haul a container?

Sometimes. It depends on the combined weight of your truck, trailer and container, and on your state's rules.

Is it cheaper to pick up a container myself?

Rarely, once you add equipment rental, fuel, loading, unloading and your time.

Can a depot load a container onto my trailer?

Some can, for a fee. Ask in advance and make sure your trailer is suitable.