Housing affordability is a real issue in Australia. The price of homes just keeps on climbing, leading many people to look at alternative and often less traditional dwellings. The shipping…
Composition of a Shipping Container
Cleverly designed from strong and adaptable components, shipping containers are capable of so much more than moving goods from A to B.
12+ years on the market
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1. Corner Casting
Each of the container’s eight corners is fitted with a corner casting. Together with the corner posts and the rest of the frame, they ensure the container’s structural integrity. These castings are extremely robust and built for heavy-duty use.
2. Check Digit
Located to the right of the container number, usually boxed for clarity. This digit verifies the validity of the owner code, category identifier, and registration number combination through automated systems. It confirms the container’s identity in logistics processing.
3. Size and Type Code
The size and type code consists of four characters:
- 1st digit = length (1 = 10ft, 2 = 20ft, etc.)
- 2nd digit = height
- 3rd = container type (e.g. High Cube, Platform)
- 4th = special features (e.g. collapsible walls)
Features + Specs
Compact, tough and customisable
Shipping container dimensions
Shipping container durability
- Waterproof and weatherproof steel construction, new or used.
- Choose any container grade – new, used, as-is – from vetted suppliers.
Shipping container extras
- Order your container with ventilation, lockboxes or secure floors.
- Our modification partners can customise your container your way.
Components
What are the main parts of a shipping container?
1. Corner castings
Function:
Provides strength and enables secure lifting, stacking and locking during transport.
Materials/features:
Made from solid steel, with standardised openings for locks and lifting equipment.
2. Structural frame
Function:
Acts as the container’s skeleton, maintaining strength and rigidity under heavy loads.
Materials/features:
Includes corner posts, top and bottom rails, and cross-members made from corten steel.
3. Walls and roof panels
Function:
Protecting goods from weather, impacts and theft, can be insulated for temperature control.
Materials/features:
Corrugated corten steel panels designed for durability, rust resistance and impact absorption.
4. Flooring
Function:
Provides a solid, level and safe surface for workers, cargo and machinery.
Materials/features:
Typically marine-grade plywood or bamboo, but steel, epoxy and non-slip variations available.
5. Doors and locking mechanisms
Function:
Allowing secure access to the container while keeping it weatherproof and tamper-resistant.
Materials/features:
Double doors with heavy-duty steel hinges, rubber seals and lockable cam bars.
New or used
New vs used: which container is right for you?
3,000+ Satisfied Clients
best for business
New shipping container
Single-trip containers in as-new condition.
Ideal for long-term use or prominent, high visibility locations.
Available in multiple colours and fully customisable.
Can be supplied complete with factory lockbox and vents.
Budget pick
Used shipping container
Ideal for budget storage and remote/low visibility sites.
Choose your rating: As-is/project-grade, wind & watertight (WWT) or CSC-plated/cargo-worthy.
May have cosmetic wear and (protective) external rust.
Limited colours, but cost-effective and fully customisable.
3,000+ Satisfied Clients
What is the composition of a shipping container?
Compact, cost-effective, strong and secure
Shipping containers are built to withstand harsh environments and heavy loads. The main structure is formed from corten steel, a weathering steel that develops a protective layer of rust, allowing it to handle extreme conditions. Other key components include corner castings, the structural frame, corrugated steel panels, marine-grade flooring and strong double doors.
Shipping containers are designed to maximise storage within a compact footprint. They’re easy to transport and stack, and their simple yet durable construction means a long life with minimal maintenance. Every container is also built to meet strict international standards, ensuring quality across the board.
Why choose a shipping container?
- Strong and protective: Built from corten steel with a weather-resistant, sealed construction, plus optional lockboxes and vents.
- Easy to modify: Add insulation, windows, doors, plumbing and electrical to turn it into a living/working space.
- Readily available: Connect with vetted local suppliers across the country, and get a container delivered to your door.
- Great for tight spaces: Place your container in a driveway, on a construction site, or outside your commercial premises.
Got questions? Let’s chat.
Hello! I’m Sophie – Container Specialist, how can I help you?
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FAQs
You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers
All you need to know about shipping containers.
01
Most shipping containers are made from maritime-grade corten steel, sometimes referred to as ‘weathering steel’. Corten steel is a metal alloy designed to develop a stable layer of rust when exposed to the elements, which then acts as protection for the steel beneath. It makes shipping containers incredibly weather-resistant without the need for paint or any form of protective coat. In short, if a shipping container looks rusty, that’s usually a good thing.
02
The primary components of a shipping container are:
- Corner castings: The solid steel corner blocks used for lifting and stacking containers.
- Structural frame: The steel skeleton that gives the container strength and rigidity.
- Wall panels and roof: Corrugated steel sheets for weather and impact resistance.
- Marine-grade flooring: Usually made from durable, pest-resistant plywood or bamboo.
- Doors and locks: Heavy-duty steel doors with secure locking and sealing mechanisms.
There are also a wealth of specialised and customised components available, including steel/epoxy/rubber flooring, side opening doors, refrigeration units, insulation, ventilation, doors, windows, shelving, and if the container is being used as a working or living space, even plumbing and power.
03
Shipping container flooring is typically constructed from marine grade plywood or bamboo that is resistant to heavy loads, moisture and pests. The easy-clean nature of steel and epoxy flooring make these a popular option in high moisture environments, and for the transport of medical items or dangerous goods. A range of non-slip flooring options – mesh, rubber, bitumen – are also available if people are regularly working in the container.
04
Shipping containers are intermodal: they can be transported on sea, rail and road. This means that they can be delivered almost anywhere in Australia. And by accessing our sprawling network of local container suppliers, delivery of your ideal container can be completed in quick time.
05
Not only is it possible to customise a shipping container, these simple metal boxes are perfect for modification. Storage, site offices, pop-up retail spaces, workshops, garages, garden sheds, galleries, tiny homes; if you can think of a use, there’s probably a way to make it happen. In fact, someone has probably already done it. And our modification partners are ready to help bring your container dreams to life.
06
As a container platform, we connect you with vetted local suppliers. Some exclusively sell containers, others also offer leasing and rental services. Renting can make sense for short-term use, while purchasing may be more suitable for longer-term or customised projects. Because pricing and availability vary by region and supplier, we recommend submitting your requirements to receive options tailored to your situation.