How is a shipping container delivered and offloaded? A step-by-step guide
Last Updated on October 3, 2024
How Does Shipping Container Delivery Work?
Having a shipping container delivered safely and efficiently is paramount. The delivery process is simple and straightforward for professional and experienced drivers like ours.
We have been selling and renting shipping containers with delivery to your door for over 12 years. We are proud to have found a number of experienced drivers that take care in the delivery process. We and our drivers have the experience and professionalism to cater for your delivery needs.
Preparing your site for delivery
You will need to be sure that your site is suitable for our vehicles. The ground must be stable and there should be clear access.
Please see our checklist for safe delivery.
If you are unsure of your site being suitable for our vehicles, then please do call us and we can discuss with our transport provider to ensure we save you time and money for any wasted delivery trips.
We are here to help you, wherever we can.
What vehicles are used for delivery?
Our vehicles are called HIABs. HIAB is a brand name and means that the vehicles are fitted with a crane so that the shipping containers can be lifted off and positioned on the ground.
For a 40ft shipping container, we use a 60ft long x 10ft wide articulated vehicle fitted with a HIAB. A 20ft shipping container is delivered on an 8-wheeler 36ft or 40ft long x 10ft wide rigid (rigid means the cab of the vehicle does not break away from the trailer, like the artic) vehicle fitted with a HIAB.
The drivers we use are highly professional and bring a wealth of experience to every delivery, ensuring that the process is handled smoothly and efficiently. Their expertise reinforces the reliability of our service, giving you confidence that your shipping container will be delivered safely and on time.
How shipping containers are offloaded safely
All vehicles are fitted with stabilisers, which must be put into position before the offload.
The stabilisers or outriggers are placed approximately 10ft to the side of the vehicle. There are 4 outriggers in total (2 near the back and 2 near the front of the vehicle)
The HIAB vehicle lifts the container off to the side of the vehicle. The shipping container corners are chained up in order to lift the container into position. Some vehicles can lift further than others.
The site and the surrounding area must be clear of personnel and any obstructions, in order to fulfil the safety requirements.
Our drivers use a remote control in order to move the crane into a position suitable for positioning the container.
The offload procedure is a precise movement and must be handled by a fully qualified HIAB driver.
Our driver will offload the shipping container to your designated location. However, if this is not possible then he will land the container as close as he possibly can. Safety is paramount and we ask that you take instruction from our driver. He knows what his vehicle is capable of and he is qualified to make safe offloading decisions.
Common Challenges during delivery
There can be many challenges that present themselves at the time of delivery and offload. Some include overhead cables, bad weather, uneven ground, parked cars in the way, things that have not been considered beforehand and tight spaces (this list is not exhaustive).
Offloading underneath overhead cables is extremely dangerous, so we will NOT attempt this. Please refer to these HSE instructions.
We have encountered most challenges and we endeavour to assist with problem solving.
You can rely on us and our driver to do our best in order to rectify any problems.
Reading our delivery checklist and highlighting any possible issues beforehand is highly recommended. This will save you a lot of time and money in the long run.
We always agree on a mutual delivery date with a window of 7am til 6.30pm. The reason behind this is that transport schedules are planned the day before. We do try to find out the day before whether the delivery time will be in the morning or afternoon and let you know. The driver is under instruction to call you 1 hour prior to his ETA.
There can be delays that are out of our control eg. bad weather, road accidents and previous site delays. We do try to keep you informed if we know, but of course, you can call us and we will find out more information for you.
All the while we are a phone call away to assist you with your delivery.
What to expect on Delivery Day
As we said before we try to let you know whether the delivery will be in the morning or afternoon. Our driver will also call you 1 hour prior to his delivery time.
Billie Box factors in 1 hour for delivery and offload; however, it often only takes 30 minutes, as long as there are no obstructions.
We do ask that your site is clear for access and the offload, in plenty of time before our driver arrives on site. This will avoid delays and stresses for all parties.
Billie Box always try to keep you informed at all times, giving you peace of mind.
Why our delivery service stands out
We at Billie Box pride ourselves on offering a professional and reliable shipping container sale, rental and delivery service.
Our customer service is excellent. Don’t just listen to us; why not see our testimonials? We have been privileged to have received many Google and website testimonials from our customers who have used our services over many years. Here is one for your perusal.
For more testimonials please click on the image above.
Call us on T: 0800 121 7388 or complete our GET a Quote form today.
