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Size Matters When Choosing a Shipping Container

December 28, 2023

Great news, you have found a storage or space solution, and you have decided to buy or hire a shipping container from NZBOX.

However, there are several different types of shipping containers on offer, in a range of styles and sizes. Which will best suit your needs?

If you’re not sure, don’t worry, we are here to help.

Read on to familiarise yourself with the assorted dimensions of our most popular shipping containers and learn the various types of containers available in each of these sizes.

8ft Shipping Containers

8ft container side doors

We don’t hire these little beauties, but we sell them by the dozen!

At an itsy 2488mm long, 2200mm wide, and 2260mm high, these ‘mini cubes’ (as we like to call them), are a perfect storage solution when space is at a premium.

Previous customers have chosen the 8ft shipping container for storage of garden equipment, tools, furniture, documents, sporting and outdoor equipment and more.

If you need a storage or freight solution for smaller items, the 8ft container may be the perfect solution for you.

View our 8ft shipping containers.

10ft Shipping Containers

10ft Shipping Container Blue

Half the size of a standard shipping container, the 10ft container measures in at 3029mm long, 2438mm wide, and 2591mm high.

Our 10ft shipping containers are most commonly purchased or hired as a residential or business storage solution.

To give you an idea of size, a 10ft container could accommodate the contents of a small one‐bedroom flat.

A 10 foot container can provide much needed storage on a smaller plot.

View our 10ft shipping containers.

20ft Shipping Containers

20ft Double Door Shipping Container Side View

When it comes to shipping containers, this guy is the most popular.

Not only is the 20ft shipping container substantial in size, at 6058mm long, 2438mm wide, and 2591mm high, it also offers a lot of versatility as a storage solution.

You may choose to fill every cubic metre of this cavernous space, into which you could stack the equivalent of approximately 100 standard sized washing machines!

However, it is more common for customers to accessorise the interior with shelves running down both or one side of the container, therefore allowing for easy access to their stored goods.

View our 20ft shipping containers.

40ft Shipping Containers

40ft double door high cube container from the side

Slightly more than double the length of a standard shipping container, the 40ft container is 12200mm long, 2438mm wide, and 2591mm high.

This container is the longest available for sale or hire in New Zealand, it’s vast size allowing the user to store double that of the standard shipping container.

A popular large scale storage solution, we have seen these containers being used on farms as a storage facility for farming equipment, machinery and even vehicles.

View our 40ft shipping containers.

High Cube Shipping Containers

20ft high cube side

If you don’t have more space to place your container, but need a bit more storage, perhaps a high cube container is the answer.

A high cube container offers an extra foot in height, which makes it 2896mm tall. This gives the opportunity to stack your goods a little higher, or to fit taller items into your container.

This high cube option is available for our regular 20ft and 40ft containers, and as you will read later, also used to make some of our more specialised containers.

View our high cube shipping containers.

Reefer Containers

20ft reefer shipping container

Reefer Containers are refrigerated shipping containers, typically used in the transportation or storage of temperature-sensitive goods.

We have many customers from the hospitality sector, who use these containers to store additional stock of meat, fruit and vegetables.

NZBOX reefer containers are available for sale or hire in a standard 20ft shipping container size, or in a 40ft high cube shipping container size.

View our reefer containers.

Dangerous Goods Containers

8 Foot Dangerous Goods Shipping Container

Available for sale or hire, our dangerous goods containers are available in a 10ft high cube size, or 20ft high cube size.

Dangerous goods containers are engineered and designed for the storage and transportation of dangerous and hazardous items.

They comply with strict health and safety standards and feature three discharge valves for spillages and eight large vents for increased air flow.

End doors and whole side opening doors come standard with dangerous goods containers, with easy opening doors both inside and out.

View our dangerous goods containers.

Office Containers

8ft Office Shipping Container Grey Window

The height of a high cube container lends itself well to a shipping container modified to become an office space.

The 2896mm height of the high cube creates the perfect ceiling height for this room, which is available in a 10ft, 20ft, and 40ft container length.

The size of the office container that you opt for, will usually be dictated by how many people it needs to comfortably accommodate.

The modifications available for these unique offices, are only as limited as your budget.

As standard, each size of office container has a fully certified electrical fit-out, door, window/s, linoleum flooring over 18mm marine ply, a fire sensor, circuit board, a light grey paint job inside and out, and an external caravan style plug to hook you up to an electricity supply.

Insulation is an optional extra, but a heat pump is a standard addition to both the 20ft and 40ft options.

Read the full list of modified features that come as standard with our office containers.

Hospitality Containers

A hospitality shipping container pop up restaurant

Similar to the office containers, our hospitality containers are made from high cube containers, in a 10ft and 20ft length.

NZBOX hospitality containers are unique and distinctive in their layout. We have designed these rooms to provide vendors with optimum work and bench space, ample power options, and the option to open up multiple serving windows to best operate in fast and busy locations.

The 10ft high cube hospitality container is most commonly used as food and beverage kiosks,
information stand, or for merchandising and retail purposes.

The 20ft high cube hospitality container can accommodate a full commercial kitchen with servery and a team of staff.

View our hospitality containers.

Summary

As you can see, size really does matter when it comes to choosing the right shipping container for your space and requirements.

Determining the space you have on your site, how much you need to store, and how you want your space to function, will guide your decision on what container is the best fit!

If you need more help deciding, don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Post updated: 28 December 2023

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