Condition is the biggest single lever on the price of a shipping container, and the vocabulary around it is genuinely confusing. This guide explains what each grade actually means, what you should expect to see, and which grade is right for what you are doing.
On this page
The four grades at a glance
| Grade | Typical age | Appearance | Weatherproof | Shipping certified | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New / one-trip | Under two years | Factory paint, clean floor, few marks | Yes | Yes | Conversions, customer-facing sites, long-term assets |
| Cargo worthy | Eight to fifteen years | Dents, surface rust, patch repairs | Yes | Yes, with a valid CSC plate | Onward shipping and heavy-duty storage |
| Wind and watertight | Ten to twenty years | Visible wear, repainted panels, some pitting | Yes | No | Static storage on your own site |
| As-is | Any | Known faults, sold on description | Not guaranteed | No | Cutting up, spares, non-critical use |
New and one-trip
Nobody sells a container that has genuinely never carried anything. A one-trip unit is built in Asia, loaded with a single cargo, shipped once and sold at the destination. That single voyage is why the term exists, and why one-trip units are effectively new: factory paint that has not faded, an unmarked plywood floor, fresh door seals and locking gear that moves freely.
Expect to pay a premium over a used unit. It is worth it when the container will be seen by customers, when you intend to convert it, when it will be insulated and lined, or when you plan to keep it for a decade or more and want the longest possible run before corrosion becomes a maintenance job.
Cargo worthy
Cargo worthy is a certification, not a cosmetic description. A surveyor has inspected the unit against the criteria in the International Convention for Safe Containers and confirmed it is structurally fit to be loaded and shipped again. It will carry a valid CSC plate on the door.
Cosmetically a cargo worthy container looks used: dents in the side panels, surface rust on the roof and rails, patch plates welded over old damage, and a floor that has been swept a thousand times. None of that affects its usefulness as storage. If you ever intend to ship the container internationally, or you want the strongest used structure available, this is the grade to ask for.
Wind and watertight
This is the workhorse grade for storage and the one most buyers actually want. The unit is guaranteed to keep out wind and rain: the roof does not leak, the door gaskets seal, and there are no holes through the shell. It has not been certified for shipping, usually because the CSC plate has expired rather than because anything is wrong with it.
You accept cosmetic wear in exchange for a considerably lower price. Every used container we supply is checked for weather integrity, door operation, floor condition and structural soundness before it leaves the yard, and we can send photographs of the specific unit allocated to your order.
As-is and refurbished units
As-is means the container is sold on its description with known faults declared. It might have a soft patch in the floor, a hole in a panel or seized locking gear. It is the right buy if you are cutting the unit up for a modification, using it as a static shell inside a building, or want the cheapest steel box available and can do your own repairs.
Refurbished sits between grades. A used shell is shot-blasted, repaired and repainted, so it looks close to new while carrying used-unit history underneath. It is a strong compromise where appearance matters but budget does not stretch to one-trip.
Which grade should you buy?
Buy new or one-trip if
- The container will be visible to customers or neighbours.
- You are converting it to an office, cabin, bar or home.
- You want the maximum service life before maintenance starts.
- You need a specific colour or a specific door configuration.
Buy used if
- It is going into a yard, a compound or behind a fence.
- You are storing tools, stock, machinery or archives.
- Cosmetics do not matter and budget does.
- You may resell it in a few years, where used units hold value well.
What to check on any used unit
- The floor. Stand inside with the doors shut and look up. Daylight through the roof or walls is a hard no. Then press the plywood near the door threshold, where water collects and rot starts.
- Door operation. All four cam bars should move without a crowbar. Doors that bind usually mean the container has been stored out of level and the frame has racked.
- Gaskets. Rubber should be supple and continuous. Flattened or split gasket is cheap to replace but must be replaced.
- Rust type. Surface rust is normal on Corten and mostly cosmetic. Bubbling or flaking that pits through the panel is not.
- Repairs. Patch plates are fine when welded all round. Riveted or sealant-only repairs will leak eventually.
- Corner castings. These take the entire load during lifting. They must be intact and undeformed.
- Smell. A strong chemical or damp smell suggests a previous cargo that soaked into the plywood, which matters if you are storing textiles, food packaging or documents.
Our inspection information page explains what we check before dispatch, and the buying guide covers the commercial questions worth asking any supplier.
Not sure which grade fits your budget?
Tell us what the container is for and what you would like to spend. We will tell you honestly whether a used unit will do the job or whether one-trip is the better long-term buy.
Condition questions answered
A wind and watertight unit is guaranteed to keep rain and wind out. What it does not stop is condensation, which forms when warm damp air meets cold steel. Extra vents, a moisture absorber and pallets under your goods solve that in almost every case.
The CSC plate is a metal data plate on the door recording the container identity, tare weight, maximum gross and the date of its last approved examination. You only need a valid one if the container will be shipped again. For static storage it is irrelevant.
It varies with age, grade and availability, but used units are typically a large fraction cheaper than one-trip equivalents. Because prices move with the shipping market, the honest answer is to compare the live prices on each listing.
Corten weathering steel forms a stable oxide layer that slows further corrosion, which is why containers survive decades at sea. Touch up any area where the coating has broken and it will not become a structural problem. Our maintenance guide covers the annual checks.
Yes. Wire-brush or shot-blast the loose material, prime with a zinc-rich primer and finish with a good direct-to-metal topcoat. We can also supply units already shot-blasted and repainted to your colour.
They have carried a single cargo, so technically they are used. In practice the paint, floor, seals and gear are unused and they are the closest thing to new that anybody can sell you.