Almost every failed container delivery fails for the same three reasons: soft ground, not enough room, or something overhead. Twenty minutes of preparation prevents a wasted delivery charge and a lorry stuck across your entrance.
On this page
The three delivery methods
Tilt-bed (side loader off-load)
The bed tilts and the container slides off the back while the lorry pulls forward. Cheapest and quickest, but it needs a straight, firm run roughly twice the container length. The unit lands where the lorry ends up, so placement is approximate.
HIAB or crane-equipped lorry
An arm on the vehicle lifts the container off and places it precisely, including over a low wall or fence. Needs less run-off but more overhead clearance and a stable surface for the outriggers. Costs more than tilt-bed.
Separate crane lift
The container arrives flat on a trailer and a mobile crane lifts it into position. The right answer for rooftops, courtyards, behind buildings and anywhere with no vehicle access to the final spot.
Space you need, by container size
| Container | Vehicle length | Clear run for tilt-bed | Minimum width | Overhead clearance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 ft | Around 26 ft | Around 30 ft | 10 ft | 16 ft |
| 20 ft | Around 40 ft | Around 55 ft | 10 ft | 16 ft |
| 30 ft | Around 50 ft | Around 75 ft | 11 ft | 16 ft |
| 40 ft | Around 55 ft | Around 95 ft | 11 ft | 16 ft |
These are working figures for planning, not guarantees. Send photographs of the approach with your enquiry and we will confirm what will physically work at your site.
Preparing the ground
A shipping container carries its entire weight on the four corner castings. Everything in between is designed to flex slightly. Support it at those four points, keep it level, and the doors will still close perfectly in ten years.
- Level matters more than hard. A container twisted out of plane will bind its doors within weeks. Check across the diagonals, not just along one side.
- Use blocks or sleepers. Concrete blocks, paving slabs or hardwood sleepers under each corner casting lift the steel bearers clear of standing water, which is where rot and rust start.
- Firm surface for the vehicle. Concrete, tarmac or well-compacted hardcore. Wet grass, fresh gravel and made ground are how lorries get stuck.
- Allow drainage. Do not create a bowl the container sits in. A very slight fall away from the doors is ideal.
- Door end clearance. Leave around 3 ft beyond the doors so they can swing to 270 degrees against the side.
Overhead and side clearance
Tilt-bed delivery raises the front of the container high in the air before it slides. Assume you need around 16 ft of clear height along the whole run, not just at the final position. The usual obstacles are tree branches, telephone and power lines, guttering, canopies, signage and archways.
Along the sides, allow enough width for the vehicle plus mirrors, and remember that a rigid lorry needs a wider turning circle than a car. Gateposts are the most common casualty.
Deciding which way the doors face
This is the decision people forget, and it cannot be reversed without another crane visit. Think about how you will load it, whether you want the doors sheltered from prevailing wind and rain, whether they should be visible from a building for security, and whether a vehicle needs to reverse up to them.
Tell the driver before anything is unloaded. Once a container is on the ground, moving it is a chargeable job.
On delivery day
Be there
Someone with authority to accept the delivery should be on site for the whole window, able to direct placement and sign for the unit.
Clear the route
Move vehicles, bins, pallets and materials out of the approach and the placement area before the lorry arrives.
Have the blocks ready
Stack your corner blocks or sleepers next to the spot. The driver can set the container straight onto them rather than needing a second lift.
Inspect before signing
Open the doors, look for daylight, check the floor and photograph anything you are not happy with. Raise it there and then rather than a week later.
Not sure your access works?
Send us photographs of the entrance, the approach and the final position, along with your postcode. We will tell you which delivery method to budget for before you order.
Delivery questions answered
For a tilt-bed delivery allow roughly 55 ft of straight, firm run and around 10 ft of width, with 16 ft of clear height. Where that is not available a HIAB or crane can place the unit in a much tighter space.
Frequently, yes, provided the surface is sound and the vehicle can get in and out. Block paving and thin tarmac can be marked by outriggers or wheel loads, so tell us if the surface is precious and we will discuss protection.
Then the unit is craned or HIAB-lifted over the obstacle, or set down at the nearest accessible point and moved later. Deciding this before delivery day is far cheaper than solving it on the day.
Yes. Someone should be present to direct placement, confirm door orientation and sign for the container. Deliveries left unattended almost always end up in the wrong place.
The delivery vehicle unloads it. Tilt-bed and HIAB deliveries are self-sufficient. A separate crane lift is arranged and attended by the crane operator.
Sitting on blocks or sleepers at the four corner castings gives you a couple of inches of air under the floor bearers, which is all it needs to stay dry and rust-free underneath.
Usually, if the street is wide enough for the vehicle and there is somewhere legal to stop. Some councils require a permit for a suspended parking bay, so check locally if the container has to come off in the road.