What a cheap shipping container actually gets you
The honest version of what separates a $2,200 container from a $1,600 one, and why the cheapest unit on the market is frequently the most expensive thing in the yard.
Every size, every grade, with the date the figures were set. No "call for pricing", no price hidden behind a form, and no pretending delivery is free.
Prices last updated 03/08/2026| Size | Internal L×W×H | Capacity | Used from* | New from* | Hire from* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10ft | 2.83m × 2.35m × 2.39m | 16m³ | $4,350 | $6,400 | Ask |
| 20ft | 5.90m × 2.35m × 2.39m | 33m³ | $2,200 | $3,300 | $27/wk |
| 40ft | 12.03m × 2.35m × 2.39m | 67m³ | $2,600 | $5,500 | Ask |
| 40ft High Cube | 12.03m × 2.35m × 2.70m | 76m³ | $3,400 | $5,500 | Ask |
* What "from" means. Every figure on this site is a "from" price: the starting point for that size in that grade, in Australian dollars, ex GST, ex depot. It is not a quote. Condition, availability at your nearest depot and the grade you actually need all move it, and delivery is quoted separately because it depends entirely on where the container is going.
Grades matter, and this is where a cheap container gets expensive. Cargo-worthy is the grade we check wind and watertight before it leaves the depot. As-is units are cheaper again and are not sold watertight — they may carry a patched repair, a soft spot in the floor or a door seal that no longer seats, and we will tell you exactly what is wrong with one before you buy it. New single-trip units are sealed and unmarked. If a container has to keep rain off what is inside it, buy cargo-worthy or better.
Called single-trip rather than new, because they are built overseas and loaded once on the voyage out. That is as new as a shipping container gets in Australia — nobody manufactures them here.
Cargo-worthy is the grade that does the work. It means a unit still certified fit to carry freight at sea — structurally sound, doors operating, floor intact — and every cargo-worthy unit is checked wind and watertight before it leaves the depot.
The cheapest grade, and the one we are most careful about selling. As-is means the unit is sold with its faults, priced accordingly, and we tell you what those faults are before you buy rather than after it lands.
Ex-depot prices with vague delivery is the oldest trick in this market, and it is why so many people end up paying well over the number that got them to pick up the phone. We publish the container price separately from the delivery price because they are genuinely separate things — but we quote them together, before anything is booked, so there is one figure to say yes or no to.
| Where it is going | What that means for the cartage |
|---|---|
| Metro, close to the depot holding your unit | The shortest run we do. A standard tilt-tray where the access allows one. |
| Regional, a few hours out from the depot | Still a day run, but the truck is on the road longer and the quote reflects it. |
| Long haul, interstate or well inland | Often a shared or backloaded run. Flexibility on the date genuinely helps here. |
| Remote, or anywhere with awkward access | Quoted per run against the address, because nothing about it is standard. |
We do not publish a single national delivery price, and you should be suspicious of anyone who does. Delivering a 40ft into a laneway in inner Melbourne and delivering a 20ft onto a hardstand outside Rockhampton are not the same job and cannot honestly carry the same number.
A used 40ft is better value per cubic metre than a used 20ft — $2,600 against $2,200 for double the space. It is worth nothing at all if the truck cannot place it. Measure the straight run at the spot first.
Prices shown are 20ft "from" figures, ex GST. As-is units are priced per unit because condition varies too much for a list price to be honest.
We deliver Australia-wide. These are the markets we can tell you something specific about — depot logic, realistic lead times, and what the access is actually like.
Used cargo-worthy starts at $2,200 ex GST for a 20ft and $2,600 for a 40ft. New single-trip starts at $3,300 for a 20ft and $5,500 for a 40ft. Those are ex-depot "from" prices, updated 03/08/2026, and delivery is quoted separately against your actual address.
Because a price you have to ring for is a price that changes depending on who is asking. Publishing the numbers means you can compare us against anyone else before you spend twenty minutes on the phone. We are not claiming to be the cheapest in the country — we are saying our figures are on the page with the date they were set.
No, and we are deliberate about that. Delivery genuinely depends on where the container is going, which truck the site needs and how far it is from the depot holding your unit. We quote it with the container, before anything is booked, so there is one total to say yes or no to rather than a freight bill turning up afterwards.
Every figure on this site excludes GST, which is the convention in this trade because a large share of buyers claim it back. Add 10% for the GST-inclusive number if that is more useful to you.
Cargo-worthy units are checked wind and watertight before they leave the depot, and new single-trip units are sealed. As-is units are the cheapest grade and are not sold watertight — that is the whole distinction between the grades and we will not blur it.
The honest version of what separates a $2,200 container from a $1,600 one, and why the cheapest unit on the market is frequently the most expensive thing in the yard.
What the grade names actually mean, what each one guarantees, and how to read a listing that does not say which grade it is selling.
Why nobody can honestly publish a flat national delivery price, the six things that actually move the number, and how to get a delivered figure for your own address.
A practical checklist for a used unit — roof, floor, seals, castings and the door test — plus what to ask for when you cannot inspect it yourself.
Tell us the size, the grade and the address. You will get the container price and the delivery price together, and if the total does not suit you then it does not suit you.
Or skip the form and ring — you will get the same two numbers faster.
Call 1300 639 282