Buying a Shipping Container in Australia

The process in brief

Buying a container from AAD Logistics follows a straight path. Choose a size and condition, check your site, order online or request a quote, pay by bank transfer or card, and take delivery from the Port Macquarie. This guide covers each step, the questions to ask, and the rules on GST, warranty and returns so nothing surprises you.

1. Decide what you need: size, height, doors, new or used.
2. Check the site and the delivery vehicle.
3. Order online, or request a quote for remote, multi-unit or price-on-application items.
4. Pay by bank transfer or card.
5. We process the order in 1 to 3 business days and deliver typically 4 to 7 business days after that.
6. Inspect on delivery, sign the docket, and your warranty starts.

Step 1: Choose the right container

Size

AAD sells 6ft, 8ft, 10ft, 12ft, 20ft and 40ft containers. The 20ft is the usual choice for households, farms and small businesses. The 40ft suits bulk storage where a side loader can get in. Smaller sizes suit tight blocks. Compare them in 10ft vs 20ft vs 40ft containers.

Height

Standard containers are 2,591 mm high. High cubes are 2,896 mm. Buy a high cube for racking, tall vehicles or any conversion. Buy standard where overhead clearance is tight. See standard vs high cube.

Doors

A standard container opens at one end. A double door unit opens at both ends. An open side unit opens along one full side for forklift access. The container garages replace one end with a sectional door for vehicles.

New or used

New units come in a choice of RAL colours with an 18-month warranty. Used units are inspected and sold as Wind and Watertight with a 6-month limited warranty, and cosmetic wear is expected. Used is available in 20ft, 40ft and 40ft high cube only. Read new vs used and WWT vs Cargo Worthy.

Step 2: Check your site before you order

Containers up to 20ft arrive on a tilt tray and need a straight run of about 2.5 times the container length plus the truck. A 40ft arrives on a side loader and needs clear space along one side. Both need firm ground and clear overhead. Prepare bearers or blocks before the day. Council approval may be needed for placement, so check with your local council.

Work through preparing your site for container delivery. It takes half an hour and avoids a re-charged failed delivery.

Step 3: Understand the price

GST

Every price on the AAD site is in Australian dollars and includes 10% GST. There is no ex-GST price to add to at checkout. Some suppliers quote ex-GST, so when you compare, add 10% to their figure or take it off ours. Your tax invoice shows the GST component for business buyers who claim it.

What is included in the price

The container in the colour you select, inspected and ready to use. Delivery is separate and is shown as its own line at checkout.

Delivery cost

Delivery is AUD 745 per unit within the standard service area. Remote, restricted and multi-unit deliveries are quoted. Hiab and crane placements are also quoted because the vehicle and time on site vary. See how container delivery works.

Price on application

A small number of items, such as the 20ft toilet block with three standard and one accessible toilet, are priced on application. Request a quote and we will confirm price, lead time and delivery together.

Step 4: Order online or request a quote

For a single container within the standard service area, order on the product page. Choose the colour, enter the delivery address, fill in the site access fields and place the order. At checkout you choose bank transfer or card. For bank transfer, you receive an order confirmation with bank transfer details. For card, you place the order without entering card details and we email a tax invoice with a secure card payment link once we have reviewed the order.

Request a quote instead when:

• the site is remote or has restricted access;
• you want more than one unit delivered together;
• the product is priced on application;
• you need a Hiab, crane or flatbed delivery;
• you are buying for a business and need a formal quote for approval.

Quotes and questions are handled Monday to Friday 8 am to 5 pm and Saturday 9 am to 3 pm.

Step 5: Payment

AAD accepts payment by bank transfer or by credit or debit card. Finance is not offered. For bank transfer, use the order number as the payment reference so the transfer matches your order. Processing starts when the funds arrive, which for most Australian banks is the same or the next business day. For card, choose “Credit or debit card” at checkout and place the order without entering card details. We review the order and email a tax invoice with a secure card payment link, and processing starts once the card payment is confirmed.

Be careful with payment details. Use the bank account details on your order confirmation from AAD. If you receive any message asking you to pay to a different account, contact us by phone before paying. Card details are only ever entered on the secure payment page reached from your invoice link. We never ask for card numbers by email or phone.

Step 6: Delivery

Once payment clears, processing takes 1 to 3 business days. We book the vehicle that suits your site and confirm a delivery window. Delivery is typically 4 to 7 business days after processing. Regional and interstate deliveries can take longer, and we tell you when we book.

On the day the driver calls ahead, inspects the approach, places the container on your prepared footing and asks you to sign the docket. Have someone on site who can take the call.

Step 7: What to check on delivery

Walk around the container with the driver before signing.

1. Doors open, close and lock. Locking bars move freely.
2. Door seals are present and meet the frame.
3. Inside, with the doors shut, no daylight shows through the roof or walls.
4. The floor is sound underfoot.
5. The CSC plate is on the door.
6. The colour matches your order.
7. No damage that was not there when it left the yard. On a used unit, dents, scratches, markings, patch repairs and surface rust are expected and are not transit damage.

Note anything of concern on the docket before you sign, and photograph it. That record is what a warranty claim relies on.

Warranty and returns

• New containers: 18-month warranty from delivery.
• Used containers: 6-month limited warranty from delivery.
• Change of mind: 18 days on eligible new products. Used containers and price-on-application items are not covered by change of mind. Return transport is at the buyer’s cost.

Warranty covers the container being fit for its sold purpose. For a used unit that purpose is weatherproof storage as a Wind and Watertight container. Cosmetic wear is not a defect on a used unit. Your rights under Australian Consumer Law apply in addition to these terms.

Questions to ask any supplier

Use this list whether you buy from AAD or compare with another seller.

• Is the price in AUD and does it include GST?
• Is delivery included, and if not, what does it cost to my address?
• Is the container new, one-trip, Cargo Worthy or Wind and Watertight? Was it inspected?
• Which vehicle will deliver it, and what does my site need to provide?
• What is the warranty, and what does it exclude?
• Is there a change-of-mind period?
• How do I pay, and to which account?
• What is the lead time from payment to delivery?

AAD’s answers are all in this guide. Browse the shipping container range, the container garages or the portable offices, and contact us with a site photo if you want a second opinion on fit and delivery before you order.