Request a quote

Buying: what to put in the request

Think of the request as a receiving checklist written in advance. Each line below removes one round of back-and-forth. Skip what you do not know; we will ask, or help you measure.

Tell us what goes inside

Contents change the answer more than people expect. Dense metal parts can exceed a bin's rated load before it is half full. Wet product needs a solid deck and a drain. Anything people will eat needs the maker's material documents and, for used units, a known and suitable history; say so in the request, and we will ask the right questions of the maker or the seller before quoting. If the container is replacing one in service, add a photo of it with a tape across the base.

Selling: what to put in the request

Describe the lot as a buyer would want to see it. Give the type and maker if it is printed or molded on the wall, the footprint and height (folded too, for collapsibles), the count of each model, and an honest condition note: grade A, B or C if you can, or simply what is cracked, missing or stained. Add what the units held, and where they are, by city and ZIP, with dock and forklift details.

Then attach photos. Three are enough to start: the whole stack or yard, one typical unit up close, and the worst unit you would include. If there are embossed names, part numbers or date wheels, a close-up of those helps us identify the model and the owner.

When you only know part of it

• No idea of the maker? Skip it. A photo of the underside and any molded lettering usually identifies the family.
• Not sure about the height? Measure from the floor to the top rim of one unit standing upright, lid off.
• Unsure how many you need? Tell us the daily throughput, the cycle time of a loop, or how many pallets you move a week, and we will help size the order.
• Mixed lot of several sizes? List each model with its own count, even roughly; one lumped total hides what a buyer cares about.
• Never bought returnables before? Say so. We will explain the trade-offs between buying new, used and refurbished in plain words before quoting anything.

Expanding or replacing a loop

Adding units to a program already running is a frequent request, and an easy one to get wrong. The new containers have to interlock with the ones in circulation: same footprint and height, same rim profile so lids and stacking lugs engage, same door hardware so crews do not fight two latch styles. Name the model in service and send one clear picture; we quote against that, not against a generic size.

What happens after you send it

• We read it and reply by email, usually with the spec restated and any questions we need answered.
• For a purchase, we look for matching new or used units and price them with freight to your ZIP. Used lots come with photos.
• For a sale, we compare your lot with what buyers are asking for and come back with an offer, a request for more photos, or a plain no.
• Nothing is binding until both sides agree terms in writing: count, condition, price, freight and timing.
• Once agreed, we book the truck and send the carrier details and pickup or delivery window.

How freight is quoted

We price freight for the actual haul, from where the containers are to where they are going, and show it apart from the container price. Small orders usually move as less-than-truckload on a shared trailer; larger ones move on a dedicated 53-foot trailer, priced per load. Distance, lane, liftgate or appointment needs, and how the units ship (standing, folded or nested) all affect the figure.

Because empty containers fill a trailer by space long before weight, the count per trailer is the number to watch. You can estimate it with Trailer Fill and paste the result into your request. Carrier rates move, so a freight line holds for the period stated on the quote.