20 Foot Shipping Containers
Two out of every three containers we send anywhere in the country are 20ft, and the reason is not storage volume. It is that a 20ft is the largest container that arrives on an ordinary tilt-tray, which means it can be put on the ground in places nothing bigger will ever reach.
Pick this one if…
You want the default answer. A tradesman's full kit and a bench, a three-bedroom house of furniture, a farm's worth of feed and fencing gear.
- Used from$2,200 ex GST
- New single-trip from$3,300 ex GST
- Hire from$27 per week ex GST
- Internal5.90m × 2.35m × 2.39m
- External6.06m × 2.44m × 2.59m
- Door opening2.34m × 2.28m
- Capacity33.2m³
- Tare weightapprox 2,200 kg
Cargo-worthy used 20ft units — checked wind and watertight — start from $2,200, new single-trip from $3,300, and hire from $27 a week. Guide prices, ex GST.
Grades matter more than anything else in a container quote. 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 tell you exactly what is wrong with one rather than let you find it on delivery day. New single-trip units are sealed, unmarked and have made one loaded voyage. If the container has to keep rain off what is inside it, buy cargo-worthy or better.
What is actually true about a 20ft
Delivered by tilt-tray, which is the cheapest vehicle on the road for this job and the one most sites can actually accommodate.
Wants about 20m of straight run to slide off cleanly, plus roughly 4.3m of width and clear air above the spot.
The most heavily traded size in Australia, so there is real choice of grade and condition at every major depot rather than one unit and a shrug.
The thing to watch
A 20ft weighs a bit over two tonne empty and the whole weight lands on four corner castings. Soft ground, new turf, a sand pad or a driveway laid over fill will mark, and can give way entirely after a wet week. Sleepers or pavers under the corners cost almost nothing and solve it.
How delivery works → · Grades explained → · What to check on a used unit →
20ft questions
How much is a 20ft shipping container?
Cargo-worthy used 20ft units — checked wind and watertight — start from $2,200, new single-trip from $3,300, and hire from $27 a week. Guide prices, ex GST. The delivered figure depends on the grade and the cartage to your address, and we quote both together.
What are the 20ft internal dimensions?
Internally 5.90m × 2.35m × 2.39m with a door opening of 2.34m × 2.28m, giving about 33.2m³. Externally 6.06m × 2.44m × 2.59m. Tare weight is approx 2,200 kg.
What does a 20ft need for delivery?
Wants about 20m of straight run to slide off cleanly, plus roughly 4.3m of width and clear air above the spot.
Can I hire a 20ft instead of buying?
Yes — 20ft hire starts from $27 a week, ex GST, and it suits anything with an end date on it. Under a year, hire is almost always the better answer. Over two years, buying usually is.
Delivered anywhere in Australia
We deliver Australia-wide. These are the cities we can tell you something specific about:
Get a 20ft delivered price
One figure with the cartage already in it, for a named grade. Every enquiry answered within one business day.
Or skip the form — 1300 263 976