What's the deal with shipping containers?

The Shipping Container Low-Down

Top 10 things I have learned (So far) about shipping containers…

1. They are made out of Corten (cor-ten) Steel. It is a special alloy steel that creates its own protective layer when exposed to the weather. In simple terms... Compare M&Ms with a thin candy shell to a Hershey’s bar sitting out in the sun. 
2. They are built to international standards. Therefore, the metal thicknesses, corrugations, beams, and materials are consistent from one container to another. 
3. The containers can handle crossing the ocean stacked eight units tall with a 20 ft container able to hold over 60,000lbs of merchandise in each unit. Impressive! 
4. They are windproof, watertight, and durable enough to transport delicate electronics across the ocean for trips that can take over a month long. 
5. Containers are on a 1-way trip to the majority of their destinations. Containers are either sold and re-purposed at that point, OR they are sent back overseas empty. There are very few destinations that are also exporting materials to ship them back with merchandise. 
6. Purchasing them is reminiscent of buying a used car.  I enjoy going to the depot and picking them out. The price is based on their condition and the amount of dents, bumps, and rust.
7. They are currently repurposed for many more uses overseas than here in the U.S.
8. I never get tired of thinking of unique container creations. I love going to work every day and brainstorming ideas. Remember in the movie “Bubba Gump” when Bubba Blue rattles off all the different ways you can make shrimp? He calls them the “fruit of the sea” and you can “barbecue it, broil it, bake it, saute it,” etc etc. It is the same with shipping containers! Okay, maybe not exactly the same. Seriously, though, there are a multitude of things you can create using the box of a 10, 20, or 40 foot container. Follow us to find out. 
9. There are seemingly endless opportunities for homes and businesses to expand using shipping containers. Container homes and cabins are all the rage, and other ideas could include guest houses, boat houses, office studios, workout pods, yoga studios, play rooms, she sheds, man caves, bars, sports lounges, rec rooms, garden sheds, truly the sky is the limit.  There are amazing opportunities for small businesses to expand their service or product in such a unique and eye-catching way. (Stay tuned for another blog posting on this topic) 
10. My engineering mind enjoys the special challenges of building with containers. I enjoy thinking of new ways to use the containers and hearing what others come up with. It is like putting a box of Legos in front of someone. Everyone seems to start imagining what they would create. There are special tools and skills needed to build with them, but then the sky's the limit!

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