40Ft X 8Ft Used Shipping Container Open Top

Used 40ft open top container for sale, crane loading from above

A 40ft open top container for sale solves one problem that a standard box never will: getting cargo in when it cannot go through the doors. In place of the fixed corrugated roof, this unit carries removable steel bows and a heavy weatherproof tarp that ropes down along the top rails. Pull the sheet and the bows and the whole 39ft 6in (12.03 m) length is open to the sky, ready for a crane or an excavator to lower a load straight in. The door header above the rear doors also swings clear or lifts out, which buys you extra height for end loading. This one is used stock at $3,250.

Loads that need an open top

• Machinery and plant that must be lifted rather than driven or rolled in
• Long steel, pipe, shafting and fabricated sections that will not turn through a door
• Granite, marble, stone and other slab cargo craned in on frames
• Scrap, offcuts and demolition arisings dropped in from a grab
• Project cargo where the packing list changes and door access is unreliable
• Site storage that doubles as a loading bin, sheeted over between lifts
• Yard use where a forklift can top-load faster than it can reach through doors

The alternative most buyers weigh is a flat rack, and the honest answer is that they solve different problems. A flat rack has no sides at all, so it takes cargo that is wider or taller than the container envelope, but nothing on it is protected from weather or casual theft. An open top keeps four steel walls, a lockable door end and a sheet over the top, so the load travels covered. Rule of thumb: if the cargo fits inside the container profile once it is sitting on the floor, the open top is the better buy. If it stands proud of the top rails, you need a flat rack.

Condition, structure and fittings

This is a used cargo container, so expect honest working wear: surface rust in places, patch paint, dents and scuffs from years of handling. What matters structurally is the frame, and the corner castings, rails and posts on an open top do more work than on a standard box, since there is no fixed roof panel tying the top rails together. The bows are part of that structure rather than just tarp support, which is why the unit must be shipped with them in place. Lashing rings are set along the rails for tying loads down.

The floor is 28mm (about 1 1/8 in.) marine plywood on steel cross members, the same specification used in standard cargo boxes and stiff enough for a forklift of the right rating. External dimensions are 40ft (12.19 m) long by 8ft (2.44 m) wide by 8ft 6in (2.59 m) high, and the door opening is roughly 7ft 8in (2.34 m) wide by 7ft 6in (2.28 m) high. Tare weight is around 8,930 lbs (4,050 kg). Sheet and bow condition varies from unit to unit, so we check both and confirm the exact specification of the container allocated to your order before it goes on the truck.

Worth planning for: sheeting an open top back up takes two people and about ten minutes, and the ropes want to be run properly if the load is going anywhere on a highway. Keep the tarp off sharp edges when it is folded, and keep the bows racked rather than left in mud, and both will outlast the container. If the unit is going to live as static storage, many owners leave the bows and sheet on permanently and use the doors day to day, opening the top only when a crane job comes up.

Delivery, payment and returns

Delivery is a flat $550 anywhere in the continental United States, quoted at checkout, and typically runs 1 to 3 weeks from order. A 40ft unit comes in on a tilt-bed truck and needs a long, straight, firm approach: plan on 100ft to 120ft of clear run and about 14ft of overhead clearance. The driver slides the container off the back as the truck pulls forward, so the ground under the whole placement line has to be solid enough to take the load without rutting.

We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, Apple Pay and Google Pay through Stripe, along with ACH or wire transfer. We do not collect sales tax. Standard unmodified units carry a 30-day return window with free return shipping; anything custom or modified sits outside it. Open tops move in and out of stock quickly, so if you have a lift date to hit, we will tell you honestly what is on the ground and when it can reach you.

Specifications