Shipping Containers for Sale Across Ontario
Standard ISO 6346 / 1496 freight containers in seven sizes plus refrigerated reefer stock, new (one-trip) through Wind & Water Tight and As-Is. Most Canadians call them sea cans, C-cans, or storage containers; the steel is the same, and we have supplied it across Ontario since 1995. Honest grading, draft cheque or COD on delivery from our Brantford yard.
We sell containers. We do not rent.
Van Blanc sells shipping containers outright. We do not rent, we do not lease, and we do not offer rent-to-own. Stocked units deliver from our Brantford yards in 1 to 3 days. Request a sale quote or call the yard at 519-754-6844.
Sea Cans, C-Cans and Storage Containers for Sale
Whatever you call the box, this is the page where you buy it. Farmers ask us for sea cans for sale. Contractors call about C-cans. Homeowners search storage containers for sale, and procurement desks write shipping container. All of it lands on the same rows of steel at 90 Morton Avenue East: seven sizes, four grades, delivered across Ontario in 1 to 3 days. The story behind the names lives in our sea can terminology guide; the boxes themselves are below.
Buying a Shipping Container in Four Steps
The worry with any online container seller is simple: pay, then wait for a box that never comes. Here is why that does not happen with us. Four steps, the same since 1995.
- Pick your bin. Walk our Brantford yard and choose your exact unit, or video-call the row and we will show you what is in stock. Every bin carries its own container number.
- See the steel. We photograph the exact unit you are buying, its container number and CSC plate, so you know precisely what is coming before you commit a dollar.
- We place it. Our driver calls before the run, and the tilt-deck sets your bin exactly where you point, on the delivery date we quoted. A real lead time, not a hopeful one.
- Pay on delivery. You pay when the bin is on your ground. Not before.
Nobody selling from a marketplace listing can offer you step one or step four. That is the difference between a real yard and a stranger holding your deposit.
Dry Shipping Containers by Size
Choose from a variety of sizes to meet your needs with our secure and spacious dry shipping containers. Standard freight containers for general storage, jobsite security, agricultural use, and as the base unit for any modification.
00 · 10FT
Ask for Stock
10 Ft Standard
2.99m × 2.44m × 2.59m · 16 m³
The smallest shipping container for sale that still takes a forklift and locks like the big ones. Side-yard storage, a tool lock-up on a tight lot, a gate house shell. Factory tens and cut-down 20s are both sold, and we tell you which is which.
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01 · 20FT
In Stock
20 Ft Standard
6.06m × 2.44m × 2.59m · 33.2 m³
Most flexible size for residential, cottage, small-business, and tight rural sites. Tare ~2,300kg. The 20ft tilt-deck delivery handles narrow driveways better than longer sizes.
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02 · 40FT
In Stock
40 Ft Standard
12.19m × 2.44m × 2.59m · 67.7 m³
Standard industrial yard size. Manufacturers, logistics operators, and farms across Ontario use this for raw material staging, finished-goods buffer, and seasonal equipment.
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03 · 40HC
In Stock
40 Ft High Cube
12.19m × 2.44m × 2.90m · 76.3 m³
One foot of extra interior height (9’6″). Standard choice for taller equipment, pallet-stacked inventory, and office trailer conversions where ceiling clearance matters.
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04 · 45HC
In Stock
45 Ft High Cube
13.71m × 2.44m × 2.90m · 86.0 m³
Premium volume for larger operators. Extra 5 feet of length plus full HC interior. Limited availability, road-permit considerations apply on tight rural intersections.
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05 · 53HC
Limited
53 Ft High Cube
16.15m × 2.59m × 2.90m · ~110 m³
North American domestic intermodal length. Maximum single-unit volume. Mostly used inventory; new stock limited. Road-permit considerations on Ontario routes.
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08 · OPEN SIDE
To Order
Open Side, 20 Ft and 40 Ft
Full-length bi-fold side doors · 20ft, 40ft, 40HC
One long wall opens into bi-fold doors, so a forklift reaches every pallet and a pop-up gets a frontage instead of a doorway. Factory-built one-trip units, sourced to order in two to six weeks.
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09 · ROLL-UP DOOR
Built to Order
Roll-Up Door, 20 Ft and 40 Ft
8 or 10 ft coiling door · side or end wall · steel or insulated
A standard box with an overhead door cut and framed at the Brantford shop: the fast opening for a workshop, a storage bay or a kiosk, with the cargo doors kept for the sealed end.
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10 · INSULATED
Ask for Stock
Insulated, 20 Ft and 40 Ft
Factory panel R-18 to R-28 · spray-foamed at the yard · non-operating reefers
Three insulated products behind one word: factory panel units sourced to order, one-trip and cargo worthy boxes foamed and lined in the Brantford shop, and used reefers with the unit removed.
View Details →Small Shipping Containers for Sale: 10 Ft, Cut-Downs and the 20 Ft That Usually Wins
A small shipping container for sale in Ontario means one of three things, and the price and the life of the box depend on which. A factory-built 10 ft is a purpose-made unit with its own corner castings, a proper door frame and a CSC plate; it is rare, it ships two to a truck, and it is the right answer for a side yard, a security booth or a lot where a 20 ft truly will not fit. A cut-down is a 20 ft or 40 ft container sawn to length and re-ended by a fabricator; it costs less than a factory ten, it can be excellent or dreadful depending on the shop, and the 10 ft container guide shows what to look at on the cut end before you pay. And most buyers who start at ten end at twenty, because a 20 ft standard costs less per square foot than either small box, fits down a residential driveway on a tilt-deck, and holds its resale value. The 10 ft product page has the specifications and the honest fit list, and the shed size decoder puts the 8 by 10 footprint beside the sheds it competes with.
Refrigerated Reefer Containers, 20 Ft and 40 Ft
Explore our range of refrigerated shipping containers, available in multiple sizes to accommodate your specific cooling needs. Insulated reefers with refrigeration units. Food storage, pharmaceutical buffer, lab inventory, climate-controlled use.
06 · 20REF
In Stock
20 Ft Refrigerated
6.06m × 2.44m × 2.59m · ~28 m³ insulated
Keep your goods fresh and secure with our temperature-controlled 20 ft container, ideal for perishable or temperature-sensitive items. 3-phase electrical typically required.
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07 · 40HCREF
In Stock
40 Ft High Cube Refrigerated
12.19m × 2.44m × 2.90m · ~67 m³ insulated
Maximize your cooling needs with extra height and space, ensuring optimal preservation for large volumes of temperature-sensitive goods. Commercial food, pharmaceutical, vaccine cold-chain.
View Details →Four Shipping Container Grades We Sell
Four grades, honest framing on each. We tell you exactly what you are buying so there are no surprises on delivery day.
One-Trip
Essentially New · Valid CSC Plate
One journey from manufacturer in Asia. Minor handling marks, current Container Safety Convention plate. Recommended for modifications where appearance matters or any occupied-use conversion. See new container stock and quotes.
Cargo Worthy
Used · IICL-Inspected · CSC Valid
Used inventory passing IICL inspection for international shipping. Structurally sound, valid CSC plate. Some cosmetic wear (minor dents, paint variance, surface rust) acceptable.
Wind & Water Tight
Used · Storage Only · CSC May Be Expired
Doors close, no light leaks, no through-rust holes. Suitable for storage but CSC plate may be expired so not for ocean export. Most economical grade for fixed-property storage.
As-Is
Used · Structural Questions · No Valid CSC
Older units with floor wear, frame issues, or stiff doors, sold cheap and disclosed completely. Right for cladding donors, scrap-value projects, and buyers who know exactly what they need. We carry As-Is stock but rarely recommend it; when a Wind & Water Tight does the job for a little more, we will say so.
New vs Used Shipping Containers: What Each Grade Buys You
Used shipping containers for sale outnumber new ones in our rows most months, and the honest split is simple. A one-trip container is the one to buy when the box is becoming a building, will be cut for doors and windows, or has to look right on a residential street: the walls are straight, the floor is clean and the paint is original, so every modification starts square. A cargo worthy used container is the one to buy when it will hold cargo, be lifted, stacked or shipped again, because it carries a valid inspection. A wind and watertight used container is the one most storage buyers should buy: dry, lockable, rodent-proof, at the lowest price that still comes with a working door, which is why the used rows in Brantford turn over fastest. As-is is for donors and scrap. The table is the version to keep.
| Grade | Age | Doors and seals | Floor | CSC plate | Resale after ten years | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New, one-trip | Months | Factory, close true | Clean marine plywood | Current | Highest | Conversions, homes, offices, anything cut or lived in |
| Cargo worthy | 8 to 15 years | Working, inspected | Sound, worn | Valid | Good | Export, lifting and stacking on the corner castings, working cargo |
| Wind and watertight | 10 to 20 years | Working, may need a gasket | Sound, patched | Often expired | Fair | Fixed storage on a pad: farms, sites, backyards |
| As-is | Old | Stiff or damaged | Worn through in places | None | Scrap | Cladding donors, parts, projects that know the risk |
Two things decide the grade more than the budget does. If the container will ever travel again by ship, truck-lift or crane, buy cargo worthy or better, because the plate is the proof. If it will sit on a gravel pad for the rest of its life, wind and watertight does the job and the money saved buys the pad and the lock. The grades page, row by row for a sales-page reader, reads each grade line by line, container lifespan by grade puts years on each row, and the one-trip rows at Morton Avenue are where the conversions start.
Inspect your container in Brantford before you pay
Van Blanc has sold containers from Brantford since 1995 and holds 4.9 stars across 140+ verified Google reviews. Every export-bound unit carries a current CSC plate, and every grade is called honestly before you commit. Walk the rows at 90 Morton Avenue East, pick the physical box, and your quote comes with a real lead time, not a hopeful one: 1 to 3 days across Ontario from our 4 Brantford yards. Payment is straightforward: draft cheque, cash, wire transfer, credit card by authorization form, and leasing options for commercial accounts.
Shipping Container Size Chart
Quick-reference dimensions and capacity for every standard container we stock. Exterior, interior, and door-opening measurements plus tare weight, gross, and payload.
Exterior, Interior and Door Dimensions
| Container | Exterior | Interior | Door Opening | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Size | L | W | H | L | W | H | W | H |
| 20′ Standard Dry | 20′ | 8′ | 8’6″ | 19’3″ | 7’8″ | 7’9 7/8″ | 7’8″ | 7’5″ |
| 40′ Standard Dry | 40′ | 8′ | 8’6″ | 39’5″ | 7’8″ | 7’9 7/8″ | 7’8″ | 7’5″ |
| 40′ High Cube Dry | 40′ | 8′ | 9’6″ | 39’5″ | 7’8″ | 8’10” | 7’8″ | 8’5 1/2″ |
| 45′ High Cube Dry | 45′ | 8′ | 9’6″ | 44’5″ | 7’8″ | 8’10” | 7’8″ | 8’5 1/2″ |
| 48′ High Cube Dry | 48′ | 8’6″ | 9’6″ | 47’5″ | 8’2″ | 8’11” | 7’8″ | 8’10” |
| 53′ High Cube Dry | 53′ | 8’6″ | 9’6″ | 52’4″ | 8’2″ | 9’1″ | 8’2″ | 9’1″ |
| 20′ Refrigerated | 19’10.5″ | 8′ | 8’6″ | 17’11” | 7’8″ | 7’6″ | 7’8″ | 7’3″ |
| 40′ Refrigerated | 40′ | 8′ | 8’6″ | 37’11” | 7’8″ | 7’6″ | 7’8″ | 7’6″ |
| 40′ HC Refrigerated | 40′ | 8′ | 9’6″ | 37’11” | 7’8″ | 8’4″ | 7’8″ | 8’4″ |
Tare Weight, Payload and Cubic Capacity
| Container | Cubic Capacity | Tare Weight | Max Gross | Max Payload |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20′ Standard Dry | 1,165 cu. ft. | 5,550 | 67,200 | 62,150 |
| 40′ Standard Dry | 2,350 cu. ft. | 5,000 | 67,200 | 59,200 |
| 40′ High Cube Dry | 2,694 cu. ft. | 5,775 | 67,200 | 58,425 |
| 45′ High Cube Dry | 3,043 cu. ft. | 5,810 | 72,200 | 62,990 |
| 48′ High Cube Dry | 3,454 cu. ft. | 5,850 | 67,200 | 56,350 |
| 53′ High Cube Dry | 3,901 cu. ft. | 11,070 | 67,200 | 56,130 |
| 20′ Refrigerated | 1,010 cu. ft. | 5,503 | 52,800 | 46,407 |
| 40′ Refrigerated | 2,051 cu. ft. | 5,700 | 67,200 | 57,450 |
| 40′ HC Refrigerated | 2,380 cu. ft. | 5,590 | 70,550 | 60,960 |
Container delivery regions in Ontario
Tilt-deck delivery in 1 to 3 days across 160+ Ontario communities. Start with your region: the GTA, Hamilton & Niagara, Brant County & Six Nations, Waterloo & Wellington, Norfolk & Haldimand, London & Southwestern Ontario, Durham, Northumberland & Kawartha, Simcoe, Muskoka & Georgian Bay, Eastern Ontario, or Northern Ontario.
“We were actually able to view and choose a shipping container in person… using a planogram with each shipping container’s serial number… Tow truck driver called on the evening of the purchase and asked if we were available as he had an opening… Delivery was very professional as well with exact placement in a tight area (in the dark!).”
Charlene W., 2025, Google review
Shipping Container Prices. Quoted With Delivery.
Container plus delivery cost quoted together, up front. No surprises on delivery day. Visit our Brantford yard, walk through the inventory, pick the specific container you want.
What sets the number: grade, size, delivery distance, and the live steel and freight markets. The Drewry World Container Index opened July 2026 up 9 percent week-over-week, and Container xChange reports depot supply out of China is tightest on 40ft High Cubes. When the indexes move, our quotes move, in both directions. That is why we quote live instead of posting numbers that go stale. The fastest answer is a call to the yard.
Featured right now: a limited-run gunmetal grey military-spec 20ft one-trip, naval anchor-marked with a 14-vent run, while supplies last.
Steel, Metal and Freight Containers for Sale
Buyers arrive at this page under a dozen names, and every one of them is stocked here. The steel containers for sale in our rows are the same units another buyer calls metal containers, a shipper calls freight containers, and a dockhand calls sea cargo containers; the container boxes a first-time buyer searches for are the same 8-foot-wide corten steel as everything above. The name changes with the trade; the grades, sizes, and honest quoting never do. The American vocabulary lands here too: a cargo container for sale, a conex box, a shipping crate or a steel storage unit is the same ISO box on the same tilt-deck, and the full list of names one steel box answers to settles the rest. Whatever you called it on the way in, the walk down the rows answers it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does buying a shipping container from Van Blanc work?
Four steps, the same since 1995. First, pick your bin: walk our Brantford yard or video-call the row and choose your exact unit by its container number. Second, we photograph that unit, its number and CSC plate, so you see the steel before you commit. Third, our driver calls before the run and places it where you point on the quoted date. Fourth, you pay on delivery, when the bin is on your ground, not before.
What grades of shipping container do you sell?
We sell four grades. New (One-Trip) is essentially new, with a 25-plus year life and the best resale value. Cargo Worthy (CW) is a structurally inspected used grade with surface rust and cosmetic wear. Wind and Water Tight (WWT) is the most affordable used grade, weather-tight and rodent-proof for stationary storage. We also stock As-Is units for donor or scrap use, and we will tell you honestly which grade fits your job.
Do you deliver shipping containers across Ontario?
Yes. We deliver every size and grade across Ontario in 1 to 3 days from our 4 Brantford yards, on tilt-deck trucks that place the container exactly where you point. Northern and far-eastern routes are quoted per freight zone. Every quote comes with a real lead time, not a hopeful one.
Can I see the container before I buy it?
Yes, and we encourage it. Our Brantford yard at 90 Morton Avenue East is open during business hours and holds 200-plus units. Walk the rows, read the CSC plates, and pick the exact box. Buyers drive from across Ontario because it is worth the trip to inspect before paying, and you pay on delivery, not in advance.
Do you rent or offer rent-to-own shipping containers?
No. Van Blanc sells containers outright, and that is the only arrangement we offer: no rentals, no leases, and no rent-to-own. If your need is genuinely short, we will say so on the call and point you at a mobile-storage pod or a self-storage unit instead of selling you steel you do not need.
How do I get a price for a shipping container?
Tell us the size, the grade, and your postal code, and we send back an honest, all-in number, container plus delivery and placement, usually the same day. We do not post a fixed sticker because the right number depends on grade, size, delivery distance, the steel market, and our current stock. Call 519-754-6844 or request a quote.
What sizes of shipping container can I buy?
We sell 20ft, 40ft, 40ft High Cube, 45ft High Cube, and 53ft High Cube dry containers, plus 20ft and 40ft High Cube refrigerated reefer units. The size chart above lists exact dimensions and capacities. Not sure which fits? Tell us what you are storing and we will recommend the right one.
Do you sell sea cans and C-cans?
Yes. Sea can, C-can, seacan, and storage container are Canadian names for the same steel shipping container we sell on this page. Every size and grade in the yard answers to all of them: pick the size above, tell us your postal code, and the quote covers the box and delivery together.
Is there a shipping container yard near me?
If you’re anywhere in Southern Ontario, the closest yard you can actually walk is usually ours at 90 Morton Avenue East in Brantford, off Highway 403 between Hamilton and Woodstock. Buyers drive in from London, Kitchener, Niagara and the GTA to pick their exact unit by container number, and if the drive is too far we video-walk the row with you. Delivery runs 1 to 3 days to every region of Ontario, so the box comes to you on a tilt-deck wherever you are.
How much does a shipping container cost in Ontario?
We quote every unit individually rather than posting a list price, because the number moves with four things: the size, the grade, the distance from Brantford to your pad, and the steel and freight markets that month. As a rule of proportion, a used wind and watertight 20 ft is the lowest number in the yard, a cargo worthy unit sits above it, a one-trip costs the most and holds the most value, and a 40 ft is nowhere near double a 20 ft. Send the size, the grade and your postal code and an all-in figure, container plus delivery, comes back the same day.
Where can I find a 20 foot shipping container for sale in Ontario?
In the rows at 90 Morton Avenue East in Brantford, where the 20 ft is the size we hold the most of in every grade, and on a tilt-deck anywhere in the province within 1 to 3 days. Pick the exact unit by its container number, in person or on a video call, see its photographs and CSC plate before you commit, and pay on delivery once it is on your ground. The 20 ft product page carries the specifications, and the size fits down a residential driveway.
Are used shipping containers worth buying?
For storage on a pad, almost always: a wind and watertight used container is dry, lockable and rodent-proof at the lowest price that comes with a working door, and it outlasts any shed. For a conversion, a home or anything that will be cut, a one-trip is worth the difference because the walls are straight and the floor is clean. The unit that is not worth buying is the one you have not seen: buy by container number, from a yard you can walk, never from a deposit and a photo.
Do you need a concrete slab for a shipping container?
No. A container carries its weight on four corner castings, so it needs four level, drained bearing points: a compacted gravel pad a foot larger than the box with a concrete block, patio stone or railroad tie under each corner, and two more at the middle for a 40 ft. A slab is only worth pouring when the box becomes a workshop with a floor load, or a dwelling on piers. Build the pad before delivery day; the tilt-deck sets the unit on it in minutes.
Do I need a permit to put a shipping container on my property in Ontario?
Permits are managed by your municipality, so check with your local building or planning department before you order; rules differ by township and by whether the box is storage or a dwelling. What we control is the rest: the exact unit, its grade and plate, the delivery date, and setting it exactly where you point on the day.