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. Renting comes up on this page because buyers compare it against owning, and that comparison is worth reading, but purchase is the only arrangement we offer. Stocked units deliver from our Brantford yards in 1 to 3 days. Request a sale quote or call the yard at 519-754-6844.
Quick Answer: BigSteelBox is a national Canadian franchise founded in 1999 with 34 locations. Van Blanc has been the same family operating a Brantford container yard since 1995. Both sell real ISO containers. The honest difference is national-franchise scale versus a local family yard you can walk before you pay.
In This Guide
- What Are BigSteelBox and Van Blanc?
- Which Has Been in Brantford Longer?
- Is Each Company Built for Rental or Sale?
- Can You Inspect the Container Before You Pay?
- How Do Their Pricing Models Differ?
- How Fast Does Each Deliver in Ontario?
- Who Has Better Google Reviews?
- Which Company Is Right for You?
- Frequently Asked Questions
Reading Time: 14 minutes
If you live or run a business in Southern Ontario and you have started shopping for a shipping container, you have almost certainly run into both BigSteelBox and Van Blanc. Both companies will deliver a real, ISO-certified steel container to your property in Brantford, Hamilton, Cambridge, Toronto, or anywhere in between. Both have been on the ground in Ontario for years. Both are legitimate.
The differences between them are not about which one is the real container company. They both are. The differences are about scale, ownership model, primary product, and how long each one has actually been the container yard in Brantford. This article is the factual comparison, including what the marketing pages do not say plainly.
What Are BigSteelBox and Van Blanc?
BigSteelBox is a national Canadian container franchise founded in British Columbia in 1999, now running 34 locations across five provinces with a rental-led model. Van Blanc is a family-run Brantford container yard, selling new and used containers since 1995. Both deliver real ISO-certified steel containers across Ontario.
The cleanest way to understand the two companies is to look at their public corporate facts side by side.
| Factor | BigSteelBox | Van Blanc Ent. Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1999 | 1995 (4 years earlier) |
| Headquartered | Kelowna, British Columbia | Brantford, Ontario |
| Ownership model | National multi-location operation, Canadian-owned | Single family-run Brantford yard, LeBlanc family |
| Canadian locations | 34, across BC, AB, SK, MB, and ON | 1 Brantford yard plus 4 Brantford-area working yards |
| Ontario depots | Multiple, including Brantford and Hamilton | One Brantford warehouse at 90 Morton Ave E |
| Primary product | Monthly container rental, plus sales | Container sale (new and used), plus delivery |
| Brantford history | Brantford location acquired from “The Moving Box” on Nov 1, 2021 | Continuous Brantford container yard since 1995 |
| Google reviews | 4.6 stars, 52 reviews (Brantford location) | 4.9 stars, 140+ reviews |
Both are real companies. Both sell real ISO shipping containers. Neither is a fly-by-night operator and neither is anything like the Facebook listings that take a deposit and never deliver. The differences between them sit inside a legitimate Canadian container industry, not on the line between honest and dishonest suppliers.
Which Has Been in Brantford Longer?
Van Blanc has held its Brantford container yard far longer than BigSteelBox has carried its brand in the city. This is the part that gets glossed over on most comparison pages, so it is worth stating plainly.
BigSteelBox was founded in Penticton, British Columbia in 1999 and grew across Western Canada before expanding east. Their Brantford location at 1440 Colborne Street East and their Hamilton location at 650 Pritchard Road were originally part of a separate Ontario business called The Moving Box, which BigSteelBox acquired on November 1, 2021. That means the BigSteelBox brand has been operating in Brantford for under five years as of 2026, even though the physical depot was a moving-and-storage business in the city before that.
Van Blanc was founded in Brantford in 1995. Paul LeBlanc started the business after four decades in Asian trade, and his son Christian works the yard with him today. That is 30 unbroken years of the same family delivering containers from the same Brantford operation. Same family, same city, same yard.
Why Local Tenure Matters in Containers
The shipping container market has cycles. Steel prices, port congestion, freight rates, scam waves on Facebook Marketplace, supply gluts and shortages. Suppliers that have been through several cycles know how to price honestly through them, when to stock up on used inventory, which carriers route reliably through Brantford traffic. A national franchise can have all of this knowledge, but it is held at headquarters. A 30-year Brantford yard has it in the person standing in the gravel beside you.
Christian LeBlanc, second-generation operator: “I started flying to Asia with my dad when I was 15. By the time I was working the yard full-time, I had already spent half my life around the industry. When a customer asks me what they should buy for a Norfolk farm or a Hamilton job site, I am answering from what we have actually delivered into those situations for years, not from a corporate spec sheet.”
Is Each Company Built for Rental or Sale?
BigSteelBox rents containers and sells them; Van Blanc only sells them, with commercial rent-to-own through a financing partner for businesses. Each company is built around a different core product. The honest difference is what each company leans on to make its money.
BigSteelBox is built around monthly rental. Their pricing pages lead with the per month figure for a 20 foot storage container. Their service model is delivery, retrieval, monthly billing, customer support call centres, and a national logistics network. Sales happen, but rental is the engine.
Van Blanc is built around sale. We sell containers outright in two camps, the brand-new builds against the seasoned used grades, and we deliver them. Buyers who want the longest service life and the cleanest resale tend to ask us about a bin that has made just one loaded ocean voyage before it lands in your yard. Our customers walk our Brantford yard, pick the bin, take delivery on a cash-on-delivery basis, and own the container outright. Rental happens by exception. Sale is the engine.
When Rental Is the Right Tool
Short-term needs. An eight-week kitchen renovation. A three-month move where you need to clear out a house to stage it for sale. A construction project with a defined end date. In every one of these cases, you do not own a container at the end, and that is fine because you did not want one. BigSteelBox is genuinely well-suited to this kind of need across Southern Ontario.
When Sale Is the Right Tool
Anything you need for more than two years. Farm storage. Contractor yard tool storage. Small business inventory overflow. Retail pop-up that becomes permanent. A cottage workshop. A container office on a long job site. The math works out the same on every one of these: 24 months of rental costs roughly the same as buying a used container outright, and after month 25 you are paying rent on something that could already be yours.
This is why a Brantford farmer who needs a 40 foot container to live on their property for the next 20 years calls Van Blanc. It is also why a Toronto homeowner clearing a house for a 2 month sale prep calls BigSteelBox. Different tools, different right answers.
Can You Inspect the Container Before You Pay?
Inspecting the actual container before any money changes hands is one thing a single Brantford yard always allows and a national franchise structurally cannot.
You can drive to 90 Morton Avenue East. You can walk past the row of one-trip 20 foot containers parked in the gravel. You can run your hand along the corner casting of the cargo-worthy 40 foot unit you are considering. You can point at a wind-and-watertight bin and say, “that one.” Paul or Christian walks the rows with you. You see the rust spots and the paint variance. You see the doors swing. You see the floor before you buy it. Every unit on the rows of bins we keep ready in Brantford is one you can put your hands on first.
National franchises route this differently. The Brantford BigSteelBox depot is functional, and you can call them for a quote. The container that arrives at your property comes from their network inventory. Their model is to ship a container that meets the spec, which is fine for rental and works for most buyers most of the time. It is structurally not the same as picking out the specific bin in person before any money changes hands.
Worth the Drive to Brantford
Buyers from across Ontario drive to our Brantford yard before they buy. Toronto is 90 minutes down the 403. Hamilton is 30 minutes. Cambridge and Kitchener-Waterloo are under an hour. Brockville is a longer haul but we see those visits too, because seeing the actual container you are purchasing before money changes hands is what separates a real transaction from a leap of faith. Worth the drive for unbeatable quality, family customer service with 30 years of experience.
How Do Their Pricing Models Differ?
BigSteelBox and Van Blanc both give an honest quote on the phone, but the two quotes are structured around different things. BigSteelBox quotes a recurring monthly rate; Van Blanc quotes a one-time delivered sale price.
| Pricing dimension | BigSteelBox | Van Blanc |
|---|---|---|
| Headline number | Recurring monthly rental rate for a 20ft unit | One-time delivered sale price per container |
| Delivery fee | Quoted separately on top of monthly | Quoted separately based on delivery zone |
| Pickup fee | Charged on retrieval | No pickup fee (you own the container) |
| Payment model | Credit card or invoiced monthly billing | Cash, cheque, wire, or credit card on delivery (COD) |
| Long-term cost | Continues every month indefinitely | One-time, after which monthly cost ends |
| Used purchase available | Yes for 20ft used | Yes, cargo worthy and wind-and-watertight grades |
| New purchase available | Yes for 20ft new | Yes, one-trip (essentially new) grade |
BigSteelBox’s own pricing page notes openly that the rental-to-purchase break-even on their 20 foot container is “just over two years in most cities.” That is the same arithmetic that applies regardless of which supplier you buy from. After 24 months of renting, you have paid roughly what a used 20 foot container costs delivered. After that, you keep paying for something you could have owned.
The COD Honesty
Cash on delivery is the part of Van Blanc that customers keep mentioning in their reviews. It is not a marketing promise. It is how the business has worked since 1995. The container arrives at your property, you inspect it, you pay. No deposit before delivery, no wire transfer to a phone number that goes dark, no Facebook listing that turns into a scam two weeks later. Many people call us saying they can get a bin cheaper on Facebook. Two weeks later they call back, scammed. Don’t fall for it.
How Fast Does Each Deliver in Ontario?
Delivery lead time is one of the practical numbers buyers ask about first. Both BigSteelBox and Van Blanc deliver across Southern Ontario, but they route those deliveries differently. Van Blanc runs a standard 1 to 3 business day window from its Brantford yards.
BigSteelBox routes deliveries from their nearest depot. From the Brantford depot at 1440 Colborne Street East, the radius covers Brantford, Brant County, Burford, Drumbo, Paris, St. George, Ohsweken and adjacent communities. From the Hamilton depot at 650 Pritchard Road, the radius extends through Hamilton, Ancaster, Dundas, Burlington, Waterdown, and along the Niagara fruit belt to Welland, St. Catharines and Fort Erie. Outside those two depot radii, deliveries route through the network logistics, sometimes from longer distances.
Van Blanc operates from 4 working Brantford yards. Standard delivery across Southern Ontario is 1-3 business days. Eastern Ontario routes (Kingston, Brockville, Ottawa) typically run 1-3 days. Northern Ontario (Sudbury, North Bay, Thunder Bay) is quoted per route and typically 5 to 10 days because of premium freight. Every quote comes with a real lead time, not a hopeful one.
What “1 to 3 Days” Actually Means
Both Van Blanc and BigSteelBox routinely deliver Brantford-area orders the same week. The “1 to 3 day” Van Blanc window is the typical actual delivery, not an optimistic best case. When same-week is not possible because of route load or inventory, we say so on the call. The unhonest version of this number, which we hear from people who got burned elsewhere, is a “next day” promise that quietly becomes “next week” and then “next month.” Real lead time, not a hopeful one.
Who Has Better Google Reviews?
On Google reviews, Van Blanc sits slightly higher than the BigSteelBox Brantford location on both rating and total count. Marketing claims are easy to make. Customer reviews are harder to forge, especially at scale, especially on Google where review fraud is actively policed. That is why we keep a review-by-review look at Ontario container companies rather than asking anyone to take our word for it.
Van Blanc’s Google Business profile shows 4.9 stars across 140+ verified reviews as of 2026. BigSteelBox Brantford’s Yelp profile shows 4.6 stars across 52 customer reviews. Both ratings are good. The difference is on two axes at once: a slightly higher average rating and meaningfully more total reviews for the smaller, older Brantford operation.
This is not the result of a marketing campaign. It is the result of 30 years of delivering containers honestly to families, farmers, contractors, and businesses across Ontario, who eventually leave a review when they realise how often the alternative is worse. We do not buy reviews. We do not solicit reviews from people we did not actually deliver to. The 140+ figure is real Google reviews from real customers.
Christian LeBlanc: “The reviews matter to us because they are the only way for someone who has never met us to know whether we are honest. When a customer drives down from Sudbury or in from Brockville to walk the yard, they have usually read the reviews first. Every one of those 137 reviews is a delivery we actually did.”
Which Company Is Right for You?
The company that fits you depends on how long you need the container and whether you want to own it. Both BigSteelBox and Van Blanc are legitimate operators, and if you are still weighing the franchise side, we lay out our honest read on whether the national brand is a safe bet in a separate piece. This is the clean version of the answer, no marketing.
| If your situation is… | The better fit is usually… |
|---|---|
| Short-term residential rental (8 weeks to 6 months), moving or renovation | BigSteelBox |
| Long-term storage on your property (24+ months) | Van Blanc (buy outright) |
| You are based in Toronto metro and need a container fast for a quick reno | Either company |
| You are based in Brantford, Brant County, Norfolk, Haldimand, or Six Nations | Van Blanc (real local yard since 1995) |
| You want to physically walk the container before paying | Van Blanc (90 Morton Ave E, Brantford) |
| You need a refrigerated container (reefer) | Van Blanc (carries reefer inventory) |
| You need a 45 foot high cube container | Van Blanc (BigSteelBox tops out at 40ft) |
| You need a fully outfitted container office with all features | Either; BigSteelBox has standardised modification packages, Van Blanc does custom builds |
| You want cash on delivery rather than upfront billing | Van Blanc |
| You are buying as a small business and want to own the asset | Van Blanc |
The right answer is sometimes BigSteelBox. The right answer is often Van Blanc. The honest job of any container supplier is to tell you which one is which for your specific situation, not to win every customer.
The Real Difference, in One Paragraph
BigSteelBox is a national Canadian franchise with strong rental operations, broad coverage across five provinces, and a Brantford depot that has been operating under the BigSteelBox brand since November 2021. Van Blanc is the same Brantford family running the same Brantford container yard since 1995, with 30 years of operational depth in this single city, a focus on selling containers outright rather than renting them, and 4.9 stars across 140+ verified Google reviews. Neither company is the wrong choice for everyone. Each is the right choice for a different kind of buyer. The honest framing is national franchise versus real Brantford yard, and depending on what you need, either of those frames can be the right one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is BigSteelBox located in Brantford?
BigSteelBox operates from 1440 Colborne Street East in Brantford. Van Blanc’s yard is at 90 Morton Avenue East, about ten minutes across town, where you can walk the rows and pick your exact container before paying. Both are real local operations; visiting the two of them takes one afternoon.
Is There a BigSteelBox in Brantford?
Yes. BigSteelBox operates a Brantford location at 1440 Colborne Street East, on the city’s east side, offering moving-container and storage rental service from that depot. Van Blanc’s main yard is at 90 Morton Avenue East, about a ten-minute drive across town. Brantford is one of the few Ontario cities where a national container franchise and an independent family container yard sit this close together, which makes the comparison unusually easy to settle in person.
The practical difference is what each site is built for. The Colborne Street location is a franchise depot built around the moving-and-storage rental model. The Morton Avenue yard is where our 200+ containers actually live: you can walk the rows at 90 Morton Avenue, compare grades side by side, and pick the exact bin that goes on the truck. If you are in Brantford, the honest advice is to look at both and decide with your own eyes. One visit usually settles it.
Is BigSteelBox the same company as Van Blanc?
No. They are two separate, independent Canadian companies. BigSteelBox was founded in Penticton, British Columbia in 1999 and now operates 34 locations across five provinces. Van Blanc Ent. Inc. was founded in Brantford, Ontario in 1995 and operates one Brantford container yard plus 4 working yards in the Brantford area.
How long has BigSteelBox been operating in Brantford?
The BigSteelBox brand acquired its Brantford and Hamilton depots from a separate Ontario business called The Moving Box on November 1, 2021. The physical Brantford depot operated as a moving and storage business before that, but the BigSteelBox brand has been on the building for under five years. Van Blanc has been operating its Brantford container yard continuously since 1995.
Who has better Google reviews in Brantford, BigSteelBox or Van Blanc?
Both companies have strong reviews. As of 2026, the BigSteelBox Brantford location shows 4.6 stars across 52 customer reviews. Van Blanc shows 4.9 stars across 140+ verified Google reviews. Both ratings are good. Van Blanc has slightly more reviews and a slightly higher average, which tracks with the longer operating tenure in the same city.
Does Van Blanc rent containers or only sell?
No. Van Blanc sells containers outright and does not rent, lease, or offer rent-to-own. For a need measured in weeks, a mobile-storage pod or a self-storage unit is usually the better call, and we will say so. Past a few months, buying a used wind-and-watertight box normally costs less than renting one, and you can sell it on or ask us about buyback when you are done.
Can I see a Van Blanc container before paying?
Yes. The Brantford yard at 90 Morton Avenue East is open to buyers, and we walk the rows with you to find the bin that matches your use. We accept cash on delivery (COD), which means you can either pay at the yard or wait and pay on the day the container lands at your property. No upfront deposit required.
Why is Van Blanc cheaper than the BigSteelBox total cost over time?
It is not necessarily cheaper on day one. It is cheaper over time if you need the container for more than 24 months. BigSteelBox’s own pricing page notes the rental-to-purchase break-even is “just over two years in most cities.” Buying a used 20 foot container outright from Van Blanc costs roughly what 24 months of BigSteelBox rental does. After month 25, the math diverges.
Which company should I call first?
If you know your need is short-term (under 12 months), call BigSteelBox first, get a rental quote. If you know your need is long-term or you want to own the container, call Van Blanc first at 519-754-6844, get a delivered sale quote. If you are not sure, call us. We have spent 30 years answering “should I rent or buy” honestly. We will tell you which one fits your situation.
Sources
- BigSteelBox. (2026). BigSteelBox Locations Across Canada. bigsteelbox.com/locations
- BigSteelBox. (2021). The Moving Box is Now Part of the BigSteelBox Family. bigsteelbox.com/the-moving-box
- BigSteelBox. (2026). Brantford Moving Containers and Storage Units. bigsteelbox.com/location/brantford
- International Organization for Standardization. (2022). ISO 6346:2022 Freight containers, Coding, identification and marking. iso.org/standard/82754.html
- Government of Ontario. (2024). Consumer Protection Act, 2002, S.O. 2002, c. 30, Schedule A. ontario.ca/laws/statute/02c30
Reach Van Blanc in Brantford
If you are weighing BigSteelBox against a local Brantford yard for a long-term container need, the easiest 10 minutes you can spend is a phone call with us before you sign anything. We will tell you honestly whether your situation is a renting situation or a buying situation, and we will not pretend a sale is the right answer when a rental would actually serve you better.
Van Blanc Ent. Inc. 90 Morton Ave E Unit 1B, Brantford, ON N3R 7J7. 519-754-6844 (cell) or 1-888-509-6658 (toll-free).
Worth the drive for unbeatable quality, family customer service with 30 years of experience. Toronto is 90 minutes. Hamilton is 30. Cambridge and Kitchener-Waterloo are under an hour. Brockville and Kingston are further, and the drive happens every week.
Related Reading
- how the franchise stacks up against PODS
- working out the rent-or-buy break-even
- the sizes and grades we keep in the yard
- buying a container here in Brantford
- delivery into the Hamilton area
- turning a bin into a finished space
Price the Brantford Side of This Comparison
Tell us the size and your postal code and we’ll send back an honest, all-in number, container, delivery, and placement, usually within 1-3 days. No pressure, no mystery fees.
Family-run in Brantford since 1995 · 200+ containers in stock · 4.9★ across 140+ Google reviews · every box graded by a person, walk it before it lands.