Limited Stock
Quick answer: This is a new gunmetal grey, military-spec 20ft one-trip shipping container, ISO type 22G1, built to a heavier naval spec with a 14-vent run (most containers ship with only two to four), naval anchor-marked doors, three-bar locking, and a premium plywood floor. Limited stock, delivered across Ontario from our Brantford yard.
What Makes It a Military-Spec Container?
A military-spec shipping container is built to a tougher standard than a standard cargo box. The military procures containers that have to survive salt-spray, temperature extremes, and rough forward-deployed handling, so the spec carries heavier-gauge corrugated wall panels, reinforced corner castings, upgraded door hardware, and extra ventilation. This unit wears the mark of that lineage: a naval anchor emblem stamped on the door, three vertical locking bars per door, and the heavy run of vents you can count down the side. The military still calls these boxes conex, a term that started in their Korean War supply chain and never left the trade.
To be straight about it: we are not certifying this as a hazmat or weapons-grade unit, and we are not claiming a current military contract. What we are telling you is what is in front of you in the yard, a one-trip container built to a naval spec, anchor-marked, heavily vented, with locking hardware a cut above the everyday box. If security on your site matters, this is the door you want, and it pairs naturally with the options in our container security and locks guide.
Why 14 Vents Matter Through an Ontario Winter
A standard shipping container ships with two to four small passive vents near the top corners. This one has fourteen, seven a side, running the length of the box near the roof line. That is the feature to care about. Sealed steel in an Ontario freeze-thaw cycle sweats: warm humid air hits a cold ceiling, condenses, and rains back down on whatever you stored. Heavy passive ventilation moves that air out before it ever condenses, with no power, no fan, and nothing to break.
Container rain, and how vents stop it
The industry calls overnight ceiling condensation “container rain.” It is the number-one complaint with a brand-new sealed box used for storage in our climate. Fourteen vents is well past what a standard unit gives you, which is why this build suits gear, tools, feed, off-season stock, electronics, or a workshop better than a two-vent box ever will. If you want to go further on airflow, our passive versus mechanical ventilation guide walks the whole range.
The Gunmetal Grey Colour, and Why It Is Limited
Most one-trip containers land in the usual cargo tones. This run came in a clean, uniform gunmetal grey (most buyers just call it grey) that reads right at a business address, on a finished property, or as the canvas for a build. Gunmetal grey hides road dust, photographs well for a storefront or a jobsite, and does not announce “shipping container” the way a faded maroon box does. We do not get this colour on every inbound load, which is the whole reason it is a limited run and not a catalogue item. When this batch is gone, the next one may be a different tone.
One-Trip Grade: What You Are Actually Buying
One-trip is the industry term for new. The box was built overseas, loaded with a single cargo to offset the freight, and shipped to Canada once. It arrives with factory paint, like-new floors, tight door seals, and a valid CSC plate, with at most minor handling marks from the cranes and chassis that moved it. Most Canadians call these sea cans; contractors say c-can; the military says conex. They are all the same 8-foot-wide steel box, and we grade every one of them honestly. There are four grades, top to bottom:
| Grade | What it is | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| One-Trip (new) | One loaded voyage from the factory; like-new, this unit | Storefronts, business addresses, conversions, decades of service |
| Cargo Worthy (CW) | Used, re-certified for shipping; surface rust and cosmetic wear | Export, working storage |
| Wind and Watertight (WWT) | Used, sealed and dry, retired from shipping; honest wear | Farm and equipment storage, the value workhorse |
| As-Is | The project box; expect repairs | Parts, welding projects, cladding |
This gunmetal grey unit sits at the top of that ladder. For the full breakdown of how the grades differ, see our grades and types guide, and for the head-to-head, one-trip versus cargo worthy. New steel also holds its resale value better than any other grade, so the box on your lot stays an asset rather than a depreciating one.
20ft Specs at a Glance
| Spec | This unit (20ft, ISO type 22G1) |
|---|---|
| Exterior (L x W x H) | 20′ x 8′ x 8’6″ (6.06m x 2.44m x 2.59m) |
| Interior height | 7’10” (2.39m) |
| Door opening (W x H) | 7’8″ x 7’6″ |
| Internal capacity | 33.2 m³ (1,170 cu ft) |
| Max gross weight | 30,480 kg (67,200 lb) |
| Tare weight | 2,040 kg (4,500 lb) |
| Payload | 28,440 kg (62,700 lb) |
| Grade | One-trip (new), valid CSC plate |
| Colour | Factory gunmetal grey (limited run) |
| Ventilation | 14 vents, seven a side |
| Doors | Naval anchor-marked, three-bar locking |
| Floor | Premium marine-grade plywood |
Figures are the standard ISO nominal specs for a 20ft (22G1) container, confirmed against this unit’s CSC data plate. The longer dimensions reference is in our 20ft container guide.
What Buyers Turn This Box Into
The same 20ft of gunmetal grey steel becomes a different thing for every buyer who walks the yard.
The contractor’s secure tool store
Three-bar doors and a naval lock plate make this the box a Hamilton or Brampton contractor wants on a jobsite where tools walk. It moves between sites on a tilt-deck, and the gunmetal grey reads clean parked at a finished build.
The farm and acreage equipment shelter
For a Brant or Norfolk County buyer, the 14 vents are the selling point: gear, feed, and equipment stay dry through the winter with no power run to the box. New steel means no rust to chase for decades.
The workshop or conversion canvas
New steel and a fresh marine-ply floor are the best starting point for a build. Straight walls take framing cleanly and the floor takes a finish, so the conversion starts the day it lands instead of after a rehab. That is the custom-features program we run at the Brantford yard.
Limited stock. While they last.
We do not get this gunmetal grey, military-spec, 14-vent spec on every load. Tell us your postal code and we will send back an honest, all-in number, container plus delivery, usually the same day. The fastest answer, though, is a call: describe your site and we will tell you on the spot.
Worth the Drive, and the Facebook Trap
Plenty of buyers call us saying they found a bin a thousand cheaper on Facebook Marketplace. Two weeks later a good number of them call back, scammed, money gone and no container. The gunmetal grey unit you can walk in our Brantford yard is the opposite of that gamble: a real box, a real address at 90 Morton Avenue East, and a family that has been here since 1995. Buyers drive in from across Ontario to stand in front of the steel before they pay, and on a one-of-a-kind spec like this, that is worth the drive. We deliver Ontario-wide on a tilt-deck in 1 to 3 days from our Brantford yards, and every quote comes with a real lead time, not a hopeful one.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes this a military-spec container?
It is built to a heavier standard than a standard cargo box, with reinforced hardware and extra ventilation, and it carries a naval anchor emblem on the door plus three-bar locking. It is the same 20ft footprint as any one-trip unit, finished to a tougher build and security spec. We are not certifying it for hazmat or claiming a live military contract, just describing the steel in our yard.
Why does it have 14 vents?
Most containers ship with two to four passive vents. This one has fourteen, seven a side. That much airflow moves humid air out before it condenses on the ceiling and drips on your stored goods, which is the main problem with a sealed steel box in Ontario’s freeze-thaw winters. It keeps tools, feed, gear, and equipment drier with no power and no moving parts.
Is this a new container or used?
One-trip, which is the industry term for new. It was built overseas and shipped to Canada once, carrying a single load. It arrives with factory paint, a like-new marine-ply floor, tight seals, and a valid CSC plate, with at most minor handling marks from the cranes that moved it. We point those out when you walk the row.
Can I get the gunmetal grey colour, or is it limited?
It is a limited run. We do not get this factory gunmetal grey on every inbound load, and a clean uniform colour sells quickly because it suits business addresses and finished properties. When this batch is gone, the next run may be a different tone, so the gunmetal grey is first-come while supplies last.
How fast can you deliver near Brantford?
Fast 1 to 3 day delivery to most of Ontario from our Brantford yards. The container leaves on a tilt-deck, tips off, and lands level at ground height, no crane needed. Tell us the size and your postal code and the all-in quote comes back, usually the same day, with a real lead time, not a hopeful one.
Can I see it before I buy?
Yes, and we encourage it. Walk the row at 90 Morton Avenue East in Brantford, check the doors, vents, floor, and paint yourself, and pick the exact unit that goes on the truck. Buyers drive in from across Ontario for exactly that.
Sources
- International Organization for Standardization. (2022). ISO 6346:2022 Freight containers, coding, identification and marking. iso.org
- International Organization for Standardization. (2013). ISO 1496-1:2013 Series 1 freight containers, specification and testing. iso.org
- International Maritime Organization. (1972, amended). International Convention for Safe Containers (CSC). imo.org
- Transport Canada. (2025). Cargo Securement Standard 10, Containerized Cargo. tc.canada.ca
Reach Van Blanc in Brantford
We have been supplying shipping containers across Ontario since 1995. Our yard is at 90 Morton Avenue E in Brantford, and we deliver right across the province on a cash-on-delivery basis. No surprise fees, no chase-the-paperwork.
Van Blanc Ent. Inc. 90 Morton Ave E Unit 1B, Brantford, ON N3R 7J7. +1 888-509-6658
This gunmetal grey military-spec 20ft is one of a kind in the yard right now. Come stand in front of it, or call and we will hold the details while you decide.