40ft Used Open-Top Container

excl. VAT · incl. VAT: €4,520.81

Buying a 40ft used open top container with your eyes open

An open top is a standard box with the steel roof replaced by a frame, a set of removable roof bows and a tarpaulin. Everything else stays: four walls, a lockable door end, a timber floor and the corner castings that make the unit stack and travel. A 40ft used open top container therefore sits in a useful middle ground between a closed box and a flat rack, since cargo can be lowered in from above yet still ends up inside a secure, weather resistant enclosure. The catch when buying second hand is that the parts which make it an open top, meaning the cover, the bows and the header, are exactly the parts that wear out fastest and are the easiest for a seller to gloss over.

This unit is recorded as Corten steel construction with a removable tarpaulin roof, foldable end walls at the door end, and lashing rings inside. Corten is a weathering steel: it forms a dense, tightly bonded oxide layer that slows further corrosion instead of flaking away like ordinary mild steel rust. It does not make a container immune to corrosion, particularly where water sits or where paint has been breached down to bare metal, but it does explain why a container can look tired and still be structurally sound.

Recorded dimensions and weights

Note the gap between the internal height of 239.50 cm and the door opening height of 227.99 cm. That difference is the whole reason the format exists. A piece up to 239.50 cm tall can sit inside the container once it has been lowered in past the roof line, even though it would never pass through the doorway. Combined with 1203.20 cm of internal length and 28.37 m² of floor, that gives a long, tall working space of 66.80 m³ that you fill from whichever direction is convenient.

Tarpaulin and roof bows: judge these first

The tarpaulin is a consumable, and on a used unit it is often the weakest part of the package. Have it unrolled and photographed rather than described. Look for tears along the fold lines, chafing where the sheet passes over the bows, brittle or chalky material that cracks when flexed, and eyelets that have pulled through the hem. Check the roping system: the cable or rope that runs through the eyelets should be complete and continuous, because a customs sealable cover depends on an unbroken run. A cover that is patched with tape rather than welded or stitched patches will not last a winter outdoors.

The roof bows matter just as much and cost more to replace. They are the removable transverse members that hold the tarpaulin up and stop it forming a pond in the middle. Count them, lift each one, and check the seating pockets in the top side rails.

• A missing bow is not a cosmetic issue, since the cover will sag between the gaps and collect water.
• Bent bows usually mean something was dropped on the roof line during loading, so look at the top rails in the same area.
• Corroded seating pockets let a bow move under wind load and gradually work the rail.
• Ask whether the set is complete and original, because mixed lengths from other units rarely seat properly.

The swing out door header and how it is meant to work

The header is the horizontal beam above the doors. On a closed box it is welded solid. On an open top it is hinged or removable so it can be swung out of the way, which is what allows a long item to be pushed or driven straight in at full internal height rather than lowered in from above. Together with the foldable end wall arrangement at the door end, it turns the container into something you can load with a forklift when a crane is not available.

Check the header carefully. It should swing or lift free without brute force, and it must return and lock positively, because when it is secured it is a structural part of the door frame and carries a share of the racking loads. Signs of trouble include seized pins, hammer marks around the locking arrangement, an obviously replaced pin of the wrong size, or a header that no longer aligns so the doors need forcing to close. A container with a header that cannot be secured is not a sealed container, it is a large open crate, and it should be priced accordingly.

Rain, drainage and life in service

A tarpaulin roof is water resistant, not a rigid roof. Water finds the low points, so the way you rig the cover decides whether the container stays dry.

• Fit every bow so the cover carries a crown across the width and sheds towards the sides.
• Tension the roping evenly so the sheet does not flap, since flapping wears the cover faster than sunlight does.
• Keep the cover clear of anything sharp on the cargo; wrap protruding corners or lay a sacrificial sheet over them.
• Check for standing water after heavy rain and clear it before it freezes, because ice adds real weight and stretches the fabric.
• Store cargo clear of the floor on bearers if the unit will stand for months, so condensation running down the walls does not soak packaging.

Condensation deserves its own thought. Any steel container with a warm, damp load and cold nights will produce moisture on the inside surfaces, and a tarpaulin roof does not ventilate the box by itself. Desiccant bags, a dry load and packaging that tolerates humidity are the usual answers. The lashing rings inside are your other working detail: use them to tie the load down properly, because an item that shifts under a soft roof can push the cover out of shape or damage a bow from below.

Structure, floor and the rest of the walk around

Beyond the roof package, inspect the same things you would on any used box. Sight down each side for bowing panels and check the bottom side rails and the cross members underneath, since that is where road salt and standing water do their work. Inside, walk the timber floor and look for soft boards, delamination, lifting fixings and oil contamination that could taint a future load. Open and close both doors, check the hinges, cams, keepers and the door gaskets, and look for daylight along the seals. Examine the corner castings for cracks and deformation. Ask about the CSC safety approval plate, which records approval for international carriage and its examination dates: essential if the box will ship again, far less relevant if it is going to stand in a yard. Finally, ask directly whether the unit is described as wind and watertight, and whether that description was made with the tarpaulin fitted.

Static and site uses

Plenty of open tops never see a ship again. On site the format is genuinely useful, because you can drop bulky items in from above with the crane that is already standing there, then close the cover and lock the doors overnight. Typical roles include a skip style store for offcuts and scrap, a secure lay down area for long steel that a forklift can push in past the swung header, a plant store where a machine is craned in and out daily, and a covered work bay when the cover is removed and only the frame is left. Because the container keeps its full door opening of 234.01 cm by 227.99 cm and 28.37 m² of floor, it also works as ordinary storage on the days you do not need the roof open at all. Site owners should still consider ground bearing, level standing on suitable blocks at the corner castings, and how wind will act on a large fabric surface.

What to settle in writing before you buy a 40ft used open top container

• The condition of the tarpaulin, with photographs of it unrolled, and whether it is included in the price.
• Whether the roof bow set is complete and whether the bows are original to the unit.
• That the door header swings clear and locks, ideally demonstrated in a short video or a photo sequence.
• Whether the unit is described as wind and watertight, and by whom.
• The CSC position, and whether the container is sold cargo worthy or for static use.
• Access at your site: a 40ft delivery vehicle needs room to reverse and a firm, level standing area.

Why choose a 40ft used open top container over a standard box?

Because the internal height of 239.50 cm is greater than the door opening height of 227.99 cm. Anything in that band can be craned in over the roof line but would never pass through the doorway. You still get four walls, a lockable door end and a tarpaulin cover, so the cargo travels enclosed rather than exposed as it would be on a flat rack.

What are the internal dimensions and capacity?

Internal dimensions are 1203.20 cm long, 235.20 cm wide and 239.50 cm high, giving 28.37 m2 of floor and 66.80 m3 of volume. The door opening measures 234.01 cm wide by 227.99 cm high. Maximum gross weight is recorded as 30,480 kg with a net weight of 4,000 kg, and external dimensions are 1219.20 cm by 243.79 cm by 259.11 cm.

How do I judge the tarpaulin and roof bows?

Have the cover unrolled and photographed. Look for tears along fold lines, chafe marks over the bows, brittle material and eyelets pulled through the hem, and check that the roping runs unbroken. Then count the bows, lift each one and inspect the seating pockets. A missing or bent bow lets the cover sag and collect water, which is how covers fail.

What is the swing out door header for?

It is the beam above the doors, hinged or removable rather than welded solid, so it can be moved clear to let long cargo enter at full internal height. Together with the foldable end wall arrangement at the door end it allows forklift loading when no crane is available. It must lock positively, because when secured it carries part of the door frame loads.

Can it be used as static site storage?

Yes, and it suits sites well. Bulky items drop in from above with the crane already on site, then the cover goes back on and the doors lock. Common roles are scrap and offcut collection, long steel storage loaded through the swung header, and daily plant storage. Provide firm, level standing under the corner castings and consider wind load on the fabric.