Red soil, slope and standing water — where a container should actually sit
Why the flattest spot is often the wrong spot, what red basalt country does to an unsupported container, and how to choose door orientation once instead of twice.
Type · Side Opening
Side Opening Shipping Containers
Doors down the full length of one side instead of at one end. You see the whole load at once and you can load it with a forklift from anywhere along it, which is the entire argument for one.
What you are getting
- Full-length side access instead of a single end door
- Forklift or telehandler can work anywhere along the opening
- Nothing becomes deep storage you have to unpack to reach
- Available in 20ft and 40ft, new and used
- Needs clear standing room along the door side once placed
Who actually needs one out here
Anyone loading and unloading constantly. A fertiliser or seed store that gets visited twice a day during a planting window is a very different job to a box that gets opened at Christmas, and an end-door 40ft will drive you mad in that role because everything you want is behind everything you do not.
It is also the sensible choice where a forklift or telehandler does the work. Side doors mean the machine drives up square to the load rather than reaching in six metres, which is faster and much easier on the floor.
The thing to plan for is orientation. A side opening unit needs its door side facing open ground with room to stand and work, and deciding that after the truck has gone means paying for a second lift to spin it. Walk the spot and pick the side before delivery day.
Sizes it comes in
| Unit | External L×W×H | Internal L×W×H | Door W×H | Capacity | Pallets | Used from | New from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10ft Containers | 2.99m × 2.44m × 2.59m | 2.83m × 2.35m × 2.39m | 2.34m × 2.28m | 16m³ | 4 standard pallets | $4,350 | $6,400 |
| 20ft Containers | 6.06m × 2.44m × 2.59m | 5.90m × 2.35m × 2.39m | 2.34m × 2.28m | 33m³ | 10 standard pallets | $2,200 | $3,300 |
| 40ft Containers | 12.19m × 2.44m × 2.59m | 12.03m × 2.35m × 2.39m | 2.34m × 2.28m | 67m³ | 20 standard pallets | $2,600 | $5,500 |
| 40ft High Cube | 12.19m × 2.44m × 2.90m | 12.03m × 2.35m × 2.69m | 2.34m × 2.58m | 76m³ | 20 standard pallets | on request | on request |
Guide pricing only, ex GST. The figure you actually pay moves with the grade, with what is available that week, and with the run out to your address. Ring (07) 4141 7699 for a real number rather than a range.
As-is units are the cheap end and they are not sold watertight. They are sold on condition, described plainly, and we will tell you what is wrong with one before you buy it rather than after. If the contents have to stay dry, buy cargo-worthy.
How the side doors work in practice
A side opening container has a series of hinged door panels along one long wall, usually in addition to the standard cargo doors at one end. Opened together they expose almost the whole length, so a forklift or telehandler can place a pallet exactly where it is needed and you can see every item without climbing over anything. The panels each lock, so you can open only the section you need.
Because there are many more door seals than on an end-door box, the seals and hinges are what to look after. Keep the unit level so the panels line up, keep the hinges greased, and check the seals after any heavy knock from a machine. On a cargo-worthy or new unit the doors are checked before loading; as-is units are not sold watertight.
Planning the pad and the working area
The pad under a side opener needs to be firmer and more level than for an end-door unit, because a twist along the length is exactly what stops a row of side doors closing. Allow a strip of firm ground along the door side wide enough for the machine that will load it, and keep drainage running away from that side so the loading area does not turn to mud in a wet spell. On red soil a compacted gravel apron along the doors is money well spent.
Side Opening — common questions
Can a side opening container be placed against a wall?
On its back wall, yes. The door side needs open ground with room to swing the panels and to work, so plan the orientation before delivery day.
Is a side opener more secure or less?
Each door panel locks, so it is as secure as the locks you fit. There are more doors to secure, so budget for more padlocks or a locking bar set.
Is it worth the extra over a standard 40ft?
If you load and unload often, usually yes; if the container is opened a few times a year, a standard unit is better value. Tell us how it will be used and we will say which.
Worth reading first
Red soil, gateways and drop spots — a South Burnett access checklist
A tape at the gateway, paces down the drive and a look up at the wires — plus what basalt, black soil and granite do to a loaded truck. The South Burnett checklist.
No-obligation quote
Get a side opening quote
Stock turns over, so a call gets you a current answer rather than an old price list.
(07) 4141 7699Mon–Fri 7:30am–5pm, Sat 8am–12pm. If we are out on a run, leave a message or send the form and you will get a call back.