What to Expect From a Used Shipping Container

Thursday 30 October 2025
Updated: Thursday 6 November 2025
Filed in: General

Used shipping containers offer great value for money, as they are built to last and withstand many years of heavy weight bearing and rough transit. They will be handled many times in ports and container depots throughout the world, and spend years on high seas. This will be reflected in the appearance of the container.

Typically our used shipping container products will be in the region of 10 and 15 years old. Many dents, knocks and scrapes will be evident, as well as surface rusting. You may also see repairs on the container, which are common practice with the required on-going maintenance shipping containers require over the years. However, the visual condition should not affect the performance of the container. All used shipping containers sold by Containers Direct are free from structural damage, completely water tight, and are sold with a 12 month warranty.

Typical examples of used shipping containers

The cosmetic condition may vary from container to container, but the examples below show typical rusting and some repair patches.

Should you worry about rust on a shipping container?

Shipping containers are made from Corten steel, which is extremely thick and robust (bearing in mind shipping containers are often stacked up to 8 high), and also contains corrosion retardant properties. It allows surface rust to form as a protective layer on the container, sometimes referred to as weathering , or self healing steel - a little bit like a scab forming over a wound! For more on this process, see our full article on Corten Steel.

If the corrosion has penetrated beyond the surface of the container we make repairs before sale. Holes are repaired using a steel patch that is fully welded and sealed. We make sure it follows the line of the container corrugations.

Regular maintenance and treatment of rust patches can be done by hand using a wire brush or sandpaper to remove flaking, The container is then treated with primer, followed by a sealer, such as zinc paint.

Repainting

We appreciate that the cosmetic appearance of the container can be important to our customers. After all, who doesn't prefer things to look neat, or create the right impression? Therefore we offer a repainting service for used shipping containers. As you can see from the before and after pictures below, repainting can considerably improve the look of the container. We use rubberised marine paint, which can help extend the life of the container too. Check out the wide range of colours we offer.

The floor

Shipping container floors consist of marine ply floorboards held in place with steel cross members on the underside of the container. Our used shipping containers for sale will have a structurally sound floor. Cosmetically the floor will show signs of wear and tear, such as scratches, scuffs and stains.

New shipping containers

We understand that every customer will have their own requirements from the container they purchase, so if the appearance of the container is paramount, we recommend looking at our range of new and one trip containers. These are manufactured abroad, and transported with cargo to our shores, and upon arrival are immediately sold off – hence the name one trip containers.

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