*All prices include GST
40ft Shipping Container
Sale and hire from our Landsborough yard, delivered across South East Queensland.
The 40ft shipping container is the workhorse of bulk storage in Australia. It holds the contents of a four to five bedroom home, fits twenty standard pallets at single height, and gives trade and commercial buyers more than double the floor space of a 20ft for less than double the price. We sell and hire 40ft containers from our Landsborough yard on the Sunshine Coast, with delivery across the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, Gold Coast and Northern NSW.
Quick spec: External 12.19 m × 2.44 m × 2.59 m. Internal volume 67 m³ standard, 76 m³ high cube. Payload to roughly 27 tonnes. ISO certified.
40ft Shipping Container Prices (Sale)
Stock turns over weekly. Confirm live availability on our containers for sale page or call the yard.
40ft Shipping Container Hire (Monthly)
Hire a 40ft container delivered to your site.
| Included in your hire | Not included |
|---|---|
| Delivery in and out within our SE QLD service area | After-hours delivery |
| Lockbox fitted | Mid-term relocations |
| Full access to your container during the term | Return-trip fee if access fails on delivery day |
| Wind and watertight container, ISO certified | End-of-hire clean if returned dirty |
| 30 day minimum hire term | Site preparation and ground bearing |
Past the 30 day minimum, the hire rolls month to month. Cancel with reasonable notice and we’ll book the pickup.
If you decide to keep the container at the end of the project, we can typically apply a portion of paid hire toward purchase. Worth raising at the time of quote so we can scope it for your project.
Full hire terms, regional pricing and the quote form sit on the shipping container hire page.
40ft Shipping Container Dimensions and Capacity
Standard ISO dimensions, consistent across the major manufacturers. The figures below are pulled from our current stock specifications.
| Dimension | 40ft Standard Height | 40ft High Cube |
|---|---|---|
| External Length | 12,192 mm | 12,192 mm |
| External Width | 2,438 mm | 2,438 mm |
| External Height | 2,591 mm | 2,896 mm |
| Internal Length | 12,032 mm | 12,032 mm |
| Internal Width | 2,352 mm | 2,352 mm |
| Internal Height | 2,393 mm | 2,698 mm |
| Door Aperture (W × H) | 2,340 × 2,280 mm | 2,340 × 2,585 mm |
| Internal Volume | 67.7 m³ | 76.4 m³ |
| Tare Weight | ~3,750 kg | ~3,900 kg |
| Payload | ~26,730 kg | ~26,580 kg |
| Max Gross Weight | 30,480 kg | 30,480 kg |
Pallet capacity. A 40ft holds twenty standard Australian 1165 × 1165 mm pallets at single height, or twenty-three Euro pallets. Stack two-high in a high cube and you double the count if your goods stack safely.
What Fits in a 40ft Shipping Container?
A 40ft holds the contents of a typical four to five bedroom Australian home. A full house of furniture, white goods, two cars (a sedan and a small SUV, or a 4WD with gear around it), plus general storage all fit comfortably with a load plan.
For trades, a 40ft is enough room for a full workshop fit-out: racking down both walls, a workbench at the end, generator, compressor, cordless tool charging bench, and floor space for a full materials run. We see plenty of Sunshine Coast and Brisbane commercial builders run a 40ft as the secure-storage centre of a large multi-stage site.
For agriculture, a 40ft on a Lockyer Valley, Sunshine Coast hinterland or Northern Rivers property holds a tractor implement plus feed drums, fencing rolls, hand tools and a quad bike at once. The full-height door aperture means equipment loads in without dismantling, and the extra length suits longer farm machinery a 20ft can’t accommodate.
For events, a 40ft stages full bar and kitchen fit-out, dance floor stack, sound rig, signage and dry stock for a multi-stage festival site. Lock it overnight, drive away in the morning.
For warehouses and retailers, a 40ft works as bolt-on storage when interior racking runs out. Twenty pallets of stock fit at single height, double that if you rack two-high in a high cube. The footprint is small enough to drop in a yard or staff carpark for the duration of a peak retail run.
A 40ft High Cube adds 305 mm of internal height over the Standard. Useful if you’re stacking pallets two-high, storing bulkier machinery, or planning to convert the container to a workshop, accommodation pod or studio. For shorter projects or smaller sites, step down to a 20ft shipping container.
Shipping Container Condition Grades: What WWT, B, A, AAA and Single Use Mean
We grade our containers using the standard Australian industry framework. Same terms you’ll see across Royal Wolf, SCF, Container Traders and the rest of the market.
Wind and Watertight (WWT)
Sealed and dry. Cosmetic flaws, surface rust, dings. No CSC plate, so not certified for shipping. The cheapest entry into a 40ft and the right choice for paddock storage, builder site storage, or anywhere cosmetics don’t matter.
B Grade
A working container with disclosed defects: dents, repaired patches, heavier paint wear. Step up from WWT with a small price premium. Good for site storage and yard use where appearance matters slightly more than the cheapest option allows.
A Grade and AAA Grade
Tidier cosmetics, stronger paint, fewer or no patches. AAA is the cleanest used grade we stock. The right call for commercial placements where the container is visible to customers, premium residential placements, or anything you’ll convert.
Single Use (Single Trip)
Imported once with cargo, delivered to Australia, sold near-new. Premium price. Choose this if you’re modifying, painting, or placing in a high-visibility application. Available in both Standard and High Cube.
NOR (Non-Operational Refrigerated)
We also stock NOR (Non-Operational Refrigerated) containers as a specialist option. Ex-refrigerated containers with the working refrigeration removed, sold as insulated dry storage. Useful for temperature-stable storage on a tighter budget than a working reefer, common buyers being food prep, electronics, and medical supply storage.
Modifications and Side Opening / Double Door Variants
Two non-standard 40ft variants we stock are worth a separate mention.
Side Opening. Doors run the full length of one side of the container. Pallet access without unloading the deep end, which is even more useful on a 40ft than a 20ft because the unloading depth is otherwise twelve metres. Suits warehouses, retailers, event hire and any application where you need to pick from anywhere in the container without rearranging stock. Side Opening trades at a premium over a Standard 40ft (price on request, depending on stock at the time of order).
Double Door. Doors at both ends. Drive-through access for vehicle storage, longer items in and out, faster pallet rotation. On a 40ft this is the difference between a six metre reach and a twelve metre reach from any single end. Usually a moderate premium over a Standard 40ft.
For modifications such as vents, lights, personnel doors, racking, partitions, painting and signage, we work with local fabricators on the Sunshine Coast. Container modifications covers the common scopes.
Council Rules for Placing a 40ft Container at Your Place
For temporary placement during a build or renovation, most South East Queensland councils allow a 40ft container on residential land without a development application for a defined period. The window varies by council. Sunshine Coast Regional Council, Brisbane City Council, Gold Coast City Council and the major Northern Rivers councils each set their own rules, commonly between 3 and 6 months. Some councils set tighter rules for 40ft than 20ft because of the larger footprint, so confirm the rule with your local council before delivery.
For permanent placement, building approval is usually required. Under the National Construction Code, a container on residential land for permanent use is treated as a Class 10a non-habitable structure, which triggers footing engineering, tie-down design and certifier sign-off. A 40ft has a larger tie-down design load than a 20ft, which can affect the engineering cost. Conversion to habitable space (Class 1 dwelling) is stricter again and usually requires a licensed QBCC builder in Queensland.
Permit and engineering costs add several hundred to several thousand dollars to a permanent-placement project. Worth pricing in before you commit.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a 40ft shipping container cost in Australia?
Prices and stock vary across the Australian market; our storage container prices guide covers the national ranges.
What's the difference between a 40ft Standard and a 40ft High Cube?
A 40ft High Cube is 305 mm taller internally (2,698 mm vs 2,393 mm) and adds roughly 8.7 m³ of internal volume. External length and width are identical. High Cube is the more common stock at 40ft and the default working assumption for most buyers.
Can you deliver a 40ft to my house in Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast or the Gold Coast?
Yes, this is our core service area. We deliver tilt-tray from our Landsborough yard across the Sunshine Coast, Moreton Bay, Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Northern Rivers in NSW. A 40ft tilt-tray needs more straight run-back than a 20ft (around 30 metres), so suburban driveways need a quick check first. For tight sites we can quote a side loader or hiab crane delivery.
How long does delivery take, and what do I need to prepare?
For a tilt-tray delivery in our standard service area, allow 30 to 45 minutes on site once the truck arrives. You need around 30 metres of straight run-back from the placement spot, 4 metres of vertical clearance, and a level firm surface (compacted gravel, hardstand, or hardwood sleepers on lawn). Move cars off the driveway and clear any low-hanging branches before the truck arrives. Send site photos when you book if access is borderline.
What's the minimum hire term for a 40ft?
30 days. After that, the hire rolls month to month and you can return the container with reasonable notice.
Do I need council approval to put a 40ft on my block?
For temporary placement during a build or renovation, most SE QLD councils allow it without a development application for 3 to 6 months (varies by council). For permanent placement, building approval applies under the National Construction Code, which triggers footing engineering and certifier sign-off. A 40ft footprint is larger than a 20ft, so some councils apply stricter rules. Check with your local council before delivery.
Get a 40ft Shipping Container in South East Queensland
Real prices from real stock, sale or hire, delivered from our Landsborough yard across the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, Gold Coast and Northern NSW.
