Used Shipping Container Grades Explained

Grade is the single biggest driver of container price, and the terms are used loosely across the industry. Here is what each one means, what you should expect to see, and what to check before you accept a unit.

One-trip ("new")

Built in Asia, loaded once with cargo for the voyage to North America, then sold. Technically used, practically new. Expect clean factory paint, a flat undamaged roof, square doors with intact seals, and a marine plywood floor with no staining.

Inspect: the roof for dents from the voyage, and the door seals. Even one-trip units occasionally take a knock in transit.

Buy it when: the container will be modified, painted, or seen by customers. Modifications are far cheaper to execute on straight, clean steel.

Cargo-worthy (CW)

Surveyed and certified fit for international shipping, with a valid CSC safety approval plate. Typically 8–12 years old. Expect surface rust, dents, patch repairs and several layers of paint — all cosmetic. Structurally it must be sound enough to go back to sea.

Inspect: the CSC plate date (certification expires), repair welds, and the floor for delamination or oil contamination.

Buy it when: you will ship or export the unit, or you want documented structural condition.

Wind and watertight (WWT)

Structurally sound and sealed against weather, but no longer certified for shipping. This is the value grade and the right answer for most static storage. Expect visible rust, dents, mismatched paint and previous owner markings.

Inspect: stand inside with the doors closed and look for daylight — that is the whole test, and it takes thirty seconds. Then check the roof for ponding dents, the door gaskets for cracking and compression set, and the floor for soft spots.

Buy it when: the container will sit on a yard or farm holding equipment. It does the same job as one-trip for roughly 40–55% less.

As-is

Sold with known faults, described individually on the listing — a hole, a seized door, a damaged roof, floor damage. Priced accordingly and sold final sale.

Inspect: in person, always. Confirm the listed faults are the only faults.

Buy it when: you can repair, or you need a shell and weathertightness does not matter.

A ten-minute inspection

1. Stand inside, doors shut. Daylight means a hole. This finds more problems than everything else combined.
2. Walk the roof line. Dents that pond water rust through from the top eventually.
3. Work both doors. They should swing freely and all four cam locks should seat. Binding doors mean a twisted frame — usually from bad storage, and it does not get better.
4. Squeeze the gaskets. They should be pliable, not cracked or permanently flattened.
5. Walk the floor. Soft or springy spots mean delamination. Dark patches mean oil or chemical contamination that will not come out.
6. Check the corner castings. They carry the entire load. Cracks or heavy deformation are disqualifying.
7. Scratch the rust. Surface rust wipes to sound steel. If a screwdriver goes through, it is not surface rust.
8. Sight down the long side. The corrugation should run straight. A banana-shaped container will never sit true.

What is cosmetic and what is not

Cosmetic — normal on used units	Structural — walk away or negotiate hard
Surface rust, mismatched paint, old decals	Perforation, holes, light visible from inside
Shallow dents in the side panels	Cracked or deformed corner castings
Scuffed or stained floor	Soft, delaminated or rotted floor
Faded or patched paint	Twisted frame, doors that will not seat
Minor scratches on seals	Cracked, missing or flattened gaskets

What should I pay?

As a rough guide, cargo-worthy runs 55–70% of one-trip, wind and watertight 45–60%, and as-is 25–40%. Delivery is free regardless of grade, so the saving on a used unit is the saving you actually keep.

Every unit in our catalogue states its grade. Browse storage containers and shipping containers, or read how to buy a container.