How We Deliver Your Container
Delivering a shipping container is a lifting operation, not a parcel drop. The unit must arrive on a suitable vehicle, be offloaded safely and be placed accurately in a position you have prepared. Every quotation states the delivery method and vehicle type, and if you have any doubt about access, call +44 20 7946 0000 or email sales@atc-shippingcontainers.com before ordering so we can assess it with you.
Delivery Vehicles
HIAB (crane-equipped) lorry
A HIAB carries a hydraulic crane behind the cab and lifts the container from the bed into position. It is the most flexible method: the container can be placed over a wall, onto piers or blocks or into a tight corner, without the lorry reversing the full length of the unit. HIAB delivery is standard for most UK sites and is required whenever the container must be set on foundations or lifted over an obstacle.
Tilt-bed trailer
A tilt-bed trailer raises its bed hydraulically and slides the container off the back while the lorry pulls forward. It is efficient and often cheaper, but needs a long, straight, firm run-off directly behind the vehicle, and the container can only be placed at ground level in line with the lorry. It suits open yards, farms, compounds and large driveways.
Flat-bed with customer offload
On established construction sites and depots you may prefer flat-bed delivery, offloading with your own forklift, telehandler or crane. Where agreed, the lifting equipment, trained operators and lift plan are your responsibility.
Site Access Requirements
Assess the whole route, not just the delivery point. Vehicles are up to around 3m wide including mirrors, are heavy when loaded, and cannot cross soft ground, weak drain covers or weight-restricted bridges.
Space needed
- 20ft container — a clear, straight approach of at least 18m (around 60ft) by 3.5m wide, plus room for the crane to swing on a HIAB delivery.
- 40ft container — a clear, straight approach of at least 27–30m (around 90–100ft) by 3.5m wide. Many residential streets cannot accommodate a 40ft delivery.
- Tilt-bed deliveries — add the container length again behind the lorry for the run-off: roughly 25m for a 20ft unit and 35m for a 40ft.
- Turning and reversing — a rigid or articulated lorry must be able to turn or reverse safely. Cul-de-sacs, tight bends and parked cars are the commonest causes of failed deliveries.
Ground conditions
The vehicle needs firm, load-bearing ground: tarmac, concrete, compacted hardcore or well-drained hard standing. Soft grass, loose gravel, waterlogged fields and newly laid driveways can be damaged or trap the lorry, and a HIAB must set its stabiliser legs on solid ground. Site the container on level ground, ideally on pads, sleepers or slabs at the corners, so the underside stays ventilated.
Overhead clearance
A HIAB crane extends above the container to lift it, so you need roughly 6m of clear airspace over the delivery position and the vehicle standing area. Identify power lines, telephone cables, low branches, gantries, canopies and archways in advance and tell us at quotation stage. Tilt-bed deliveries need less height, but the bed still rises several metres.
What You Need to Prepare
- Confirm the exact delivery position and mark it clearly on the day.
- Clear vehicles, skips, bins and materials from the approach and offloading area.
- Unlock gates and arrange any permits or site inductions in advance.
- Have a responsible adult on site throughout the window to direct the driver and sign for the goods.
- Keep pedestrians, children and animals well clear of the lifting zone.
- Arrange any road closure or parking suspension where the lorry must stand on the public highway.
If the driver arrives and cannot deliver safely because of access, ground conditions or clearances, failed delivery and redelivery charges apply.
Free UK Delivery
Delivery is included free of charge on every container order across the United Kingdom. The price you see is the price you pay — there is no separate delivery charge added at checkout, and no surcharge for the Scottish Highlands, the Scottish Islands, the Isle of Man, the Isle of Wight or Northern Ireland.
Offload is arranged as part of the delivery. Where a site needs a crane (HIAB) rather than a tilt-bed lorry we will confirm that with you before the vehicle is booked.
Deliveries outside the UK are quoted separately, as international freight costs vary considerably by destination and route.
Lead Times
We work to a single delivery lead time across the United Kingdom: typically 7–14 working days from cleared payment. That figure applies to mainland England, Wales and Scotland, the Scottish Highlands and remote postcodes, the Scottish Islands, the Isle of Man, the Isle of Wight and Northern Ireland.
Modified and bespoke units follow the same 7–14 working day lead time, counted from the point the specification is confirmed in writing at order stage.
Island and Northern Ireland routes depend on ferry sailings, and severe weather can affect any delivery. Where something is likely to fall outside the quoted window we will tell you as soon as we know, rather than letting the date pass.
Deliveries are normally Monday to Friday during working hours. We agree a date and give a time window, but exact arrival times cannot be guaranteed because of traffic, weather and preceding jobs.
Island, Highland and Northern Ireland Deliveries
These deliveries involve ferry crossings and are quoted individually. Sailing schedules, weather cancellations and restricted vehicle capacity affect timing, and some islands require transhipment onto a smaller vehicle. Please give us your full postcode at enquiry stage so we can quote accurately.
Offloading Responsibilities
On HIAB and tilt-bed deliveries our driver carries out the offload and places the container in the agreed position where it is safe to do so, and has final authority on whether a lift can be performed safely. Placement close to buildings, boundaries, drains, septic tanks and neighbouring land is at your direction and risk, and you must confirm that the ground and any underground services can bear the load. Once set down, a container is awkward to move, so be certain of the position first.
International Shipping
We arrange international movements, including port-to-port and door-to-door shipping, loading and export documentation. Containers shipped internationally must be cargo-worthy with a valid CSC plate. Import duties, taxes, customs clearance and local delivery costs at destination are the buyer’s responsibility unless agreed otherwise in writing. Send us your destination for a tailored quotation.