40 Foot Shipping Containers for Sale & Rent

Walk our yard. Pick your own box. Take it home.

That is the part national container sellers cannot offer you. At Any Way You Want It Moving & Storage, you choose your own 40 foot shipping container. You see it before it ships. We have stocked containers at our three Minnesota yards since 1997.

We keep 40ft containers in Grand Rapids, Ellendale and Stewartville. You can buy, rent, or rent to own any unit on the lot.

The 40 foot container is the largest size we stock. It holds roughly twice what a 20 foot unit holds, at nowhere near twice the price. That is why farms, contractors and commercial buyers keep coming back to it.

40 Foot Shipping Container Dimensions and Weight

A 40ft container is a standard ISO unit. Every one is built to the same external size, so the numbers below hold across manufacturers.

Exterior dimensions

Length: 40 feet (12.19 m)
Width: 8 feet (2.44 m)
Height: 8 feet 6 inches (2.59 m)
Footprint: 320 square feet

Interior dimensions

Interior size varies slightly by builder. Plan on these figures:

Length: about 39 feet 5 inches
Width: about 7 feet 8 inches
Height: about 7 feet 10 inches
Floor space: roughly 300 square feet
Volume: roughly 2,390 cubic feet

Door opening

The double cargo doors open about 7 feet 8 inches wide and 7 feet 6 inches high. That is the same opening you get on a 20 foot unit. Measure your widest item against that number, not against the 40 foot length.

Weight

An empty 40ft container weighs about 8,000 to 8,800 pounds. Check the CSC plate on the door for the exact rated gross weight of your unit. Every container carries its own plate.

Loaded, a 40 foot container is rated to a maximum gross weight of 67,200 pounds under ISO 668.

That weight matters for delivery. Eight thousand pounds of empty steel sinks into soft ground fast. Gravel, crushed rock or railroad ties under the corner castings solve it.

40 foot high cube containers

A high cube adds one foot of height. The exterior runs 9 feet 6 inches instead of 8 feet 6 inches. Interior height jumps to about 8 feet 10 inches, and volume rises to roughly 2,690 cubic feet.

The door opening grows too, to about 8 feet 5 inches high. That extra clearance is what makes high cubes the pick for tall equipment, pallet racking and workshop conversions. We list the 9 foot 6 inch high cube as an option on our 40 foot units. Ask about current availability when you call.

40 Foot Shipping Containers for Sale: New, One-Trip and Used

We stock 40ft shipping containers for sale in every grade. Condition drives price more than any other factor. Here is what the grades mean.

New or one-trip. Built overseas, loaded once, shipped to North America. Clean paint, tight seals, no dents worth mentioning. This is the best-looking option and the most expensive.

Cargo worthy. Certified fit for international shipping. Structurally sound with surface rust and dents. Good value if looks do not matter.

Wind and water tight. No longer certified for ocean freight, but sealed against rain and snow. The most common choice for on-site storage.

As-is. Sold with known flaws. Cheap, and only worth it if you plan to modify or cut the unit anyway.

For Minnesota winters, wind and water tight is the practical floor. Anything less lets snowmelt in. Our guide to new versus used shipping containers walks through the trade-off in more detail.

Every container we deliver is wind and watertight, rodent-proof, and fitted with lockable doors and solid floors. We inspect each one before it leaves the yard.

See what we currently have in the container gallery, or drive to a yard and inspect the units yourself.

40ft Shipping Container Rental and Rent to Own

Not every job needs a purchase. A 40ft shipping container for rent gives you the same space without the upfront cost.

We keep over 400 units in stock across the three yards, so a 40ft container is almost always available.

Rent when the need has an end date. Remodels, seasonal overflow, harvest storage, a build with a finish line. We deliver, you fill it, we pick it up.

Rent by the day, week, month or year. Rentals run month to month with no long-term contract and no lock-in.

Rent to own when you want the container but not the upfront cost. Your payments build toward ownership instead of disappearing. Most national sellers do not offer this at all.

Buy when the container stays on your property for good.

Full terms are on our container rental page. Our drivers use tilt-bed and side-loading trailers, so we can move full or empty units either way.

Renting a 40ft container

Rental pricing in our service area runs $140 to $180+ per month for a 40 foot unit. That covers roughly 300 square feet of secure floor space, sitting on your property instead of across town.

Compare that to a self-storage unit of similar size and add the truck rental, the fuel and the back-and-forth trips. We break the full cost picture down in our guide to shipping container rental costs in Grand Rapids.

Buying a 40ft container

Every 40 foot shipping container for sale at our yards is priced on four things:

Condition grade. New one-trip units cost the most. As-is units cost the least.
Distance. Delivery is priced from the nearest yard to your site.
Modifications. Doors, vents, shelving and paint each add to the total.
Current stock. Container prices track the shipping market and shift through the year.

In the Minnesota market in 2026, used 40 foot containers commonly list between about $2,000 and $3,100. New one-trip 40ft units commonly list between about $3,500 and $4,700, and high cubes sit at the upper end.

Freight is the hidden line item. A 40 foot unit costs more to haul than any other size we carry. Buying from a yard 80 miles away instead of 800 miles away cuts a large piece out of the delivered total.

Call us for the current price on the units sitting in the yard right now.

A note on containers priced under $1,000

You will see those listings. Almost all of them are fake.

Container fraud follows a pattern. A price far under market, stock photos, no yard address, and pressure to wire money. The buyer sends payment and nothing arrives. Forty foot units are a favorite bait because the advertised savings look so large.

Buying from a local yard removes that risk entirely. You can stand next to the container before you pay. Read our customer reviews and then come see the unit.

What Fits Inside a 40ft Shipping Container?

At roughly 2,390 cubic feet, a 40 foot container holds about double what a 20 foot unit holds.

The contents of a four- or five-bedroom house
Around 20 standard pallets floor-loaded in a single tier
Two cars, or one car plus a full shop worth of tools
A tractor implement, a side-by-side and seasonal equipment
Retail or restaurant inventory during a full remodel

Farms use 40ft units for seed, feed, parts and machinery that has to stay dry through winter. Our guide to farm storage in Minnesota covers that setup.

Contractors use them as lockable job site storage, long enough to hold lumber and scaffold without cutting. See our guide to securing tools on a construction site.

Businesses use them for overflow inventory and equipment. More on that in our guide to business storage for inventory and tools.

40 Foot Container Doors, Colors and Modifications

A 40ft box does not have to stay a plain box. We offer:

Doors at both ends for drive-through access
Side doors for easier loading in tight spots
Roll-up doors
Vents and lighting
Custom paint, including camo
A choice of stock colors

The extra length is the advantage here. A 40 foot unit has room to partition. Put storage at one end and a work area at the other. You cannot do that in a 20 foot box.

We modify units in-house. See the full list on our container modifications page. You can also read our guide to customized containers and our roundup of popular container modifications.

Tell us the job and we will tell you what the container needs.

40 Foot Container Delivery Across Minnesota

We deliver from three yards, so most of the state sits within a reasonable haul. We serve Duluth, Rochester, Owatonna, Minneapolis and the surrounding five-state area.

How much space you need

A 40 foot container needs a flat spot about 8 feet wide and 44 feet long. It also needs room for the truck.

Plan on roughly 100 feet of straight, level run for a tilt-bed drop. Allow 12 to 14 feet of width and 18 to 20 feet of overhead clearance for the raised bed. This is the biggest difference between a 40 foot order and a 20 foot order. It is also where most deliveries go wrong.

If your site is tight, say so when you call. Our side-loading trailers set the container down beside the truck and need far less straight-line room than a tilt bed. We place containers at ground level either way. No crane, no crane bill.

Before delivery day:

Clear the drop path of vehicles, branches and low wires
Choose level ground, or level it first
Lay gravel or blocking under the four corners
Mark the exact spot you want it
Decide which way the doors should face

We confirm site access with you before the truck leaves the yard. Full details are on our container delivery page, and our walkthrough of delivery day shows what to expect.

Once it is on the ground, a little upkeep goes a long way. Our guide to preparing your container for a Minnesota winter covers condensation, door seals and snowmelt.

Why Buy From a Minnesota Container Yard

National sellers ship you a container sight unseen. You get a photo and a promise.

We do it the other way around.

Inspect before you buy. Walk the yard, open the doors, check the floor.
Local drivers. The person delivering knows the roads and the frost line.
Shorter hauls. Three yards means less distance and lower delivery cost, which matters most on a 40 foot unit.
One phone call. You reach us, not a call center.
Since 1997. We have been placing containers on Minnesota ground for nearly three decades.

Compare 40ft to Other Container Sizes

Not sure 40 feet is right?

A 10 foot container fits small cleanouts, tight lots and tool storage.
A 20 foot container handles most household moves and mid-size projects.
A 40 foot container holds large homes, fleet equipment and commercial inventory.

We also stock mini units as small as 5 feet by 10 feet. Our container size guide compares every option.

Two 20 foot containers give you the same volume as one 40 foot unit and drop into tighter spots. One 40 foot unit costs less to buy and less to deliver. If your site can take it, the 40 is the better value.

40 Foot Shipping Container FAQs

What are the exact dimensions of a 40 foot shipping container?

Exterior measurements are 40 feet long, 8 feet wide and 8 feet 6 inches high. Interior space runs about 39 feet 5 inches by 7 feet 8 inches by 7 feet 10 inches.

How many square feet is a 40 foot container?

About 300 square feet of usable floor space, and roughly 2,390 cubic feet of volume. A high cube holds about 2,690 cubic feet.

How much does an empty 40ft container weigh?

Between 8,000 and 8,800 pounds. The CSC plate on the door lists the exact rated figures for that unit.

How much does it cost to rent a 40 foot container?

Rentals in our area run $140 to $180+ per month. Rental length, delivery distance and condition move the number.

How much does a 40 foot shipping container cost to buy?

Used units in Minnesota commonly list between about $2,000 and $3,100. New one-trip units commonly run about $3,500 to $4,700. Delivery is priced separately from the nearest yard.

Is a conex box the same as a shipping container?

Yes. Conex box, cargo container, sea container and storage container all describe the same steel unit. The names come from different industries.

How much space do I need for a 40 foot container?

A flat pad about 8 feet wide and 44 feet long. The truck also needs roughly 100 feet of straight run to back in and tilt. Our side-loading trailers work on tighter sites, so call before you rule your property out.

Do I need a concrete slab under a shipping container?

No. Firm, level ground is enough. Gravel or blocking under the four corner castings keeps the unit level and lets water drain away.

Do I need a permit for a shipping container in Minnesota?

Rules vary by city and county. Some allow containers on residential lots with no permit. Others restrict placement, screening or duration. Call your local zoning office before delivery day.

Should I buy one 40 foot container or two 20 foot containers?

One 40 foot unit costs less to buy and less to haul than two 20s. Two 20 foot units give you the same total volume with more placement flexibility. Site access usually decides it.

Can I pick out my own container?

Yes. Come to the Grand Rapids, Ellendale or Stewartville yard and choose the exact unit.

Get a Quote on Your 40 Foot Container

Tell us what you are storing and where it is going. We will price it.

Call (218) 326-0397 in Grand Rapids or (800) 542-0036 for Ellendale and Stewartville. You can also request a free quote online.

Buy or Rent a 40 Foot Shipping Container in Minnesota