While purchasing a new or used shipping container, moving and unloading is the most difficult part. Things get worse if you don’t have a forklift or crane on site. But, now you can accomplish these tasks following few easy steps and possibly extend the useful life of the shipping container.
Shipping containers are of great use in transporting large number of items. These days these huge containers are being used for commercial as well as for personal usage too. But, if you don’t have the crane facility around then, you might get into a problem. If ever you face such a situation, you need to learn that you can do both the tasks of moving and unloading without using a forklift. Check how:
From a container depot or the modification center, all you need to call for a tilt bed truck with custom winches, a strong chain, and two pieces of 4×4 wood or you can take some strong metal blocks.
Step 1:
First you need to do is just back the trailer with a fully tilted bed towards the container you need to move.
Step 2:
Now when you are near the container, with the help of a strong chain, connect the corner castings to the trailer firmly.
Step 3:
Once you have connected, its turn to raise the container a little. You can easily do this with help of trailer and then lower the bed of the trailer. Make sure you raise the container to height so that you can place those wooden blocks or metal one under each corner.
Step 4:
Now you can tilt the bed back and then remove the chains from the containers. Next, you have to remove the blocks safely. You can carry out this by moving the trailer back with a little force.
Step 5:
It is almost done! You have to apply larger force for leveling off the trailer.
These five steps would just take 15 minutes of yours and your container is loaded. Take it to the desired location!
Moving was much easier part; unloading needs more care, planning and preparation. Once you have placed a container, moving it to another place will be a real challenge for you. Thus, you need to consider space, location and conditions beforehand. As you are not using a flat bed and a forklift, your truck is not free to drive away in any direction. In case of a tilt bed trailer, the delivery site need to be at least the sum of the length of the container (20? or 40?), the length of the trailer (20? or 40?) and the length of the truck. To note here that all the three (container, trailer and truck) will be in a straight line when the truck pulls forward. So, insure a proper space.
Step 1:
The loaded truck need to move in the reverse direction of the desired location. Make sure that both the trailer and truck are in straight line.
Step 2:
Once you are at the desired location, it’s time to tilt back the bed of trailer and set the container on the proper location.
Step 3:
As soon you place the back edge of the container on the ground, start pulling the truck in forward direction slowly.
That’s it! Just in three easy steps you can place your container at the most suitable location that too without hiring a forklift.
The above described steps (moving and unloading) are easy and cost effective. Just you need to plan things carefully and you are done with it!
Jason Markin is the owner of RTC Container Sales, a company that deals with shipping containers of every type, including the new containers, used containers, etc. He is also a passionate blogger, who keep updating his readers timely regarding the leaps and bounds in the shipping industry.
Source: Jason Markin, owner of RTC Container Sales, Article provided on behalf of Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide
Copyright Ships & Ports Ltd. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit given to www.shipsandports.com.ng as the source.
