Illustrative image 40ft High Cube Open Side Shipping Container (New)
A 40ft shipping container with side doors, or open side container, opens along one long side as well as at one end, so you can load it and reach your things from the side. New (one-trip) ones are priced here as high cubes, 9′6″ (2.90 m) tall, a foot taller than a standard container, in two layouts: from $7,750 with four sets of side doors and from $11,480 with a full open side this week, before delivery and sales tax. Used ones are quoted on request.
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One free request goes to up to 5 sellers serving your address, each checked for licensing and insurance, and you compare their quotes or accept none. How it works
The full open side and the four-door layout are priced far apart, so make sure every quote you compare is for the same layout.
$450Average gap between the highest
and lowest quote on the same request
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Full open side or four sets of side doors?
| Layout | What opens | From | Pick it for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full open side | The whole long side, floor to ceiling, with no post in the way: four doors in two hinged pairs fold back toward each end | $11,480 | Forklift loading anywhere along the 40 ft, long or wide items, a workshop or shop front that opens onto the lot |
| Four sets of side doors | Four separate pairs of doors, like the ones at the end, with steel posts between them (sizes in the specs) | $7,750 | A door set for each trade or crew on a job site, each with its own lock; the inside stays one open space unless you add partition walls |
Pick the layout in the box next to the price: the starting price shown is for that layout; ask each seller for its exact opening, inside size and empty weight. Some sellers also call a third layout “open side”: two long openings split by a center post that holds up the roof. We don’t list it, so ask for a quote if that’s the one you need.
Opening the whole side costs $3,730 more than the four-door layout this week. Even the four-door layout starts $3,850 above a standard new 40ft high cube ($3,900), which opens at one end only. For doors at both ends instead, a 40ft high cube double door starts at $4,800. In the 20ft size, see the 20ft open side container.
Good for: palletized stock you pick by forklift from the side, and storage with side doors you can reach along its whole length instead of digging from one end.
A new one is a one-trip unit: built overseas, it made a single ocean crossing with cargo before being sold (what one-trip means).
Specs in feet and metric
| Measurement | Feet, inches, pounds | Metric |
|---|---|---|
| Outside (L × W × H) | 40′ × 8′ × 9′6″ | 12.19 × 2.44 × 2.90 m |
| Side opening, full open side | The whole long side, floor to ceiling, no center post | |
| Side openings, four door sets | Four, about 7′8″ × 8′5″ each | about 2.34 × 2.57 m each |
| Tilt-bed truck access | 100–120 ft (30–37 m) of straight approach, 10–14 ft (3–4.3 m) wide; 14–16 ft (4.3–4.9 m) of overhead clearance, about 20 ft (6 m) where the container tilts off; ground that’s firm, dry and level (5° slope at most) | |
Sources: ISO 668 for the outside size (1AAA, the 40ft high cube); four manufacturer and dealer listings for the side door layouts, door sizes and empty weights. Your container’s exact weights are marked on its doors.
Delivery
Away from the seller’s depot, delivery is usually priced by distance, about $4–$6 per mile. Say which way the side with the doors should face, and keep the ground along it clear so every door can swing fully open.
Delivery cost and site checklist · container foundation options
Options & accessories
Add-ons you can order with this container (see all):
- Shipping container lock box ($94)
- Heavy-duty container door lock (from $200)
- Shipping container leveling kit ($195)
- Shipping container vents (from $104)
- Shipping container roll-up door kit (from $617)
Man door, shelving or an installed roll-up door? Ask for a quote. To keep heat and damp out: insulated containers.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a 40 foot shipping container with side doors cost?
New, it starts at $7,750 with four sets of side doors and at $11,480 with a full open side this week, before delivery and sales tax. A standard new 40ft high cube, with doors at one end only, starts at $3,900. Depot listings we recorded this week ran from $6,099 to $9,999 for four door sets and from $9,999 to $15,999 for a full open side, so each quote gives the container price for your address. Compare 40ft containers.
Is there a 40-foot open-side container available for sale?
Yes. New ones come with a full open side or four sets of side doors; fewer depots stock them than standard containers, so only sellers with one for your ZIP can quote it. Used ones are quoted on request: ask for a used one and choose the layout on the request form. If you buy a used open side, check every side door’s hinges, seals and locking bars, and the frame, before you accept it. On a tighter budget, a standard used 40ft high cube starts at $1,980.
Can shipping containers be opened from both sides?
Not a standard one: it opens at one end only. This container opens at one end and along one long side. For doors at both ends, look at a double door (tunnel) container.
How do you transport a 40ft open side container?
On a tilt-bed truck, like any 40ft, with 100–120 ft (30–37 m) of straight approach. It’s heavier than a standard high cube, which weighs 8,200–8,600 lb (3,700–3,900 kg) empty: published figures are about 9,400 lb (4,260 kg) with four sets of side doors and 12,500–13,050 lb (5,660–5,920 kg) with a full open side, so ask each seller which truck it sends. Truck access.
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Illustrative image 20ft Open Side Shipping Container — New (One-Trip)
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