Used 53ft High Cube Shipping Container

What makes a 53ft different

Two things set it apart from a 40ft: 13 more feet of length, and 6 more inches of width. Inside, it measures about 8′2″ (2.49 m) across, the only container with more than 8 feet of inside width, so two standard pallets fit side by side and 8-foot sheets lie flat. That works out to about 30 standard US pallets (48 × 40 in) on one layer and about 3,880 cu ft (110 m³) of space, against 20 standard US pallets (48 × 40 in) and about 2,690 cu ft (76.2 m³) in a 40ft high cube.

It’s a domestic container. Railroads and intermodal carriers run some 336,500 of them on US rail, moving freight by train and truck, not by ship. The used price here is for wind & watertight units. The cargo worthy grade is about ocean shipping, which a 53ft doesn’t do, so if a seller offers one as cargo worthy (quoted on request here), ask what it checked to grade it. A life on rail also tends to mean less salt-air corrosion than years at sea.

The size has a cost: fewer depots stock a 53ft, and it takes a longer truck and more room to set down. Sellers that have one quote a delivered price for your address; ask each which truck it sends.

Good for: pallets stored two across, lumber and long materials, or a large workshop.

Specs in feet and metric

Sources: partner specifications for the 53ft domestic high cube; inside and door sizes from a second US seller; North American intermodal fleet data. Your container’s exact weights are marked on its doors.

Delivery

For a 53ft, ask each seller which truck it sends and how much space it needs.

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

What does a used 53ft container cost?

From $9,500 for the box alone this week, with delivery and sales tax on the quote. Listings at the depots that stock it ran from $8,299 to $12,999, depending on the location.

How heavy is a 53 ft shipping container?

About 12,100 lb (5,490 kg) empty, roughly 45% more than a 40ft high cube at 8,200–8,600 lb (3,700–3,900 kg). Plan the delivery and the ground under it for that weight.

What is the size of a 53-foot container?

Outside, 53′ × 8′6″ × 9′6″. The inside gives about 52′3″ of length, 8′2″ of width and 8′10″ of headroom, and the end doors open about 8′2″ × 8′5″. Metric sizes are in the specs.

Are there 53-foot ocean containers?

Not in regular ocean service. The 53ft is a domestic container, built to move freight by rail and truck within North America; the ocean fleet is mostly 20ft and 40ft.

Can I buy a new 53ft container?

Yes, on request: choose New (one-trip) in the box next to the price. They’re rarer still: new 53ft units listed at $22,995 this week, usually stocked at a single West Coast port and shipped from there, so the distance shows in each delivered price. Ask for prices on a new 53ft.

Should I get a 53ft or a 40ft high cube?

A used 40ft high cube starts at $1,980 this week, $7,520 less than the 53ft. Pick the 53ft if you need the width for pallets two across or 8-foot sheets, or the extra 13 feet; pick the used 40ft high cube if the site is tight or the budget comes first.