Frequently Asked Questions

Containers come in four grades. One-Trip (New) units have made a single cargo voyage and look near-showroom. Cargo Worthy (CWO) units are certified structurally sound and suitable for export shipping. Wind & Water Tight (WWT) units are guaranteed sealed against the elements for storage. As-Is units are our most economical, sold in their current working condition. Trailers are listed as New (current model year, unregistered, with MCO) or Used — Inspected, which means the frame, deck, coupler, axles, brakes, bearings, lights and tires have all been checked and anything we found is written into the listing.

Five departments. Shipping containers — standard, high cube, open-side and refrigerated (reefer). Office and modular — mobile offices, site offices and custom container builds. Trailers — utility and flatbed, steel and all-aluminum car haulers, dump trailers, enclosed cargo and horse or livestock trailers. Food trucks and concession units, built out and road legal. And site equipment — portable toilets, propane and water tanks. If a spec is not listed, ask us; most are available on short lead times.

A high-cube container is one foot taller than a standard unit — 9ft 6in versus 8ft 6in exterior height — giving roughly 344 extra cubic feet of interior space. High-cubes are the popular choice for container homes, offices and any build where headroom or insulation depth matters.

For a clean finish or a customer-facing build, choose One-Trip (New) on containers or a new-build trailer with its factory warranty. For storage, jobsite security or general hauling, a Cargo Worthy container or an inspected used trailer gives you the same steel at a lower price. Tell us the job and we will point you at the cheapest grade that will do it.

Delivery is free. We include tilt-bed or flatbed freight across the continental United States on every unit, so the price you see is the price delivered to your site.

Most orders arrive on a tilt-bed (roll-off) truck. The bed tilts to the ground and the container slides off as the truck pulls forward, setting it in place — no crane required. For tight-access sites or precise placement, we can arrange crane or forklift delivery for an additional fee. Let us know your access details when you order.

Most in-stock containers dispatch within 1 – 3 business days and arrive within 3 – 10 business days depending on the distance from our yard. Custom-modified units and reefers take longer; we confirm a firm timeline before your order is finalized.

For tilt-bed delivery of a 20ft container, allow roughly 60ft of straight, level clearance in line with the drop point plus room for the truck to maneuver; a 40ft container needs about 100ft. The ground should be firm and reasonably level. If access is limited, tell us in advance and we will plan crane placement instead.

Match your vehicle’s tow rating to the trailer’s GVWR, not to its empty weight — the rating has to cover the trailer plus everything on it. As a rough guide, single-axle utility trailers under 3,500 lb GVWR suit most half-ton trucks and mid-size SUVs; tandem-axle car haulers and dump trailers at 7,000–14,000 lb GVWR want a three-quarter-ton truck or better. Every listing shows the GVWR, and we will confirm the match before you buy.

New trailers ship with a Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin (MCO) and a bill of sale, which is what your DMV needs to register and title the unit. Used trailers come with the existing title or, where the state does not title trailers of that weight class, a bill of sale and the VIN plate. Registration and any sales tax are handled by you at your local DMV.

Steel is cheaper up front, takes abuse well and is easy to weld and repair. Aluminum weighs roughly 25–30% less, does not rust, and lets you carry more within the same tow rating — worth it if you tow often, tow far, or are close to your vehicle’s limit. Both are in stock.

Yes. Lights, wiring, brakes, bearings and tire pressures are checked before dispatch, and any used unit is listed with whatever we found. You still need to register, insure and plate the trailer in your state before towing it.

A firm, level surface is all most containers need. Gravel pads, concrete piers or railroad ties under each corner casting keep the unit level, promote drainage and prevent settling. We recommend leveling within about 1 inch over the length of the container so doors swing and latch correctly.

It depends on your local jurisdiction. Many areas allow a container for temporary storage with no permit, while permanent placement, container homes and offices usually require zoning approval or a building permit. Always check with your city or county before delivery — we can supply spec sheets and drawings to support your application.

Yes. Our fabrication team adds personnel doors, roll-up doors, windows, HVAC, insulation, electrical packages, shelving, partitions and custom paint to containers, and builds out mobile offices, workshops and food-truck kitchens to spec. Send us your requirements and we will quote a turnkey build.

Yes. Every Wind & Water Tight, Cargo Worthy and One-Trip container is sealed against wind and rain, fitted with marine-grade lockboxes or secure locking bars, and covered by our Five-Point Check.

We accept direct bank transfer (ACH / wire), credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Amex), Zelle, Chime and Apple Pay. You pick your method at checkout and we email your invoice with the matching payment instructions. Financing is available on request.

Yes, financing is available on request for qualifying orders. Contact our sales team at sales@bernalcontainers.com or call us and we will walk you through the options.

Absolutely. Our yard welcomes visitors Monday to Friday, 8AM – 6PM, and Saturday 9AM – 2PM. Call ahead so we can have the unit you are interested in pulled out and ready to inspect. If you cannot make it in person, we will walk the unit on a video call.

You have 30 days from the delivery date to request a return on a delivered, undamaged container that is still in the same condition and grade in which it was supplied. Email support@bernalcontainers.com within those 30 days for a Return Authorization (RA) number, then arrange collection within 14 days of the RA being issued. Returns are subject to a restocking fee of up to 25% plus return freight at your expense.

Yes. You can cancel for a full refund, including any deposit, as long as we have not yet dispatched the container or scheduled tilt-bed freight. Once freight is scheduled or the unit has left our yard, the deposit and any non-recoverable freight costs may be forfeited.

Units modified, cut, painted or fitted out after delivery; custom or made-to-order modular structures; As-Is graded units, which are sold without a condition guarantee; and containers placed into service or relocated from the delivery address. Damage found at delivery is handled separately — note it on the driver’s receipt before signing and email us within 24 hours.

Approved refunds are processed within 14 business days of the returned unit being received and inspected, or of an approved cancellation. Refunds go back to the original payment method in US Dollars, and your bank or card issuer may take a further 3 – 5 business days to post the credit.