Know how to sell a shipping container: Best online marketplace [2024]

Curious about how to sell a shipping container? In this blog, get top tips on preparing and selling boxes. Find reputable buyers quickly and easily on Container xChange, a safe and secure online container marketplace.

If you sell containers offline, we know the struggles you face. All that calling and emailing can leave you feeling despondent especially when the market is down. Not to mention the stress around making secure payments, or weeding out unreliable buyers.

Container xChange is the online container marketplace your business is missing. We’ve got 1,700+ vetted container users in over 2500 locations waiting to buy containers from you.

Each of our members goes through a mandatory approval process before joining xChange. So you can finally focus on what matters most, making great deals with buyers. Moreover, you can read reviews and ratings before choosing who to work with.

Want to see just how easy it is to find buying demands on our platform? Get a sneak peek of how xChange works with our trading public search below.

How to sell a shipping container

So you’ve got containers, and you want to sell them as quickly and easily as possible? Here are the first steps you should take:

• Before you do anything else, make sure you research the market, so that you know what the current buying and selling prices are. You don’t want to be charging too much or too little for your containers. Click here to see real-time container prices globally for free.
• Next, get your containers inspected by a licensed surveyor. This will help you determine the condition of your boxes (wind and water tight, cargo-worthy, or as-is).
• Do any necessary repairs and touch-ups (these will be recommended by the surveyor).
• Get all certifications and licenses sorted.
• Decide where you want to sell your boxes: offline or online.

Now, let’s take a closer look at where you can sell containers…

Where to sell shipping containers?

There are two main avenues to selling containers: online or offline.

Offline container sales require you to have a wide network of possible buyers. You also need to be established in the container trading world due to word-of-mouth.

This means building good business relationships with companies and fostering trust and reliability over time. Then, whenever you’ve got containers available, you call up your connections to see who’s interested, and negotiate a deal.

Selling in person requires a lot of manual work. You’ve got to send out lots of emails, and make dozens of calls before you’re likely to get a buyer. For this reason, many sellers use a container broker to do the bulk of the dirty work.

The plus to in-person selling? Buyers can come and look at your boxes in real life to see if they’re happy with the condition, color and size.

Online container sales are more popular these days, with an array of platforms now available for trading and leasing boxes. The problem? Deciding on one that meets all of your needs.

The platform you choose should be safe, vet members for you, and manage the trading process from end to end. Otherwise, you’re going to be doing a lot of manual work. Again. You’ll also need to find out what fees are included and how much commission is taken off for container sales.

Container xChange is one such online container marketplace that helps you find reliable buyers quickly and conveniently. Choose who you want to do business with globally, in just a few steps. Click below to get a demo of our trading platform, and learn more about our features and benefits today.

Sell shipping containers on Container xChange trading marketplace

The demand for shipping containers varies by region, affecting how and where you sell. Container xChange connects you with buyers globally, offering shipping containers for sale in numerous locations. This broad network helps you find the right market for your containers, optimizing your sales strategy based on regional demand.

On our online trading platform, you can connect with buyers interested in trading containers, on your terms. All you have to do is submit the features of your containers, including the number of units, container type, location, and condition. You’ll then be shown a list of buying offers with matching requirements. Browse through the interested buyers and contact those who meet your price expectations. It’s that easy!

Here are some of the perks of using Container xChange to sell your shipping containers:

Extend your network of buyers & sell globally

On Container xChange, reach 1,700+ vetted and approved partners whenever you put up a container for sale. Finally, a single platform where you can reach buyers in over 2,500+ locations, looking for the exact container type you’re selling.

Concerned because you’re a smaller player? On xChange, everyone is equal! You’ll have access to the biggest names in the industry, right from the get go. So you can build relationships with reputable partners of all kinds.

Manage container deals & documents in one place

Container xChange is an all-in-one platform: make deals, manage payments and handle documents, without switching tabs or accounts once.

Access your transaction history at any time, and receive just one invoice at the end of each month. Approve invoices online, and get payments credited in real-time. Say goodbye to approving piles of paper invoices once and for all.

Payment services at no cost

All payments are handled directly on xChange, at no extra cost to you. What’s more, we don’t charge any commission on deals. Just think of all the money you’ll be saving?

Communicate directly with buyers

Tired of middlemen complicating processes and taking a huge cut of your profit? We get it! On xChange, communicate directly with your buyers right from the start. Negotiate the terms and conditions, as well as a price that works for everyone. Build strong business relationships and foster trust with partners by working with them directly.

Ready to find trusted buyers, make deals that work for you, and manage payments all on one platform? Click below to learn more about how to sell your shipping containers on Container xChange.

How to know real-time container prices globally

Want to keep up-to-date with the latest container prices around the world? Besides learning all about how to sell your boxes, it’s also important to keep up-to-date with price trends. This ensures you know what a fair price is when making container sales. Our Insights platform is your guide to current container prices around the world.

Get a global overview of container prices in 60 locations to stay on top of what you should be charging for your boxes. Keep your finger on the pulse with data updated daily. Get the latest intel on the cheapest and most expensive locations to sell and buy boxes in.

With Insights, you can react quickly to market changes that work in your favor, without having to check multiple sources. At last, a transparent pricing platform that helps you make smarter selling and buying decisions.

Get quick access to current prices, compare locations and make informed trading decisions in no time at all. Finally, daily container price insights are just a few clicks away:

Maximize your earnings with the buy-reposition-sell strategy

You can earn profits from buying containers in cheap locations, repositioning them, and then selling them in highly profitable locations.

How? Insights is the perfect tool to help you with this! By keeping tabs on the cheapest and most expensive locations to buy and sell boxes, you can use this to your complete advantage.

Here are the basic steps to get you started:

Step 1: Use our trading marketplace to buy containers at competitive prices. The trick is to select locations like China, the US, or the UK; where there is a high leasing demand. This way, you aren’t repositioning the boxes empty. It’s a win-win!

Step 2: Lease out/reposition the boxes. Use the leasing marketplace to check the current demand, as well as pick-up charges for your one-way move to a location with high container demand.

Step 3: Use either our trading marketplace to sell the containers back at a profit, or continue leasing them on the leasing platform.

Interested in how leasing works on Container xChange? Want to know more about a specific route? Click here to talk to one of our experts today, and get all the answers you’re looking for.

How to prepare your containers for sale

Before you sell your boxes, you’ve got to get them ‘sale ready’. This means checking if your boxes are fit for shipping.

Container survey & inspection

First things first, you’ll need a container survey and inspection done. The surveyor will do all of the necessary checks and confirm the condition of your box. They’ll also let you know what kinds of repairs are needed before your container can receive the correct certificates for shipping.

Once you’re a member of Container xChange, you’ll be able to access container surveys of various types, including damage surveys. We offer surveys in over 4000 unique locations on our platform.

Curious about the container conditions we mentioned earlier? Here’s a little more information about each condition:

Container condition	Explanation
Cargo-worthy	Cargo-worthy containers are boxes deemed suitable to carry cargo on shipping liners. These containers have been awarded CSC plates to show that they’ve passed the necessary safety tests.
WWT	WWT (wind and watertight) boxes are also safety-approved, and often have CSC plates. However, they are usually older or in a worse condition than cargo-worthy boxes. WWT boxes may have often undergone repairs, and be dented and scuffed. They are most commonly used as storage containers.
As-is	As-is containers are no longer suitable for shipping, and often, not even for storage. They are heavily damaged containers.

Certification and licenses

To use a container for shipping, it’ll need a CSC inspection and a valid CSC plate. If this plate has expired, a new inspection and plate will be needed.

The CSC plate indicates that a container has passed the necessary tests, meets minimum standards for capacity, and can withstand the harsh weather conditions at sea.

Grow your container selling business on Container xChange

Now that you know how to sell a shipping container, are you ready to take your business to the next level? It couldn’t be easier than with our trading platform. Say goodbye to sitting on the phone, switching between online accounts, and researching buyers for hours.

Once you’re a member of our online container trading marketplace, you simply have to make your units available on the platform, to start trading without any hassles. These are the simple steps to selling your containers on xChange:

Once you sign up, you’ll undergo a quick background check. This ensures a safe and smooth trading experience for all our members. Then, find reliable buyers, chat with partners directly, and manage all your payments in one place – everything need to grow your business smoothly.

So why not start with a free demo with one of our friendly and helpful experts? Here, you’ll get a complete tour of the marketplace, plus a chance to ask any burning questions you have about container trading. Click below to set up your demo today:

How do you sell a shipping container?

While shipping containers have often been sold offline in the past, sellers are now looking for credible platforms to sell through. It’s best to use a reliable online marketplace, where all sellers and buyers have been vetted and pre-approved before joining the platform.

How much are shipping containers worth?

Shipping container prices vary depending on the condition, type, and location of the box. For a standard 20ft container in Los Angeles, you’re looking at US $2,395, in New York, US $2,787 and in Houston, US $2,616.

Is there a big market for selling shipping containers?

There is a big market for trading shipping containers, especially used/cargo-worthy boxes, as they’re much cheaper than new boxes. You can also make money buying containers in cheap areas, repositioning them, and selling them again in more expensive areas.