Frequently Asked Questions

Shipping

How do you ship?

We ship LTL (Less Than Truckload), Truckloads, UPS, Federal Express and sea containers. We can use either the customer's preferred shipper or choose one for them.

What is the best way to ship a steel container?

It depends on the quantity being shipped, the location, and the size of the containers. Containers in small quantities up to the 55-gallon size can ship UPS. Larger quantities of steel containers go either LTL or truckload. A simple rule to keep in mind is the larger the quantity you have shipped at once, the less you will pay per container for freight.

What quantities can ship UPS?

Generally, quantities of up to 10 steel containers can ship via UPS for drums 55 gallons or smaller. For drums that are 10 gallons or less, UPS will accept larger quantities.

What quantities should ship via truck?

Quantities of 10 or more are shipped LTL. For 55-gallon containers, orders for quantities of 8 or more are shipped LTL.

How many steel containers fit on a pallet/on a truck?

The number of steel containers that fit on a single pallet varies depending on the size of the container and the size of the pallet. As a rule of thumb, for a 48" x 48" pallet the totals would be the following (assuming that the container is a 53 foot trailer 102" wide.). View Details.

5 gallon	63 per skid (all 5, 8, 10 and 16 gallon drums have 9 per row on each pallet) and 1638 per trailer
8 gallon	56 and 1456 per trailer
10 gallon	45 and 1170 per trailer
16 gallon	27 and 702 per trailer
20 gallon	20 and 520 per trailer
30 gallon	15 and 390 per trailer
55 gallon	4 per layer, 8 per skid, 208 per trailer
85 gallon	3 per layer, 6 per skid and 156 per trailer
96 gallon	3 per layer and 6 per skid and 156 per trailer
110 gallon	1, total of 26 per trailer

Note that loading trailers is not an exact science but these numbers are very close to actual capacities

How can you tell if my order shipped?

We can confirm whether an order has shipped over the phone, via fax or email within a few minutes.

Can you trace a shipment?

Yes, we can. Just contact us and we will trace your shipment to see the transit status.