New and used shipping containers for sale and hire in Townsville and across North Queensland — from Kirwan and the northern beaches to Ayr, Ingham and Charters Towers, quoted as one delivered price.
Supplying Townsville's defence, mining and construction sectors along with households needing solid, lockable storage.
Areas we service around Townsville: Townsville, Kirwan, Ayr, Charters Towers, Ingham — and everywhere between. Not listed? Ask us — we go further than you'd think.
Townsville is the hub for our North Queensland work. The Bruce Highway carries containers south to Ayr and the Burdekin and north to Ingham and the Herbert River cane country; the Flinders Highway takes them west to Charters Towers. Within the city we deliver from the port side out through Kirwan, Deeragun and the northern beaches to acreage blocks past the Bohle. Wherever it is, you get one number for the container and the delivery, and we confirm timing when you book.
A 20ft container comes on a tilt-tray and needs roughly 3.5m of clear width and about 15m of straight run to back in and tilt off; a 40ft arrives on a sidelifter and wants around 30m of room. In the wet season, firm ground matters more than anything — a spot that is fine in August can bog a loaded truck in February. If timing allows, book the delivery for the dry. Our delivery page shows what the truck needs at your end.
Townsville is a garrison city, and defence families posting in and out are steady customers: a 20ft on hire or bought outright for household contents between houses, or long-term storage for the gear that does not fit married quarters. Contractors and mining-services businesses take containers as site stores and workshop overflow, often on hire for the length of a contract. Down in the Burdekin and up around Ingham, cane farmers use 20ft and 40ft containers for chemicals, irrigation fittings and the tools that vanish from open sheds. Charters Towers is graziers and small mining outfits wanting lockable steel a long way from the nearest hardware shop.
For most of that, a used cargo-worthy container is the right buy. New (single-trip) units go to anyone fitting the box out as an office or workshop, or putting it where customers will see it.
North Queensland storage has to survive months of heat, humidity and heavy rain. Sealed steel does that well, with two provisos. Ventilate — a whirlybird or side vents stops the container sweating inside — and never lock damp gear in. Site it on sleepers or concrete blocks under the corner castings, on ground that drains, with the doors facing away from the weather. A container keeps rain out from above; it is not a flood measure and we will not tell you it is. On an exposed block, talk to an engineer or installer about anchoring before cyclone season, not after.
On grade, the North Queensland rule is simple: if the contents need to stay dry through a wet season, buy cargo-worthy, which is inspected and sold wind and watertight. As-is containers cost less because they are not sold as watertight, and they suit steel, tyres and gear that lives outdoors anyway. Your quote states the grade, and we can send photos of the actual container on request before it is delivered.
Townsville is called the dry tropics for good reason: long, dry winters and a wet season that can drop a lot of rain in a short time. The dry months are the easy time for deliveries onto rural blocks and unsealed yards. In the wet, heavy clay soils in parts of the city and out on the plains can stay soft for days. The city's 2019 flood is a fresh reminder of what water can do here. A container is lockable steel storage that keeps rain out from above; it is not flood protection. Site it on your highest firm ground, on blocks, and keep what matters off the floor.
Townsville's industrial areas — Bohle, Garbutt, Mount St John and around the port — are where trades and mining-services firms buy containers as permanent stores, often a 40ft on hardstand. The western suburbs from Kirwan through Condon and Kelso, and Douglas near the university, are households and renters: moving storage, renovations, and students or families needing a box for a few months. The northern beaches from Bushland Beach to Saunders Beach, and acreage out at Alice River and Black River, are bigger blocks with room for a 20ft down the side.
Magnetic Island is reached by vehicle ferry. If you need a container on the island, ask us first — it depends on the ferry, the truck and the island roads.
An unshaded container in a Townsville summer gets very hot inside. That is fine for tools and steel, and a problem for anything that softens, spoils or warps. Paint it a light colour, shade it where you can, and fit vents so hot air has somewhere to go. For a workspace, a high cube leaves room to insulate the roof.
Brisbane-depot guide pricing — local Townsville pricing varies with depot stock, and freight is quoted upfront with your quote.
Price guide only — Brisbane-depot floor pricing; regional prices vary with local stock and freight. Call 1300 235 972 for today's exact price, delivered.
Yes — all three are regular runs out of Townsville along the Bruce and Flinders highways. Tell us the property and the access and we will quote container plus delivery as one number.
Yes. A 20ft on flexible hire terms is the usual pick for household contents between houses or for a deployment. It is delivered to the site and picked up when you are done, and recent hire can be credited toward a purchase if you decide to keep it.
On an exposed block it is worth doing. A container is heavy but it is not cyclone-proof, and an empty one presents a lot of wall to the wind. Talk to an engineer or installer about anchoring before the season, not during a warning.
Ask us first. It depends on vehicle ferry access for the truck and on the island roads and your block. Send the address and photos and we will tell you whether it can be done.
Shade it, keep the roof a light colour, fit vents high and low, and leave an air gap underneath. For a workspace, insulate the roof. Nothing makes a steel box cool in summer, but those steps take the worst of the heat out.
Timing depends on stock and the truck schedule; we confirm it when you book.
Delivery is quoted upfront based on your exact address and container size — one clear number covering container + freight, GST inclusive. Call 1300 235 972 for a delivered price today.
Ask us and we'll send photos of your actual container — serial number visible — before it's delivered. Local inspection options depend on depot stock; ask when you enquire.
Quotes within the hour*
Tell us what you need and we'll come back with a straight price — container plus delivery to Townsville, no surprises.
*During business hours. After hours, first thing next morning.
Access widths, ground prep and truck types — everything to sort before delivery day so your container lands exactly where you want it.
Hire runs $27–45/week; buying a used 20ft starts around $2,200. The crossover maths, plus the factors that shift it either way.
Fake container sellers are rife on marketplaces and search ads. The red flags to spot, the checks that take five minutes, and what to do if you've already been stung.