Quick Answer: Van Blanc keeps new shipping containers for sale at 4 Brantford yards. New means one-trip: one loaded voyage from the factory. Stocked 20ft, 40ft and high cube units reach most of Ontario in 1 to 3 days, paid on arrival. Since 1995, rated 4.9 stars across 140+ Google reviews.
New grey, military-spec 20ft, while they last
A small run of gunmetal grey 20ft one-trip containers with naval anchor-marked doors and 14 vents came into the rows at 90 Morton Avenue East. Specs and photos of the grey 20ft run
New Shipping Containers for Sale: One-Trip Explained
A new shipping container is a steel box that has made exactly one loaded voyage, from the factory to its first port. The trade calls that box one-trip, and buyers call it new, so Van Blanc lists one-trip units under both names. The China Container Industry Association puts China at 96% of world container output, and its factories built a record 8.1 million TEU in 2024, The Loadstar reported. Our own product pages list every new ocean box as a single voyage from Asia.
That one working voyage is the whole difference between a new container and the imaginary never-used one, and it is why suppliers say one-trip when buyers say new. What lands in our rows has factory paint in a clean uniform colour, like-new marine-ply floors, door gaskets that have sealed exactly one trip’s weather, and a valid CSC plate.
The 53ft is the one size that never sees salt water. A 53ft domestic high cube is built to Association of American Railroads rules. A new one has made a single trip on North American road or rail, and it carries no CSC plate. The new 20ft, 40ft, 40ft high cube and 45ft high cube are ISO ocean boxes, graded at the top of the four grades the industry uses.
New units can carry minor handling marks. Cranes, chassis and forklifts touch every container between the factory and our rows, so a scuff on the paint or a small crease in a panel is possible. We point them out before you commit, and Paul or Christian LeBlanc can walk the row with you at 90 Morton Avenue East while you pick your exact unit.
Paul LeBlanc, owner, Van Blanc: “A new box gets lifted on and off a ship and onto a truck before it reaches our rows, and any one of those lifts can leave a mark. I would rather show you a scuff in our rows than have you find it in your driveway.”
Where New Shipping Containers Are Built
New shipping containers come from a short list of factories, nearly all of them in China. In 2021, The Loadstar reported that CIMC’s purchase of Maersk’s box-building arm confirmed CIMC as the world’s largest container producer, with a 42% global market share. The same report put CIMC, Dong Fang International Container and CXIC together at 82% of the market. A new 20ft or 40ft standing in our Morton Avenue East rows most likely came off one of those lines. It crossed the ocean once with cargo inside, then came inland to Ontario.
You can read the factory’s work right off the door. The Bureau International des Containers notes that every CSC plate must show the month and year the container was built, along with the manufacturer’s container identification number. On a new box that build date is recent, which is the plainest proof you are looking at new stock and not a repainted veteran. Ask us to photograph the plate on a new 20ft standard or whichever size you are pricing, and the build month and the maker’s number arrive with the quote.
Why Buy a New Shipping Container?
A new container buys you the longest service life of any grade and the cleanest starting point. Door hardware works one-handed because nothing has seized. The floor has carried one cargo, and the paint is one uniform factory colour that looks right at a business address or in a backyard. New containers also hold their resale value better than any used grade, so the box on your lot stays an asset you can sell later. So when a business asks whether owning a shipping container pays, the usual answer is yes. A box you own has no monthly fee, and it still has a resale price when the job ends.
New stock now arrives with three door layouts: the standard four low handles, comfort-height handles at waist level, and a single-lever easy-open door. Our guide to standard, comfort-height and easy-open handles shows what changes when you open the box every day. Lockboxes ship as standard on most new containers, and a lockbox shields the padlock itself. Most new boxes also ship with 2 to 4 passive vents near the roof line, and more can be added in our shop before delivery.
New boxes are built from corrugated weathering steel, often called corten, and on a new box it starts with no rust to chase. How corten steel weathers in Ontario covers why a sound factory coating matters through freeze and thaw. A Van Blanc quote on a new unit names the size, the grade and the container number, so the box you pick is the box that arrives.
The Grade Ladder and Your Quote
We grade containers four ways, and one-trip sits at the top. The four are One-Trip (essentially new), Cargo Worthy (certified for shipping), Wind and Water Tight (the storage workhorse), and As-Is (the project box). Condition is the single biggest driver of what a container costs, and our posted prices for new and used boxes show how far apart they sit. How each grade lands on the price walks the ladder rung by rung.
| Grade | What it is | Floors and doors | Suits | Place on the quote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One-Trip (new) | One loaded voyage from the factory | Like-new floor, factory paint, tight seals | Modifications, business addresses, decades of service | Top of the ladder; holds resale value best |
| Cargo Worthy | Used 8 to 15 years, plate re-certified for shipping | Sound floor, working doors, surface rust | Export, working storage; the most popular grade we sell | Mid-ladder; certification carries cost |
| Wind and Water Tight | Used 12+ years, plate may have lapsed | Sealed and dry, heavier surface rust | Static storage on a pad | Below cargo worthy |
| As-Is | The project box, defects disclosed in writing | Expect repairs | Donor shells, welding projects | Lowest steel price in our rows |
Those ages count the years a box has already been in use. A one-trip unit has worked one voyage, which is why new steel suits a build that has to last. Whichever grade fits the job, each of the new and used units we list carries its own container number on the quote. A buyer who asks for a brand-new sea can or a one-trip cargo container is asking for this same box under another name.
Modification Builds Start on Fresh Steel
New is the right starting canvas for an office, a bar, a cafe build-out, or anything else from the doors, windows and insulation we fit in our shop. Straight walls take framing cleanly, fresh floors take finishes, and nothing structural needs rehabilitation before the build starts. A container home starts from new steel for the same reasons. Permits are managed by your municipality, so your local building or planning department is the place to ask before you order. Man doors and windows are cut under engineered drawings, so the box keeps its strength. Roll-up doors run up to 10 feet wide, and a roll-up door framed into a new box tracks true because the corrugations are straight.
Insulation follows the same logic. Our shop sprays closed-cell foam over a new box and lines it, and recent stock has included a new unit already insulated, framed and wired with shelving inside. The factory-panel and spray-foamed insulated units page compares the options. Every modification is finished at our Brantford yards before the truck loads, and your own licensed electrician connects the power on site and books the ESA inspection. Used steel can carry a modification too; cutting into a used sea can has its own field guide.
New Containers for Sale by Size
New stock at Van Blanc follows inbound loads, so the mix changes week to week. The table shows each size we sell new, what we usually hold across our 4 Brantford yards, and how it reaches your site.
| New size | What we usually hold | How it reaches you |
|---|---|---|
| The 20ft one-trip standard | Our most-sold size, also stocked in cargo worthy grade | 1 to 3 days from stock |
| Standard 40ft boxes in one-trip grade | Carried at all times | 1 to 3 days from stock |
| One-trip 40ft high cubes, a foot of extra headroom | 15 to 30 high cubes across all grades | 1 to 3 days from stock |
| The 45ft high cube in new condition | A standing stock of 6 to 12 in mixed grades | 1 to 3 days from stock, or brought in to order in 2 to 4 weeks |
| 53ft domestic high cube | Usually sourced to order; fleet orders of 10 to 20 supplied regularly | 2 to 4 weeks to order |
| Factory-built 10ft boxes, plus new cut-downs made from a new 20ft | True tens are scarce and sell quickly when a batch lands | From the batch on hand |
| Minis from 5 ft 7 in up to 12 ft | Some new and some repainted, with cargo, man or roll-up doors | As stock allows |
| One-trip 20ft reefers and a 40ft high cube reefer in new grade | 1 to 3 of the 40ft reefers usually on the ground | Call for the unit in the rows today |
Inventory turns over weekly, so call for what is on the ground today rather than trusting any list, including this one. A Van Blanc call settles it in a minute: give the size and grade, and we tell you which numbered units are in our rows.
Inside Dimensions, Doors and Weights
Outside, every new ocean container is 8 ft wide, standard boxes stand 8 ft 6 in tall and high cubes 9 ft 6 in. The 53ft runs 8 ft 6 in wide. The table below gives the figures that decide what fits, taken from the spec sheets on our own product pages.
| Size | Inside space | Door opening | Cubic capacity | Tare (empty) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20ft standard | Long 5.898 m (19 ft 4 in) Wide 2.352 m (7 ft 8 in) High 2.385 m (7 ft 10 in) | 7 ft 8 in wide by 7 ft 6 in high | 33.2 m³ (1,172 cu ft) | 2,260 kg (4,982 lb) |
| 40ft standard, 42G1 | Long 12.040 m (39 ft 6 in) Wide 2.337 m (7 ft 8 in) High 2.388 m (7 ft 10 in) | 7 ft 8 in wide by 7 ft 6 in high | 67.8 m³ (2,395 cu ft) | 3,780 kg (8,333 lb) |
| 40ft high cube | Long 12.040 m (39 ft 6 in) Wide 2.337 m (7 ft 8 in) High 2.692 m (8 ft 10 in) | 7 ft 8 in wide by 8 ft 6 in high | 76.1 m³ (2,689 cu ft) | 3,980 kg (8,775 lb) |
| 45ft high cube, ocean-rated | Long 13.556 m (44 ft 6 in) Wide 2.347 m (7 ft 8 in) High 2.696 m (8 ft 10 in) | 7 ft 8 in wide by 8 ft 6 in high | 86.0 m³ (3,040 cu ft) | 4,900 kg (10,800 lb) |
| 53ft high cube (domestic) | Long 15.951 m (52 ft 4 in) Wide 2.489 m (8 ft 2 in) High 2.769 m (9 ft 1 in) | 8 ft 2 in wide by 9 ft 1 in high | 110.5 m³ (3,901 cu ft) | 5,020 kg (11,070 lb) |
Our 40ft high cube page lists the same volume, 2,689 cu ft (76.1 m³). New refrigerated units run smaller inside because of insulation. Pallet counts follow the floor. A 20ft takes 10 standard 48 by 40 inch pallets and a 40ft takes 20. A 45ft high cube holds 24 to 26, and a 53ft 28 to 30.
Options that shape the quote: a lockbox comes on most one-trip units, and vents, premium locking, and colour availability vary by inbound load; ask when you call. If two lengths both fit your site, every size side by side, outside dimensions included settles it.
New vs Used, Side by Side
| Attribute | New (One-Trip) | Used (Cargo Worthy / WWT) |
|---|---|---|
| Condition on arrival | Factory paint, minor handling marks at most | Cosmetic wear: dents, surface rust, paint variance |
| Floors | Like-new marine ply, one cargo carried | Serviceable, years of forklift traffic |
| Age of the box | One voyage, recent build date on the plate | Used 8 to 15 years (cargo worthy) or 12+ years (WWT) |
| CSC plate | Plate from the factory, current for marine use | Re-certified on cargo worthy; may be expired on WWT |
| As a modification canvas | Straight walls, clean floors, build starts immediately | Workable; the cut station is checked before we quote |
| Resale value | Holds value best of any grade | Lower entry, lower resale |
| Availability | Tied to inbound loads; call for this week’s stock | 200-plus graded units in the rows |
Both columns are good boxes, and the job decides between them. New earns its place on a conversion, a visible placement or a box you plan to keep for decades. Used cargo worthy steel covers lockable storage and export with a valid plate. A wind and water tight box is made for a spot where it will sit for years. Tell Van Blanc the job on a call and we will match the grade and size to it.
Checking a New Container on Arrival
A new container should look and work like new on the day it lands, and a short walk-around proves it. Van Blanc buyers can do the same checks at our yards before they pay or on their own ground once the truck has set the box down. A few minutes per box covers it, and the full ten-point walk goes deeper if you want it.
- Match the container number on the doors to the number on your quote. Under the BIC system it reads as a three-letter owner code, the letter U, six digits and a check digit.
- Read the CSC safety approval plate on the left door. The build date should be recent, and most one-trip units carry an ACEP reference. Reading each line of a CSC plate explains every field.
- Open both cargo doors. The locking bars should turn without a fight, the cams should seat in their keepers, and the rubber door seals should meet all the way round.
- Check the lockbox and count the vents. A plain new box usually has 2 to 4; the grey military-spec run has 14.
- Step inside and close the doors. No daylight should show at the roof seams or corners, and the plywood floor should be clean and dry.
- Walk the outside. Any handling scuff we showed you before you paid should be the only one, and the corner castings should be square and undamaged.
- Once the box is placed, check that it sits level and the doors swing and seal. Photograph it before the driver leaves.
If a door fights you, opening cargo doors in the right order saves a strained back. If you are driving in from Toronto or Hamilton to see the steel first, what to bring on a yard visit keeps the trip to one stop.
Buying a New Container, Step by Step
Payment is on delivery, never a deposit. You pick your exact new unit in our Brantford rows or over a video call, by its container number. We photograph that unit and its CSC plate so you see the steel before you commit. Our driver calls before the run and the tilt-deck places it where you point on the quoted date. You pay on delivery, when the bin is on your ground, not before. Those steps also let you buy a new shipping container online, by video call and photos, without making the drive to Brantford.
Van Blanc takes draft cheque, cash, wire transfer or a credit card authorization form. If a business would rather spread the cost, an equipment loan through your own lender is the usual route. We supply the invoice, grade and container number the lender asks for. Fleet buyers ordering several new boxes get one quote for the whole order, delivery runs included.
Tilt-Deck Delivery Day
Most Van Blanc containers leave Brantford on one of our own tilt-deck trucks: the trailer tips, the container slides off, and it lands level at ground height. Plan on about 75 to 100 feet of straight pull-out behind the truck on a 20ft, and 120 to 130 feet on a 40ft or a high cube. The truck also needs about 12 feet of width and firm ground that will carry its load. The pull-out room a tilt-deck needs has a measure-your-site checklist.
Overhead clearance matters most on a new high cube. Plan for at least 14 feet clear of wires and branches for a standard box and 16 feet for a high cube, along the whole approach. Where a trailer cannot line up with the spot, a HIAB crane lift swings the box in from the road. A standard HIAB reaches about 6 to 7 metres with an empty 20ft, and most 40ft placements call for a heavy-range crane. Asphalt, packed earth, gravel or even level lawn in a dry week will take the truck. Blocks or ties under the four corners keep a new floor off wet ground.
If you are unsure about your site, a five-minute phone call settles it: describe the driveway and we will walk it with you before anything is booked.
New Shipping Container Prices
New shipping container prices sit at the top of the grade ladder. A brand-new 20ft sits at the low end of the full-size new boxes because it has the least steel. Size and grade move a Van Blanc quote first. Factory output and ocean freight move it next, since nearly every new box is built in China and shipped here. Delivery is charged per kilometre from our Brantford terminal, and modifications are quoted line by line.
An average price for Canada says little about the box you would actually buy. It mixes 20ft and 40ft units, Vancouver and Ontario freight, new and used grades. Anyone can buy their own shipping container outright, and the useful number is the landed one: container, delivery and placement in a single figure for your postal code. Send us the size and the delivery postal code, and Van Blanc sends that all-in number back, usually the same day.
A new box listed far below every Ontario yard fits the scam pattern. Buyers still phone us about a cheaper Facebook bin, and some ring back two weeks later, scammed. The deposit trick behind fake listings shows how it works, and our free listing checker runs any ad through the same tests in about five minutes.
Delivery Distances Across Ontario
New shipping containers leave Van Blanc’s Brantford yards for every corner of southern Ontario, and the quote always includes the trip. Hamilton is the closest large city on the list, 34.7 km from the Morton Avenue East yard, and Union Station in Toronto is 98.2 km. Road distances below come from the OSRM route planner on OpenStreetMap data.
| Destination | Road distance from 90 Morton Ave E | Planned lead time |
|---|---|---|
| Hamilton City Hall | 34.7 km | 1 to 3 days |
| Kitchener City Hall and Waterloo Region | 47.4 km | 1 to 3 days |
| Mississauga, Square One | 79.2 km | 1 to 3 days |
| Brampton City Hall and Peel deliveries | 93.1 km | 1 to 3 days |
| London City Hall | 94.5 km | 1 to 3 days |
| Toronto, Union Station | 98.2 km | 1 to 3 days |
| Niagara Falls City Hall, down the QEW | 108.8 km | 1 to 3 days |
| Oshawa City Hall | 157.9 km | 1 to 3 days |
| Barrie City Hall, up Highway 400 | 176.9 km | 1 to 3 days |
| Windsor City Hall at the end of the 401 | 271.0 km | 1 to 3 days |
| Kingston City Hall | 361.0 km | 1 to 3 days |
| Ottawa City Hall, an eastern long-haul run | 548.2 km | 1 to 3 days |
Lead times are for stocked new units. A 45ft or 53ft brought in to order adds its 2 to 4 weeks first, and every quote comes with a real lead time, not a hopeful one. For a town that is not in the table, the postal code on the quote prices the trip. We deliver to over 160 Ontario communities, and the full list of towns we deliver to shows each one.
What Buyers Say
“I needed a container and after a bit of research I chose Van Blanc and I’m so glad I did. Great people to deal with. Don’t waste your time with Facebook. Just call Van Blanc and get your container from them. You won’t be disappointed.”
“Purchased my shipping container 2 weeks ago from Van Blanc, and he has his work down to a science. No hidden fees or issues when receiving the container. Received the container on the 2nd business day from day of order.”
Part of 4.9 stars across 140+ verified Google reviews. In his full review, Scott J. writes that the box he bought from Van Blanc was a new one-trip unit; every Google review we display sits on one page.
New Container FAQ
What is a one-trip shipping container?
A one-trip shipping container is a new box that has made exactly one loaded voyage, from the factory overseas to its first port. In this industry, new and one-trip mean the same box. It arrives with factory paint, a like-new floor and tight door seals, with at most minor handling marks from the cranes and chassis that moved it here.
Are new shipping containers really new?
Yes, factory-new with one delivery behind them. Almost every new container is built overseas, most of them in China, so a new unit crosses the ocean once. The cargo it carries on that crossing pays its way here. We point out any handling marks when you walk the row.
What sizes can I buy new?
You can buy 20ft, 40ft, 40ft high cube and 45ft high cube one-trip units, plus one-trip 20ft and 40ft high cube reefers. New 53ft domestic boxes come to order, and factory-built 10ft boxes arrive in batches. Not every size is in our rows every week, so the fastest answer is a call. Tell us the size and we will tell you on the spot what new stock is at 90 Morton Avenue East and what is on the next inbound load.
Where are the prices for new containers?
On our price list, where every new 20ft and 40ft high cube layout has a posted price, before HST, container only; a new 40ft at standard height is quoted by phone. Delivery is quoted for your postal code, so tell us the size and your postal code and the all-in quote, box plus delivery, comes back, usually the same day.
Should I buy new or used?
Both are good buys, and the job decides. New gives the longest service life, factory paint, the best resale value and the cleanest start for a modification. A used cargo worthy unit gives dry, lockable storage with a valid plate, and wind and water tight suits a box that stays put on a pad. Call with the job and we will match the grade to it.
How much space does delivery need?
Leave the tilt-deck about 75 to 100 feet of straight run on a 20ft drop, or 120 to 130 feet on a 40ft, with about 12 feet of width. Overhead, plan for 14 feet clear for a standard box and 16 feet for a high cube. The container lands level at ground height, and where the trailer cannot reach, a HIAB crane lifts it in. Call and we will walk your site with you over the phone in five minutes.
How fast can a new container be delivered near Brantford?
Stocked new units deliver in 1 to 3 days around Brantford and across most of Ontario, from our 4 Brantford yards. Eastern runs such as Kingston and Ottawa take the same 1 to 3 days, and a 45ft or 53ft brought in to order takes 2 to 4 weeks. Every quote comes with a real lead time, not a hopeful one.
Can I inspect a new container before I buy?
Yes, and we encourage it. Walk the row at 90 Morton Avenue East during business hours, no appointment needed. Check the doors, floors, and paint yourself, and pick the exact unit that goes on the truck. From further away, we walk the same unit with you on a video call.
Is a new container’s CSC plate valid for export shipping?
Yes. A one-trip unit carries the CSC safety approval plate it was built with, and most run under an ACEP reference. The 1972 Convention for Safe Containers sets the periodic scheme: a first examination within five years of manufacture, then one at least every 30 months. If you are shipping cargo overseas rather than storing, say so when you call and we will match you with a unit whose certification is current for marine use. The 53ft domestic box carries no CSC plate.
Sources
- The Loadstar (Alison Koo, March 20, 2025). China hit new record in container production last year, citing the China Container Industry Association. Checked October 2026.
- Convention text and amendments: International Maritime Organization, 1972 Convention for Safe Containers (CSC 1972), on the IMO site. Checked October 2026.
- Bureau International des Containers. Container Identification Number. Checked October 2026.
- The Loadstar (Martina Li, September 28, 2021). Report on CIMC becoming the world’s largest container producer after buying Maersk Container Industry. Checked October 2026.
- CN Intermodal. 40-Foot Container equipment sheet (usable cube, interior and door dimensions). Checked October 2026.
- Bureau International des Containers. The Container CSC Combined Data Plate Explained. Checked October 2026.
- OSRM route planner on OpenStreetMap data, OSRM driving routes from the Morton Avenue East yard to each destination in the table. Checked October 2026.
Buy it new. Keep it for decades.
The fastest answer is a call: size and postal code, and we will tell you on the spot what new stock is in our rows and what the all-in number looks like. Or send the form and the quote comes back, usually the same day.