The shipping container industry has a grading problem. "Cargo-Worthy" from one seller looks different than "Cargo-Worthy" from another. We use the actual industry definitions — Cargo-Worthy means it can ship internationally today. Anything else is a paint job over a bait-and-switch.
| Grade | Condition | Best for | Price | Avoid for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
One-Trip
OT · Premium
|
Basically new. Single voyage from factory. Clean paint, minimal wear. | Container homes, retail conversions, anything visible/branded. | $$$$ | Hidden storage, jobsites, rural property. |
|
Cargo-Worthy
CW · Most common · Recommended
|
Used but ship-ready. Dents and surface rust expected. CSC plate valid. | Storage, jobsites, ag/equipment lockup, backyard, most use cases. | $$$ | Showroom-visible builds. |
|
WWT
Wind & Water Tight · Value
|
Older. CSC expired but still seals. More dents, more rust than CW. | Land-based storage where appearance doesn't matter. | $$ | Future shipping use, visible installs. |
|
AS-IS
Repair-grade
|
Damaged. Possible leaks, perforated rust, structural issues. | Modifications, repairs, raw-steel projects. DIY welding required. | $ | Anything needing weather seal. Most buyers. |
Basically new. Single voyage from factory. Clean paint, minimal wear, premium price.
Used but ship-ready. The most common grade — dents and surface rust expected, but doors seal and CSC plate is valid.
Older, retired from international shipping but still seals. Step down from CW in condition and price.
Cheapest steel. Damaged, possibly leaking, structural issues. For modifiers and repair-shell buyers only.
We inspect every container that comes through our yard against the actual industry definitions. If it can ship internationally today — CSC plate stamped within 30 months, doors seal, no perforating rust — it's Cargo-Worthy. If it can't, it's not. We don't repaint WWT and sell it as CW.
For any unit you reserve, we send photos of the actual container before you pay. If the photos don't match the grade you bought, we either swap units or refund. That's the 'no mystery boxes' rule — and it's why we've been doing this for 25 years and not 25 weeks.
If we sell it as Cargo-Worthy, you get Cargo-Worthy. Not WWT painted to look better. Not AS-IS with the worst face hidden.
One-Trip has made exactly one voyage from the factory — it's basically new with factory paint. Cargo-Worthy has spent 10-15 years in international shipping but is still rated to ship today. Both seal and lock. CW costs less. OT looks better.
No — that's the whole point of the grade. CW means doors seal and the roof doesn't leak. You'll see dents and surface rust, but those are cosmetic. If a "CW" container leaks, it was mis-graded by the seller. Ours don't.
Only if the container will be visible. For backyard storage, jobsite, ag, rural property — the One-Trip premium ($1,000-$3,000 over CW) is wasted money. Cargo-Worthy does the same structural job. Save the OT premium for builds where cosmetics matter.
Because AS-IS isn\'t a working container — it\'s raw steel waiting to be repaired. Most buyers want a sealed unit they can fill with stuff and lock. AS-IS doesn\'t do that. We\'ll sell it to welders and modifiers who know what they\'re getting into, but we won\'t pretend it\'s a deal for storage.
Yes — that's how we operate. Once you reserve, our team photographs the specific unit (or units) we've identified for your order and emails them before payment. If the photos don't look right, we keep looking. No deposit lost.
CSC (Convention for Safe Containers) is the international certification that says a container is safe to ship by sea right now. It's stamped on the door and dated. Cargo-Worthy and One-Trip have valid CSC plates. WWT and AS-IS don't. For land storage, CSC doesn't matter — but it's the easiest way to verify a seller's grading claim.
Most buyers should choose Cargo-Worthy. But the right pick depends on visibility, climate, what you're storing, and your budget. Ten-minute call sorts it.
Call (845) 343-0700(845) 343-0700
Mon–Sat · 7am–7pm ET · Real humans, no call center
