Most “failed” container deliveries in this industry happen for one of three reasons: the truck couldn’t get to the placement spot, the ground wasn’t ready, or somebody moved a vehicle into the path. All preventable with about 30 minutes of prep across the week leading up to delivery.
Here’s the practical checklist for what to do before the truck shows up — broken down by timeline.
One week before delivery
This is when access problems get solved cheaply. If anything’s wrong, we can swap delivery dates or change truck types before either side commits time.
- Walk the approach path with a measuring tape. Truck needs 40+ ft of straight approach for a tilt-bed delivery. Measure from where the truck would stop on the road to where the container goes.
- Check overhead clearance. No low-hanging tree branches, power lines, or awnings within the truck’s working envelope. The tilt-bed needs clear overhead room as the container slides off.
- Confirm the placement spot is level enough. Up to ~6 inches of slope is routine with cribbing. Steeper sites may need pad prep before delivery.
- Verify no utilities below the placement spot. No septic tank, propane line, or well cap. Call 811 if you’re unsure — it’s free and takes 3 business days.
- Photograph the site and send it to us. The placement expert reviews and either greenlights or flags issues. Most issues caught here are fixable; issues caught on delivery day usually aren’t.
For the full site-requirements checklist, see our site requirements guide.
24 hours before delivery
Same-day variables get cleaned up here. Most of these are 5-minute tasks.
- Cut back any branches that grew into the approach path or the overhead envelope since the site walk.
- Mark the placement spot clearly. Stakes + ribbon, or spray paint on the ground. The driver places to the inch — but only if “the inch” is visible.
- Stage your cribbing material. 4×6 pressure-treated timbers or concrete blocks for each corner casting. Have them at the placement spot, not in the garage.
- Confirm power is available if you’re doing electrical work the day after delivery — outlet, extension cord ready, or breaker accessible.
- Move vehicles + equipment out of the path. Cars, ATVs, trailers, lawn mowers. Anything in the path of the truck or the container as it sets down.
- Lock up dogs. Delivery is noisy + heavy machinery + strangers on your property for an hour. Most dogs do not love this.
The morning of delivery
You’ll get a call ~30 minutes out from the driver. Here’s the final check:
- Be on-site. Or have a designated person on-site who knows where the container goes and can sign off. We can’t place to the inch without somebody pointing at the inch.
- Have your phone ready. The driver may call from the road if access doesn’t look right. Quick response saves redelivery fees.
- Final path check. Trash cans, recycling bins, kids’ toys, weekend project materials — anything that moved into the path since yesterday gets moved back.
- Have your payment method ready. Final balance is due before the container leaves the truck (assuming we’ve confirmed delivery is happening per our no-place-no-charge process).
During delivery
20-30 minutes for a straightforward site, a bit longer for trickier ground. Here’s what to do:
- Watch the placement. The operator places to the inch but it’s still worth confirming the inch matches what you want. Move-after-placement is possible but adds time + cost.
- Verify cribbing. Operator places the cribbing under the corner castings. Confirm it looks solid before they release the container.
- Check level. Eye-level check or a 6-foot level across the floor. If it’s noticeably off, ask for adjustment now — easier than later.
- Inspect the doors. Both should open + close smoothly + latch + lock. Identify any issues before the truck leaves. We sort same-day issues; later issues become later issues.
- Photograph the unit before signing. Standard practice — protects everyone. Photos of corners, doors, roof if accessible, any dents or paint marks.
After the truck leaves
The container is now your container. A few things to do in the first 48 hours:
- Open both doors fully. Let it air out — sometimes there’s residual cargo smell, sometimes the rubber gaskets off-gas slightly. 24 hours of cross-flow clears it.
- Test the lock hardware. Padlock, lock bar, hidden shackle. Make sure it all operates smoothly. Lubricate stiff hardware with light machine oil.
- Plan your interior setup. Where will the shelves go? Bench? Lighting? Easier to plan before the container is full.
- If you’re doing electrical or modifications — see our electrical guide or the broader modifications cluster.
What goes wrong (and how to avoid it)
- “The truck couldn’t make the turn.” Caused by skipping the site walk. Fixed by measuring + photographing 1 week out.
- “The container is sitting on dirt.” Caused by skipping cribbing. Fixed by staging 4×6 timbers before delivery day.
- “The doors won’t seal right.” Almost always cribbing — uneven support twists the container slightly. Fixed by adjusting cribbing height under one corner.
- “We had to come back twice.” Caused by site issues caught only on arrival. Fixed by the site walk and the no-place-no-charge process — call us, get site signed off, then schedule delivery.
For the full delivery process from order to placement, see how delivery works. If you have a tricky site, call us before ordering — we’d rather diagnose it on the phone than send a truck to a site we can’t access.