Since their introduction on April 26, 1956, intermodal shipping containers have become the standard by which goods are transported by sea and land around the world. [9] In this article we’ll present an overview of the shipping container industry and how empty containers are bought, rented and sold through the eXcesS Capacity online marketplace.
Overview of the Shipping Container Industry
Volume
- Shipping containers account for about 90% of the non-bulk cargo transported in the world. [6]
- Containers (2010) accounted for 60% of the world’s seaborne trade. [7]
- The global container fleet [in 2014 was] 36.6 million Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEU). [7]
- 12 million shipping containers enter U.S. Ports annually. [5]
- 25 million shipping containers are moved via intermodal shipping annually. [2]
- Globally 3000+ container ships transport 20+ million containers, which are moved a total of 300+ million times, annually representing a payload of $4.875 trillion. [8]
Empties
- Worldwide (2008), the share of empty containers at sea [was] 20% and 40% on land.
- 54.5 million TEU seaborne empty container movements cost $21.8 billion and $11.2 billion landside by rail, road or barge. [3]
- Half the containers that enter the United States leave empty. [7]
Repurposing
- 90% of the world’s containers are made in China. [7]
- Repurposing used shipping containers [eg into modular homes, shops, storage, etc.] is increasingly a practical solution to both social and ecological problems. [7]
How are Containers Quoted and Bought Today?
In marketplaces including Craigslist, Facebook and other social media websites, specifying shipping container delivery fees is often problematic for Sellers. The Seller may or may not have the equipment available to load and deliver your container. If not, do they outsource it? Should Sellers incorporate a shipping, or delivery, fee into the final price of the container? Is this fee sufficient to cover the transportation costs of delivering the container to the Buyer? Unless a Seller marks up the sales price sufficient to cover transportation costs regardless of the delivery date, destination, moving expenses and mode of transport, often they have to produce a custom quote to Buyers.
In producing a custom quote Sellers require Buyers to provide details including
What is being transported?
- Container status [rent or sell]
- Container size [6ft, 8ft, 10ft, 20ft, 40ft, 45ft, 53ft, 60ft]
- Container type [Flat Rack, High Cube, Open Side, Open Top, Standard]
- Container rating [As Is, Cargo Worthy (CWO), IICL (Premium), New/One Trip, Wind and Watertight (WWT)]
When is it to be delivered?
Where is it to be delivered?
- Origin (pick up) location
- Destination location
How is it to be delivered?
- What container moving equipment is available (eg forklift, crane)?
- What delivery truck type [1] [tilt-bed, flat-bed, chassis]?
Quote requests are communicated to the seller via myriad forms of communication such as a phone call, text, email, submitting a web form, fax or other. A single secure repository of archived Buyer/Seller transactions may not exist.
Payments are processed by whatever payment methods the Seller may have available sometimes restricting the Buyer’s payment options. For Buyers, depending upon what payment method they used, obtaining a refund from Sellers may prove difficult.
In summary, difficulties in the current process of renting or selling a shipping container include
- incorporating shipping fees and markups into the final price
- communicating and archiving quote requests and fulfilling orders via a single secure platform
- processing payments and refunds through a trusted payment gateway
The eXcesS Capacity Marketplace
Today your alternative to selling, renting and buying shipping containers is through eXcesS Capacity, an online marketplace where businesses rent, sell and buy underutilized resources, such as shipping containers and related products and services, including container transport, inspection, repair, modifications, etc. The marketplace is free to join and to post Seller listings. Sellers have two payment gateways, PayPal and Stripe, to offer their prospective Buyers. Sellers are charged a 10% administration fee only when an item rents or sells.
Seller Listing Options
In the eXcesS Capacity marketplace Sellers have the option of listing containers 1. for pick up only and 2. with a fixed shipping fee. A freight hauling quote service is available enabling Buyers to receive a quote, and optionally pay, for container pick up and delivery to their location. This quotation service is separate from eXcesS Capacity and does not incur the 10% administration fee.
Seller Pricing Options
The Container Pricing Matrix below lists Seller pricing options for selling and renting a single 40ft Standard WWT rated container.
As a Seller you have the flexibility to specify pricing for
. selling a container (pick up only)
(Reference Test Preview ID 1)
. selling a container and delivering it within a certain distance from your location
(Reference Test Preview IDs 2 through 7)
. selling a container and delivering it anywhere, within the US or other locations
(Reference Test Preview ID 7)
. selling a container and outsourcing pick up and delivery entirely
(Reference the Nationwide Transport Services listing) [10]
. selling 19 of the same type of containers and outsourcing pick up and delivery entirely. Note that purchases of $10,000+ requires payment via Stripe vs PayPal. Stripe has a maximum payment limit of $999,999.99. [11]
(Reference Test Preview ID 8)
. renting a container delivered by you in your local area
(Reference Test Preview ID 9)
Container Pricing Matrix
|
Test Preview ID |
Container Status |
Container Size |
Container Type |
Container Rating |
Destination Miles from Pick Up Location |
Listing Price (Delivered) |
Test Preview Link |
|
1 |
Sell |
40ft |
Standard |
WWT |
0 |
$5,000 |
|
|
2 |
Sell |
40ft |
Standard |
WWT |
0 to 100 |
$5,500 |
|
|
3 |
Sell |
40ft |
Standard |
WWT |
100 to 200 |
$6,000 |
|
|
4 |
Sell |
40ft |
Standard |
WWT |
200 to 300 |
$6,500 |
|
|
5 |
Sell |
40ft |
Standard |
WWT |
300 to 400 |
$7,000 |
|
|
6 |
Sell |
40ft |
Standard |
WWT |
400 to 500 |
$7,500 |
|
|
7 |
Sell |
40ft |
Standard |
WWT |
> 500 |
$8,000 |
|
|
8 |
Sell |
40ft |
Standard |
WWT |
0 |
$85,500 |
|
|
9 |
Rent |
40ft |
Standard |
WWT |
0 |
$150 |
Select eXcesS Capacity marketplace features include
- Buyers place orders online immediately without Sellers having to produce quotes.
- Sellers offer one or both payment gateways, PayPal and Stripe, to prospective Buyers.
- Buyers and Sellers communicate via our secure private messaging system.
- Buyer/Seller messaging conversations and financial transactions are archived.
- Post formatted Seller listings to Facebook and Twitter.
- Buyers and Sellers rate and review each other, building trust in the marketplace.
- eXcesS Capacity support team is available to help.
Why list your containers on the eXcesS Capacity marketplace?
As a Seller your Buyers don’t have to call, text or email you for a quote. Instead, they can purchase your container online, using your Seller payment gateway, directly via the marketplace. You’ll have a record of your conversation and purchase transactions through our secure internal messaging system. Your Seller listings are promoted via social media. Following container delivery, Buyers and Sellers rate and review each other, helping to build trust in the marketplace. Should you or your buyers have any questions or issues, our support team is here to help.
Visit XSCapacity.net to join and to post your Seller listings for free.
References
[1] https://www.supercubes.com/blog/2010/05/container-delivery-basics-tilt-bed-flat-bed-or-chassis
[2] https://www.freightquote.com/define/what-is-intermodal-transportation
[3] http://www.transbaltic.eu/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Report-on-Empty-Container-Management-in-the-BSR_201106.pdf
[7] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intermodal_container
[8] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzbNkdtSqrQ
Container Shipping Documentary produced 11/07/14.
[9] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcom_McLean
[10] https://xscapacity.sharetribe.com/en/listings/845848-hauling-transportation-service
[11] https://stripe.com/docs/currencies#minimum-and-maximum-charge-amounts
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