New containers are often referred to as
“one trip containers”
Almost 98% of the shipping containers built worldwide, are manufactured in China. So almost all new containers have made “one trip” overseas from a factory in China to its final destination.
As overseas shipping costs can outweigh the cost of the container itself, new containers are always loaded for their one trip on a container vessel. This process is standardized globally and loading the container with cargo helps cover the cost of shipping. This is why one trip containers are as close to “new” as available in the market.
One trip containers are in almost perfect condition inside and out. They meet internationally approved ISO quality standards and are in the best condition available on the market.
Journey of a one trip container
Every new container has made one trip, loaded with cargo, on a container vessel to arrive at its destination. As you can imagine, there are many steps along the way in a process that can generally take from 60 – 90 days.

The first step is the manufacturing of the new container in a factory.

Once manufactured, the empty container is inspected and loaded by a container handler onto a truck.

The truck will travel to another manufacturer who will proceed to load cargo inside the container. After loading, the truck will transport the loaded container to the port.

The container will be loaded with a crane onto a container vessel where it can be stacked amongst hundreds of other containers, and sail to its destination port.

Canadian logistics relies heavily on the railway to move containers across the country. Most container vessels arrive at the Port of Vancouver. They are unloaded by crane and loaded onto the rail for transport to Canada's metropolitan cities.

On arrival at its destination city, a crane is used to transfer the loaded container from rail to truck. The truck delivers the cargo which is unloaded with a forklift. The empty container will return to an ATS depot to be offloaded, inspected & stacked using machinery. When a container is sold, it will be handled by machinery to load it onto the delivery truck.
Benefits of buying a
one trip container
One trip containers are in the best condition available on the market worldwide. As a result, they will have a longer useful life than their used container counterparts.
Condition
While minor aesthetic wear and tear should be expected, they will look in near perfect condition and require no maintenance. Once placed on level ground and evenly loaded, one trip containers doors will open easily. The lockbox that is included on all ATS one trip containers is an added security feature to protect the contents stored inside.
Sustainable
New containers are at the forefront of technological advances in materials and manufacturing processes. Container flooring on one trip units continues to evolve to ensure material sustainability. New eco flooring options are available that minimize environmental impacts compared to flooring materials on used cargo containers.
Eco friendly
Another feature that has been available on new containers is that they are factory-painted with waterborne paint compared to solvent based paint for containers built before 2017. New innovations in waterborne paint and paint application are providing the equivalent ISO paint standard while minimizing harmful volatile organic compounds emitted during application.
Resale value
Another consideration for buying a one trip container is the resale value. The long lifespan of the new container will maintain its good condition and retain a high resale value should you wish to dispose of the storage container in the future.
Buy a 20ft one trip container
One of the most common inquiries we receive is to buy a 20’ one trip shipping container. This size is the most common container size in circulation as they are durable, stackable, cost-effective and fit into most spaces.
Buy a 40ft one trip container
If you are looking to buy a 40’ one trip shipping container, you will notice that it is more economical to buy one 40ft one trip container than buying two 20’ ft one trip containers. This 40’ size offers larger cargo storage capability and are also available in high cube (“HC”) height which is an extra foot in storage height (9’6”H).
Buy specialized one trip container
One thing to note is the ever-evolving range of specialized one trip containers available. This can be interesting for very specialized applications such as when looking to buy a one trip reefer container for cold storage, or to buy a chemical storage container with integrated spill basin for dangerous goods containment. The specialized options are endless and include but are not limited to side door openings, reefer containers, double door containers, etc. ATS carries a large range of specialized one trip containers in Toronto and Montreal.