What should I check before buying a shipping container sales and rental business?

A container business sells and leases steel boxes, and the boxes are only part of what you would be buying. The yard, the trucks, the people who move containers and the supply line behind them matter just as much. This is a different business from hauling bins to a disposal site, so the checks differ too. Work through the fleet, the lease book, the yard and the equipment before you decide anything.

The fleet and its records

Ask for a list of every container the business owns, with its grade, its age if known and whether it is for sale, on lease or sitting in the yard. Ask how the seller grades condition and who does it. Walk the yard and open a sample of doors yourself. A fleet list that does not match what you see is the first thing to sort out.

The lease book

Read the lease agreements, not only the summary. Note the length of each term, who is responsible for damage, and where each rented container actually sits. Ask how the business tracks containers that are off site, and how often customers return them late or not at all. Check whether any leases are in the owner’s personal name.

The yard, trucks and shop

Ask whether the yard is owned or rented, and what the lease allows. Look at the delivery trucks and tilt trailers, their maintenance records and who drives them. If the business cuts doors, adds windows or builds out containers, ask who does that work and whether the skills leave with the owner. Your lender and insurer will have their own questions about all of this.

Supply and customers

• Who supplies the containers, and is there any written arrangement?
• Which customers account for most of the work, and will they stay?
• Which trade names, phone numbers and web addresses transfer?
• What is the owner’s role in sales and delivery day to day?

Compare your answers with the dumpster rental checklist to see where a container business is simpler and where it is harder.