5 Advantages of Open-Sided Shipping Containers

Written by Susan Nalevac | January 13, 2023

There are many specialty shipping containers available today, from standard dry-rack to high-cube types and more. The open-sided unit is one of the most popular specialty containers, but why? We’ll explain the primary advantages of open-sided shipping containers below.

In This Article:

1. Faster Loading and Unloading
2. Easier Access to Stored Items
3. Storing Large and Awkward Items
4. Expanded Functionality
5. More Conversion Options

1. Faster Loading and Unloading

One of the primary reasons that people created open-sided containers in the first place was to make loading and unloading cargo from the container quicker and more efficient. A normal container with only one door or set of doors on the end limits access to the inside when you’re loading and unloading cargo.

But with the entire side of the container opened up, more workers can load and unload more cargo simultaneously—making the process much easier and faster for everyone.

2. Easier Access to Stored Items

Another advantage of the open-sided container is that it gives the owner easier access to the stored items within it. For a standard container, for example, there’s only one set of access doors. So the only way to reach items in the middle or back of the container is to unload everything in front of them.

But with an open-side container, the owner can practically access the container’s contents with little to no effort. It may seem insignificant, but this feature can save workers and container owners hours of loading and unloading items when they need to access certain goods.

3. Storing Large and Awkward Items

One problem that open-sided containers solve is fitting large and awkwardly shaped items in easily. While people have been finding ways to fit large and odd items in standard containers for years, an open-sided container makes this challenge much easier for workers.



Instead of trying to fit large items like Tetris pieces through a standard container’s small doors, the open-sided container’s large opening makes it a breeze to store any large items for shipment.

4. Expanded Functionality

With an open-sided container, owners also have more opportunities to make it more functional, whether for shipping goods or other uses. With their large openings, open-sided containers are popular for those converting containers for other uses. This is because they can easily divide the space into different sections.

By dividing the container into parts, you can have it can perform multiple functions. As a result, open-sided containers are popular for many container businesses, such as:

• Storage Facilities
• Cafes
• Retail Shops
• Offices

5. More Conversion Options

With an open-sided container, owners also have many more options for what to convert the container into. One of the most common non-shipping applications for an open-sided container is to convert it into a small home or guest house. You can have the side door replaced with windows, sliding glass doors, or a roller door to make it more livable.

With the open side door, there’s practically no limit to what an owner can turn a container into.

If you’re interested in an open-sided container or another type of container, contact Container Management, Inc. We have storage containers for sale in Chicago and many other locations around the country.



Get in touch with our knowledgeable staff to obtain the ideal container that fits your needs.