What’s up with all the shipping containers?
I get asked, ‘what’s up with all the shipping containers? I’ve always had a certain fascination with shipping containers. They are how this country imports and exports products, and they used to distribute goods across the nation.
They are capable of stacking seven high fully loaded sometimes up to 65,000 pounds on huge container ships and sailing the seas! Each container has a unique story. It can be traced beginning with the metal customs seal riveted to the door.
Each has a serial number, date, and place of manufacture and typically the capability load ratings. For example, the container we converted into the bar belonged to a Cayman Islands transport company. The travel routes of containers can be tracked and in the case of this one, it made routine trips across the ocean before ending up ‘retired’ here in the states.
Before Covid containers were in abundance. People recognized the economics of converting them into storage units, homes, businesses, and many other structures. It’s turned into a re-purpose industry. Now they are becoming uneconomically attainable due to the stresses of importing.
Unless simply used as a storage facility, they take a lot of work to convert. But they are solid, very secure, unique, and ‘moveable’. We have another one we converted into a walk-in cooler and freezer. Another is converting into restroom facilities.
Another here is being transformed into a summer terrace breezeway with cocktail table seating. And plans have been submitted for the conversion of a container into our outdoor bar. It’s going to be very cool!
So hopefully next time you see a train pulling car after car loaded with double-stacked shipping containers, or maybe a single shipping container on a backcountry road truck. Or, if you would be fortunate enough to witness dockside the towering gargantuan of a loaded sea-going freighter.
Seeing this will remind you to visit Coal Run Craft and experience how we are converting shipping containers!
