Shipping Containers for Sale in Louisiana

Louisiana splits into two very different delivery propositions from the Mariner Containers depot at 153 FM 1564, Greenville, TX 75402. North Louisiana is close: Shreveport is about 166 road miles, roughly three hours via I-20, and Monroe is a comparable run. South Louisiana is a long haul: Baton Rouge about 402 miles and New Orleans about 481 miles, a long single day or an overnight depending on the carrier. Shipping is a flat $450 per order either way.

Routing

North Louisiana runs east on I-30 to Texarkana and down, or across I-20 through Longview and Marshall into Shreveport and Bossier City. Everything south of Alexandria picks up I-49 or runs down through Texas on I-45 and across I-10. The I-10 corridor through Lake Charles, Lafayette and Baton Rouge is heavy industrial freight territory and carriers know it well, but it is also the part of the route most exposed to weather disruption in hurricane season, and delivery windows can move.

What Louisiana buyers use containers for

• Industrial and petrochemical site storage along the I-10 corridor and the river parishes, where a 40 ft high cube is a quick way to add secure covered space without building.
• Marine and offshore support around Morgan City, Houma and the Gulf ports. DNV-rated offshore containers are a specific product here and are not the same thing as a standard ISO box.
• Agricultural storage across the north and the river valley.
• Post-storm and recovery storage, where a locked, weather-tight unit holds contents while a property is repaired.

See 40 ft containers, 20 ft containers, refrigerated containers and modified containers.

Siting a container in a wet, storm-exposed climate

Louisiana is the market where site preparation matters most, and it comes down to water and wind.

• Get it off the ground. Set the unit on blocks, ties or a raised pad at the four corner castings. The underside and the floor edge are where a container corrodes, and both need to stay clear of standing water. In flood-prone parishes, elevating the unit also protects the contents.
• Plan the anchoring. An empty container is light for its sail area. Ballast it, anchor it, or keep it loaded, and settle that before storm season rather than during it.
• Orient the doors. Doors facing away from the prevailing wind means driving rain is not forced against the gaskets.
• Expect condensation. High humidity and big temperature swings make a sealed steel box sweat on the inside of the roof. Vents, a moisture absorber or insulation are worth costing in if the contents are moisture-sensitive.

Parish and municipal rules

Louisiana does not regulate container placement at state level. It is set by the parish or the municipality, and the variation is wide. Many rural parishes have no restriction on a storage container on private land. Municipalities including New Orleans regulate containers through their zoning ordinance, commonly restricting them in residential districts and limiting how long a temporary unit may remain on a site. Coastal parishes may also apply floodplain and elevation requirements that affect how a container is set.

Check with the parish permit office or the city planning department before you order, and check any private covenants on the property. As everywhere, a container that is occupied, plumbed or wired is a building and needs a permit.