Quick Estimate

How Much Cost To Ship a Container within the United States

Truck Drivers: Myths and Reality

Highlights:

  1. The lowest cost of shipping containers in the U.S is $3000.
  2. International shipping costs start at $1400 and can reach $6000.
  3. Shipping costs fail on distance, container size, and home size.
  4. Want to save money on shipping costs by moving during the off-season or sharing containers?

If you are planning to ship containers within the state with stressful. The 2022 year ends soon, and the container shipping cost is over $20k. Therefore, the most asked question is how much will ship a container within the United States cost?

Get started, check out multiple moving companies in your area and look if they provide portable containers. Our company can help you eliminate some sneaky fees companies add to their prices. The next time you need to ship a container within the country, read on to find out how container shipping works and how much it costs.

What is the Cost of Shipping a Container?

Chipping a Container

Shipment of a moving container depends on many factors, including whether you are moving internationally, locally, or long distance. It is also important to pack only the essentials when it comes to the weight of your cargo. These are average figures to reference, but the details of your move will determine the price.

Domestically - The lowest cost of shipping containers in the U.S is $3000, but your cost will depend on your household materials and size and whether its a local shipping or out-of-state. A small one-bedroom house or apartment will cost about $2,000 to ship its contents.

Internationally - A wide range of costs is associated with shipping a moving container overseas, ranging from about $1,400 to nearly $6,900.

How Much Cost to Ship a Container Per Domestic Mile?

If you split the prices into domestic miles, you'll likely spend $2.50 per mile on intermediate. Here’s an analysis of standard shipping distances and their average costs per mile.

Mileage Cost Per Mile
100 Miles $16.50
475 Miles $5.60
1025 Miles $3.10
1750 Miles $1.60
1850 Miles $2.10
2050 Miles $1.70

The Cost Breakdown of Shipping Container

When breaking down the costs of a shipping container, you’ll have to consider multiple factors. Here are the most popular professional shipping companies.

  • International or domestic shipping
  • Total move distance
  • Size of the container
  • Weight estimate
  • Home size
  • Moving dates

Shipping cost container by Home size

If shipping the entire home, the shipping company will ask how many bedrooms worth of items you have to move. This is the average cost for container shipping between 100 and 2050 miles.

Home Size Average Size
One bedroom $2000
Two bedrooms $2600
Three bedrooms $3200
Four bedrooms $3900
Five bedrooms $5000

Costs for Shipping a Container by Size

The cost will depend on your chosen container size and shipping containers across the country or ocean.

Domestically

For a domestic move, payment will be expected between $1.00 and $4.00 per mile. Many container companies like POD, U-Box, and 1-800-PACk-RAT have their own sizes of containers.

  • 7 foot
  • 12 foot
  • 16 foot
  • 20 foot
  • 27 foot

Remember 20-foot container has around 25 to 28 cubic meters of space and holds the boxed contents of a 3-bedroom house.

Internationally

There are multiple container sizes, and most people use 20 & 40-foot containers for international shipping.  For international routes & costs, look at the lowest costs for service from china and Shanghai to other cities in the U.S.

New York City Shipping Cost:

20 foot: $15,000 40 foot: $22,000 Los Angeles Shipping Cost: 20 foot: $13,500 40 foot: $18,500

How To Save Money While Container Shipping

Here are a few suggestions to help you save money on shipping container costs. Get additional ideas from the container company you're working with.

Purge Unused Items 

When moving, the most important tip is to purge as much as you can ahead of time so that you can maximize your container's capacity. Unless you love your item or use it regularly, you don't want to pay to transport it.

Ship Your Container During the Off-Season

A prime moving season typically occurs during the summer in the United States and abroad. Fewer containers are available during high season, especially internationally, so you can expect to pay more for your move. Your shipping container company may be willing to negotiate with you if you move during the off-season. Due to the recent increases in container shipping costs, this could be a challenging way to save money.

Book a Less-Than-Container Load (LCL) 

You might pay less for international shipping if your items don't fill a whole container because you'll share the container with other customers. You might not benefit from a less-than-container load (LCL) if full-container load (FCL) costs are comparable. With an LCL, your shipment is handled by multiple employees to accommodate other customers' shipments.

Top Shipping Container Moving Companies

Check out these top companies and request cost quotes from at least three before making a final decision.

  • PODS
  • U-Haul
  • U-Pack
  • Zippy Shell
  • 1-800-PACK-RAT

testimonials

Authenticity, honesty, & personal voice
Icon
6

RCC Auto Transpor Best Car Transportation Everything was so easy the car info pick up and delivery. Moving vehicles is one of the most crucial parts of transportation Had no problems what so ever with the whole process. They are best at transporting vehicles. I highly recommend it to anyone who is trying to send their car to another state or city

Yair Knafo

Icon
6

These guys were perfect, did a great job, was early and the best value out there!!

Ryan Shiver

Icon
6

Great employees and customer service. Always willing to help out no matter what and great pricing. Thanks for. RCC Auto Transport

Rita Carey

Icon
6

This was our 2nd time using Auto Transport. They have a great team of people that assisted in our shipping of vehicles. We recommend them for your shipping.

Devid Kennor

Icon
6

I have used auto transport twice for vehicles to from the company using this system. Really pleased with the level of service I have received. Staff have been very professional and accommodating. Last but not least, very competitively priced compared to other shipping companies. Would recommend without hesitation.

Alex Jhonn

Icon
6

Excellent work, I'll hire again. Thanks

Amanda L. Mays

Want to get quick estimate with RCC Auto Transport?

Don’t forget to check for additional promotions and savings. Get a quote with us.

Quick Estimate