I've got an 8x8x16 pod arriving tomorrow, and have some time to unpack it, but I'm gonna need to buy a shipping container asap. With all its port cities, Washington seems a great place to get a competitive price on a 20' shipping container.

I tried one site (Cork'd) and it said there is a "global shortage on shipping containers for purchase." They go from $1950-2200 on Craigslist. I'm going to request quotes from a couple of others but in the meantime, do local permies have any suggestions?

I also read that shipping containers can be loaded on a trailer that can be towed by a pickup. Brisk trade in those pon the eBay. My pickup is a Silverado V6 so I'm not sure it can tow a fully loaded 20' container, even if I could get the container on a trailer without a crane. Could a winch pull a loaded container onto the trailer? 12000 lb winches seem weight-capable of positioning such a load, but has anyone done this?

I'd be willing to spring for a container, trailer and winch for all the mobility it'd give me. Right now everything I own (furniture, metalshop, clothes et al) fits in that 16' container. Thanks!

Tare weight for a 20 foot container is a pinch over 5,000 pounds.
Once you get it loaded, you would need a very substantial trailer.

I think you would be far exceeding the towing capacity of even a 3/4 ton w/diesel.
It is not only "can I pull it?", but more importantly "could I stop it?"

Thanks John. I was just trying to figure out how to delete the post, because I realized my truck can only tow 5500 lbs. And yes, a 11000 pound box traveling at 55 mph coming to any kind of stop is rather pantswetting.  I will have to pay for delivery, and every time I move the container