High Security Containers.. or they should be

A little over a year ago I decided to expand our self storage offerings. We had mostly climate controlled indoor units, but I wanted a value option for our customers who didn't need the temperature control or didn't mind storing in outdoor facilities, known as "drive-up" units in the industry.

I considered both traditional drive up units and shipping containers, but the decision was easy. The shipping containers offer far more security than a traditional drive up unit... if they are locked properly.

I visited several other container lots in different areas to get ideas. During that time I noticed that most customers lock their containers at the door levers. Although this is a convenient place to place a lock, it's wide open to anyone with a cordless grinder. Even the best lock can be cut off in a matter of seconds with the right tool if the lock is exposed.

Exposed lock on a typical drive-up storage door.

Concealed Lock on a high security storage container.

Most shipping containers, regardless of origin, have a lock cover where the doors come together. Beneath the lock cover is a latch where a specialized lock can be placed making the container far more secure than any drive-up storage unit door could ever be. These locks are not readily available at big box stores, but can easily be ordered on Amazon HERE

Below is a short video showing how I lock our own storage containers that we use on construction jobsites.

At the end of the day, a thief can break into any type of storage unit that is available. The idea is to make it as hard as possible so the criminal with pass on your unit.

Better Security is not their only attribute through and not all shipping containers are created equal. We chose to purchase the highest quality containers we could find. Not only are they new, but the hardware and door seals work property, they are easier to open and they are well ventilated! I'll expand on the virtue of these amenities in another post soon.