I have two containers arriving on Monday. This will be the first time off loading them. I am going to use a roll off flat bed tow truck but was wondering what kind of tools I will need. Pri bar, wrenches etc.. I am thinking the wheels have blocks behind them and there is some sort of cable tie downs that have to removed. I have a friend that is a mechanic that will be there to help with any mechanical issues. How many people does it take to safely off load these. Thanks Jeff
I have had as little as me and one other person. You will need some wrenches to undo the cable clamps. A ratchet wrench is even better or air tools help even more. Sometimes the steel frames are screwed to the floor of the container, so maybe a screw gun, impact, cordless drill. Any of those will work. You may even need tow come a longs. Some export companies build a little steel pipe deal if the front of the container to lift up the front of the first truck. We use chain hoists or come a longs and hook the one end to the roof of the container and the other end to the front wheels on the truck and raise the truck and dismantle the structure and then lower the truck. You may also find a set of those little oil change ramps handy when backing a truck off of the truck in front of it. Sometimes you can just go fast and they will come off OK, but we always use the lil ramps. You will forsure need a little booster box or a pair of jumper "booster" cables. Other than that, I think you are all set. Let us know how if goes and good luck and be careful.
Jeff, I unload containers with just one other person to help me. Not a lot of room in there for many people to work anyways, but it should be no problem for 2 people. You can both be on opposite sides unstrapping the trucks. A pole mounted work light might help as you work further into the container. Some basic hand tools are all I've used; metric wrenches/socket set or adjustable wrench, hammer & pry bar, some 2x8's for ramps (cut to fit for length), a couple of 2x4 blocks to nail behind the bottom of the 2x8 ramp to keep it from sliding back as the truck is backing up. Not sure how yours will be secured, but mine have had steel cable with turn buckles and cable clamps. The turn buckles were wrapped with wire, so it helps to have lineman's pliers for cutting through that. Yours might be different though. That's about all it takes. The last truck to unload may have some kind of support built up for its front tires to rest on. Mine have been this pipe assembly. I just support the 2x8's a little better with a kicker 2x4 down to the deck of the container. To get the trucks to roll down the ramps, usually it doesn't take much effort for the helper to push start it over the lip of the ramp, while you are in the cab with one foot on the brake to keep things from getting too exciting. That's about it. Oh yeah, don't forget the camera! Good luck and have fun! -Hiram
One more thing, I just roll mine off and out of the container by hand; I don't start them up until they have been sitting on level ground for a short while. -Hiram
Thanks for both of your replies. Thanks for the idea of letting them set on level ground prior to starting. Thanks for the reminder on the camera! Any additional thoughts or ideas are appreciated. I am going to use this thread as a checklist during the offload. Thanks Jeff
He may be talking about chain falls. They are kind of like a come along, but with chain. They make a lift slow and easily controled. The container I unloaded would have been much easier with straps to run under the truck (to hook the come alongs to). There isn't much to hook the end of a cable to without damaging the bumper cover or side pannels. Also, ours was loaded with no tie downs at all. They nailed a 4x4 to the trailer deck behind every rear tire. Also, the front truck had the rear wheels and tires removed and the front tires were sitting on top of them. My importer tells me the way they are secured varries greatly from one load to the next.
