Container Warranty Terms by Dealer | Shipping Container Reference Guide

At a Glance

Warranty duration is the least useful way to compare container warranties, and it is the only thing most buyers look at.

The terms below range from 90 days to 25 years. That spread suggests a large difference in protection. It mostly reflects a difference in how long each dealer is willing to make a promise, not how much protection that promise carries.

What determines whether a warranty helps you:

What triggers it. Coverage that activates on an observable condition — it leaks, the doors fail, the unit does not match the grade — is enforceable. Coverage that requires proving a “defect in materials or workmanship” on a container built a decade ago often is not.
Whether the dealer must act. “Will repair or replace” is an obligation. “Most common resolutions are” and “reserves the right to” are not.
What you actually receive. A dealer-performed repair or replacement is worth substantially more than a patch kit mailed to you that you apply yourself.
How long they have to resolve it. One of six dealers publishes a resolution timeline. The rest leave it open-ended.

Duration matters only after those four are clear. A 25-year structural warranty with an undefined trigger and no resolution deadline can offer less practical protection than 90 days with a defined condition and a published performance window.

Full comparison below, followed by how to read it.

Warranty Coverage by Grade and Dealer

Every dealer sets their own warranty terms. The tables below are verified from each dealer's published terms and conditions as of August 2026. Verify current terms directly with your dealer before purchase, as terms change.

Table 1 — Warranty Terms by Dealer

Dealer	Grade	Duration	Resolution Timeline
Freedom Conex ^[120]	WWT	Lifetime leak	90 days after claim approval
Freedom Conex ^[120]	CW / Multi-Trip / One-Trip	Lifetime leak + 90-day warranty	90 days after claim approval
Container One ^[20]	Economy	1-yr leak	Not published
	WWT / CW / Multi-Trip	5-yr structural (not defined) + 5-yr leak	Not published
	One-Trip	10-yr structural (not defined) + 10-yr leak	Not published
Boxhub ^[21]	WWT	1-yr leak + components	Not published
	CW	2-yr leak + components	Not published
	One-Trip	5-yr leak + components	Not published
USA Containers ^[22]	All grades	Lifetime leak + 10-yr frame	Not published
Conex Depot ^[130]	Used	10-yr structural (not defined) + 5-yr WWT	Not published
Conex Depot ^[130]	New	25-yr structural (not defined) + 10-yr WWT	Not published
Conexwest ^[23]	Used	5 yrs + leakproof	Not published
Conexwest ^[23]	New	10 yrs + leakproof	Not published

Verified from published dealer terms, August 2026. Confirm current terms directly with the dealer before purchase.

Table 2 — What Each Warranty Actually Covers

Dealer	Coverage Standard	Published Remedy	Commitment Language
Freedom Conex ^[120]	Leaks; doors that open, close, and lock; door seals; floors free of holes or excessive damage	90-day policy: Repair or replace (Freedom Conex hires local contractor and covers approved costs). Lifetime leak: Industry-approved patch + instructions; customer installs.	“Pending approval, the Company will...”
Container One ^[20]	Equipment that does not meet the conditions of the grade purchased	Will repair or cause to be repaired equipment that does not meet the purchased grade. Specific remedies are listed only as “most common resolutions” (not guaranteed): replacement if off-grade, reimbursement of preapproved repairs, upgrade, or ISO-certified repair kit for later leaks.	“Most common resolutions...”
Boxhub ^[21]	Doors, walls, roof/ceiling, door rubber, and flooring free from material or workmanship flaws	For perforations up to 8 × 11 in., Boxhub provides a fiberglass patch and necessary materials; customer performs installation. Terms also contemplate self-repair, credit, or external service, but do not state a guaranteed general remedy for all covered claims.	“May...” / specified patch remedy
USA Containers ^[22]	Structural frame under normal storage conditions	Leaks: industry-approved container patch mailed to customer with installation instructions. 10-year frame warranty: specific remedy not published.	Patch provided / remedy not clearly specified
Conex Depot ^[130]	Structural integrity and wind-and-water-tight performance (also states it applies only to structural functionality)	Conex Depot reserves the right to repair or replace the faulty component or material.	“Reserves the right to...”
Conexwest ^[23]	Conditions, malfunctions, and damage resulting from defects in materials or workmanship	At Conexwest’s option, repair using new or refurbished parts or replace the unit or components at no charge.	“Will, at its option...”

* Duration numbers are only one part of the comparison. See Author Perspective: What Actually Matters When Comparing Dealer Warranties, directly below, for how to weigh coverage standard, remedy quality, and resolution timelines.

A note on real-world incentives

A warranty is only as useful as the dealer’s willingness and ability to perform under it. Ask whether the published terms create a clear obligation the dealer would actually honor when a claim costs them money. Vague language, discretionary remedies, and missing timelines leave more room for a dealer to decline or delay. Clear triggers, defined remedies, and published resolution windows reduce that room.

Note on “Structural” warranties

Most dealers use the term “structural” (or “structural integrity”) without clearly defining which parts of the container it covers. In practice it is generally understood to mean the primary steel framework (corner posts, rails, and cross-members) remaining sound under normal storage use. It usually does not cover floors, doors, seals, surface rust, or cosmetic dents. Always read the actual warranty language, as the word “structural” is often more ambiguous and open to dealer interpretation, rather than clearly defined.

Author Perspective: What Actually Matters When Comparing Dealer Warranties

This section is my assessment rather than documented dealer policy. The figures it rests on are cited elsewhere on this site.

Most buyers compare warranties by the number of years. The more useful comparison is different, and it starts with how long containers actually last.

A Wind and Watertight container has roughly 10 to 15 years of remaining service life. A Cargo Worthy container has roughly 15 to 20. Those are the same windows the longer structural warranties cover. A five or ten year structural warranty on a used container overlaps a period during which structural failure is already unlikely, assuming the container arrived sound and sits on prepared ground. That is my reading of the terms in the table above, not documented dealer policy.

That changes what a structural warranty is actually for.

In practice, a structural warranty covers pre-existing defects the buyer did not catch at delivery more than it covers future structural failure. Containers are built to survive decades of ocean service. One that arrives sound and stays off wet soil generally remains sound. The real risk is not that a good container fails structurally in year seven. It is that a compromised container was delivered in month one and the defect was not obvious.

A structural warranty is a defect-discovery window. The question is not how many years it runs. It is whether the window is long enough for a hidden problem to surface.

Leak coverage is different. Seals degrade, seams work loose, and corrosion progresses. Leaks are an ongoing risk in a way structural failure mostly is not. That makes leak terms the more consequential half of most warranties, and it makes the remedy more important than the duration. A lifetime leak warranty fulfilled by a self-applied patch kit is a weaker instrument than a shorter term fulfilled by repair or replacement. The fulfillment method for each dealer is documented in the table above.

How to compare warranties:

Judge structural coverage on whether the window is long enough to surface a delivery defect, not on total years
Judge leak coverage on the remedy, not the duration
Treat very long structural terms as a weak signal, since they cover a period of low structural risk and depend on the dealer still operating years later

A warranty is a dealer obligation, not something attached to the container. There is no manufacturer backing, escrow, or industry guarantee fund behind these terms. A 25 year warranty is a promise from a company that must still exist in year 25.

Disclosure: this reasoning happens to favor dealers with shorter structural terms, and I work as an independent contractor with one of them. Readers should weigh that accordingly. The lifespan figures the argument rests on are on the container grades page and can be checked independently.

The WWT Upsell: Customer Protection, Not Margin

At dealers where the warranty line is drawn at CW, the recommendation to upgrade from WWT to CW is a customer protection move, not a margin move. The containers may be visually similar. The condition overlap between upper-end WWT and lower-end CW is real. The warranty gap is not cosmetic.

A buyer who purchases WWT, experiences a structural issue in month two, and calls for recourse will be told that structural warranty does not apply to WWT units. Most buyers do not know this until it is explained to them. The CW premium buys structural recourse, not just a marginally better container.

What Warranties Do Not Cover

Regardless of dealer or grade, container warranties generally exclude the following:

Damage caused by improper site preparation, including uneven ground or inadequate foundation
Normal surface rust and cosmetic wear
Modifications made after purchase
Damage from extreme weather events or acts of nature
Containers purchased As-Is

Modifications are a leading cause of warranty voidance across all major dealers. Any cutting, welding, or structural alteration after delivery typically voids the structural warranty regardless of dealer. If you plan to modify, confirm the dealer's modification policy before purchase and complete the warranty period before cutting.

What "leak warranty" means in practice: Most national dealers fulfill a leak warranty claim by mailing the customer a self-adhesive patch kit to apply themselves. A leak warranty is typically not a service call or a container replacement. It is a patch, shipped to you, applied by you. This is the industry standard fulfillment method.

Dealer	Leak Fulfillment Method (per T&C)
Freedom Conex	Will "send the Customer an industry approved equipment patch... installed by the Customer."^[120]
Container One	An "ISO certified permanent repair kit will be sent."^[20]
Boxhub	Will "provide a fiberglass patch... labor required for the application of the patch shall be performed by the customer."^[21]
Longhorn Containers	Will "furnish customer via mail with a quick setting patch to administer."^[121]
Conexwest	Will "repair using new or refurbished parts, or replace Units" (does not explicitly specify a patch kit).^[23]
Conex Depot	Requests photos or video for assessment and reserves the right to repair or replace the faulty component or material; it does not emphasize a customer-applied patch kit.^[130]

Note: USA Containers also sells the same type of fiber-reinforced patch kit directly on their website as a standard repair product.^[122]

Questions to Ask Before You Buy

These three questions establish your warranty position before the purchase is final. National dealers do not select your specific unit until after purchase, so questions about photos or floor condition of a specific container are not answerable at the time of sale. Ask what is actually knowable.

What grade is this unit, and what does that grade mean for your warranty coverage?
What does your warranty cover for this grade, and for how long?
What is your process if I receive a container that leaks or has a structural issue?

Common Misconceptions

All dealers offer the same warranty.

They do not. Warranty terms vary significantly across dealers and grades. Always read the specific dealer's terms before purchase.

A warranty means the container is guaranteed to be perfect.

Warranties cover specific defects within defined timeframes. They do not guarantee cosmetic condition or performance beyond their stated scope.

WWT containers always come with the same warranty as CW.

At some dealers they do. At others they do not. Container One and USA Containers offer equivalent WWT and CW coverage, while Conex Depot publishes one set of Used terms. Conexwest publishes New ISO and Used Cargo Worthy terms without a clear standalone pure-WWT exclusion; Freedom Conex explicitly separates WWT structural coverage. Verify before you buy.

The lifetime leak warranty covers structural issues.

It does not. Leak coverage and structural coverage are separate warranty types. A container with a lifetime leak warranty may have no structural warranty at all. Know which one applies to your unit before purchase.

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