Container Warranty Terms by Dealer | Shipping Container Reference Guide

Warranty Coverage by Grade and Dealer

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

Dealer	One-Trip / New	Cargo Worthy (CW)	Wind & Watertight (WWT)	As-Is
Container One ^[20]	10-yr structural + 10-yr no-leak	5-yr structural + 5-yr no-leak	5-yr structural + 5-yr no-leak	No warranty
Boxhub ^[21]	5-yr (holes, leaks, material flaws)	2-yr (holes, leaks, material flaws)	1-yr (holes, leaks, material flaws)	No warranty
USA Containers ^[22]	Lifetime leak + 10-yr frame	Lifetime leak + 10-yr frame	Lifetime leak + 10-yr frame	Not specified
Conexwest ^[23]	10-yr structural + leakproof	5-yr structural + leakproof	Not covered by structural warranty	No warranty
Freedom Conex ^[120]	90-day structural + lifetime leak	90-day structural + lifetime leak	Lifetime leak only (no structural)	No warranty

Verified from published dealer terms and conditions, April 2026. Always confirm current terms directly with your dealer before purchase.

What the Table Actually Means

Warranty coverage is not standardized across the industry. The same grade of container carries very different recourse depending on which dealer you buy from.

At Container One and USA Containers, WWT buyers receive the same or similar coverage as CW buyers. The grade distinction matters less for warranty purposes at these dealers. ^[20] ^[22]

At Boxhub, WWT receives 1 year of coverage versus 2 years for CW. The type of coverage is the same; the duration is shorter. ^[21]

At Conexwest and Freedom Conex, the line is hard: CW receives structural warranty coverage, WWT does not. ^[23] A structural issue on a WWT container from Freedom Conex in the first 90 days carries no structural recourse. Only the lifetime leak warranty applies.

The practical implication: Before you choose a grade, confirm which dealer you are buying from and what that dealer's warranty terms are for that grade. The container may look nearly identical. The warranty coverage may not be.

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 the most common warranty voiding event. 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]

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. Conexwest and Freedom Conex do not. 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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