Interstate shipping container transport by rail and road

FlowState Logistics coordinates interstate transport for 20ft and 40ft shipping containers across Australia. Your own container or one we supply, loaded or empty, by rail and road, with one point of contact start to finish. You get an instant price online between Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, and to many regional centres on the rail network, and a confirmed quote by email within one business day.

What we move

• 20ft and 40ft shipping containers, standard height or high cube.
• Your own container, or one hired or bought from us.
• Loaded or empty. The price is based on the gross weight, so tell us what is inside.
• Households, businesses, farms and project sites. One container or a run of them.

Where we move them

You get an instant price online, door to door, between Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, and to many regional centres on the rail network. Other regional and remote moves are priced by hand within one business day. We move containers within Australia only.

How an interstate move runs

1. Collection. A truck collects the container from your site. Most 20ft containers loaded up to 10 tonnes travel on a tilt tray. Heavier 20ft containers and 40ft moves are done by side loader.
2. The interstate leg. Interstate moves usually run by rail between terminals. We book the rail leg with the rail operator.
3. Delivery. A truck at the other end delivers the container to the door and sets it down where you want it, where the site allows.
4. Updates. The same person books every leg, tracks the move and keeps you posted, so you are never chasing a driver or a depot.

On the main interstate lanes, rail is the reliable way to move a container and keeps the price sharp. Within a city and to nearby regional areas the move usually runs by road, and road moves do not need a CSC plate. Interstate moves, and longer runs up the Queensland coast, usually go by rail and need the plate. Your quote says which way your container is travelling.

Moving a container you already own

If you already own the container, we can move it. For rail the container needs a current CSC plate, which we check from a quick photo before we book. Everything you need to know is on our page about transporting your own shipping container.

Need the container as well?

We sell 20ft and 40ft containers Australia wide, and hire them from depots in the capital cities and many regional centres, so the container and the transport come in one arrangement. See containers for sale, or read hire or buy if you are weighing it up.

Rail and the CSC plate

A container needs a current CSC plate to travel by rail. The plate is usually on the left hand door. If your container has no plate, or it has expired, it needs a survey to get one, which is an extra cost, and we can organise it. Moves that run by road do not need a plate, and your quote says which way yours is travelling. More in shipping containers by rail and the CSC plate.

What we need to price it

• The pickup and delivery suburbs.
• The container size.
• Roughly what is in it. The price is banded by weight, and an empty 20ft weighs about 2.2 tonnes, an empty 40ft about 3.8 tonnes.
• Whether it is your own container or one of ours.
• A date, or even a rough timeframe.

That is what the calculator asks for, plus your contact details. It takes about two minutes.

What is included

• Every leg of the move and the standard terminal lifts in one price. If a third party fee such as Container Chain applies, it is shown in your confirmed rate.
• Goods in transit insurance, plus public liability. If you are moving vehicles, machinery or anything unusual, tell us and we will sort the cover for it.
• One point of contact start to finish, who books the trucks and the rail, tracks the move and keeps you updated.

Timing is estimated in your quote. Rail operators and carriers do not guarantee arrival times, so we tell you what to expect for your lane and keep you posted along the way.

What it costs

The price depends on the lane, the container size, the loaded weight and the access at both ends. Typical ranges are in our guide to what it costs to move a shipping container, and the calculator prices your own move where the route is priced online.