If you’ve ever stood at the back of a standard shipping container trying to find one pallet buried behind everything else, you already understand the need for side-door containers. A 20-ft side door storage container for sale from Great Lakes Kwik Space gives you access to the entire length of the unit from the side, not just the end, so you’re never digging through a container to reach what you actually need.
Great Lakes Kwik Space has outfitted Chicagoland businesses, contractors, and property owners with portable storage since 1990, and the 20 ft side door container is one of the most requested configurations we sell. It fits in a single parking space and is compact enough for tight job sites and retail lots, and the reinforced side opening turns a sealed steel box into something closer to a walk-in shelving unit or a pop-up storefront.
“We are growing and will continue to ONLY USE Great Lakes Kwik Space. I have purchased 4 containers so far and will purchase more this spring. 5 Stars” — John I.
A standard 20-foot container gives you one set of cargo doors on the end. A double door unit adds a second opening on the opposite end. A side door container takes a different approach: the entire length of one sidewall is built to swing open. That means instead of walking 19 feet into a container to reach the back row of shelving, you can step directly in from the side at whatever point along the wall you need.
The doors are hinged in sections, so you decide how much of the wall to open. Swing open a single panel, and you’ve got roughly an 8-foot opening, wide enough for a person, a hand truck, or a couple of pallets. Open every panel, and the entire 20-foot sidewall folds back, turning the container into something closer to an open-air stage or a drive-up loading dock. That flexibility is why these units show up as often on construction sites as they do at trade shows and seasonal retail pop-ups.
Because the side wall has to carry structural load that a solid steel panel normally handles, the frame around a side door container is reinforced more heavily than a standard unit. That reinforcement is also why the interior cubic footage runs slightly lower than a standard 20-footer and why the unit itself weighs more.
“Awesome service, very good communication. Delivery went smooth and right on time. Would definitely use them again and recommend them to anyone looking to buy a storage container.” — Mike A.
| Size: | 20-Foot Side Door Storage Container |
|---|---|
| Construction: | Aluminum |
| External Dimensions: |
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| Internal Dimensions: |
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| Door Openings: |
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| Cubic Capacity: | 1,083 cf |
| Weight: | 7,010 lbs |
Every container we sell is manufactured to ISO shipping standards, delivered ground-level and ready to use, and built to be secure and weathertight from day one.
This is the use case most people call us about first. If you’re storing lawn equipment, ATVs, motorcycles, or small utility vehicles, backing everything in and out through a single end door gets old fast, especially if you’re storing more than one item at a time. With a side door unit, you can position equipment perpendicular to the container and load it straight in through the open wall instead of maneuvering it down a narrow 19-foot tunnel. Landscaping crews use these units to store mowers, trimmers, and blowers where every piece needs to come out fast at the start of a shift and go back in just as quickly at the end of it.
Contractors and facility managers often use a side door container as an overflow staging area next to a loading dock. Materials get palletized, moved out the side opening, and staged for pickup without ever forcing a forklift to thread the needle through an end door. Because you can open just one panel at a time, you also get more control over what’s exposed to weather or foot traffic while the rest of the unit stays sealed.
Open the full side wall and a 20-ft side door container becomes a ready-made display counter. Seasonal retailers, farmers market vendors, and event organizers use these units as temporary storefronts because the opening puts merchandise at eye level and within arm’s reach of customers. It’s a considerably cheaper setup than building a temporary structure from scratch, and it can be delivered and picked up on a schedule that matches a single season or event.
If you’re outfitting a container as a mobile tool crib, side access changes how you can organize it. Instead of building shelving that only makes sense near the door, you can line the entire sidewall with pegboard, shelving, or bin racks and reach every section directly instead of walking around stacked inventory. Crews doing electrical, plumbing, or HVAC work often set these up so each trade has a dedicated section they can get into without disturbing anyone else’s tools.
Because the side opening is already engineered into the frame, these containers are also a common starting point for custom builds: concession stands, mobile offices with a service window, or modular structures where a wide opening is part of the design from the start. If Great Lakes Kwik Space is delivering a container that will be modified further, the side door version often saves a step compared to cutting a standard container open after the fact.
| Features | 20ft Standard | 20ft Double Door | 20ft Side Door |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction | Steel | Steel | Steel |
| Door Access | One end | Both ends | Full sidewall, opens in 8-ft sections up to 20 ft |
| External Dimensions |
20′-0″ x 8′-0″ x 8′-6″
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20′-0″ x 8′-0″ x 8′-6″
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20′-0″ x 8′-0″ x 8′-6″
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| Internal Dimensions |
19′-4″ x 7′-8″ x 7′-10″
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19′-4″ x 7′-8″ x 7′-10″
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19′-3″ x 7′-8″ x 7′-10″
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| Cubic Capacity | 1,161 cf | 1,161 cf | 1,083 cf |
| Weight | 5,160 lbs | Slightly above standard due to added door hardware | 7,010 lbs |
| Best For | General-purpose storage on a budget | Pass-through, drive-in/drive-out loading | Wide-item access, shelving layouts, retail display |
None of these three options is a strict upgrade over the others; they’re just built for different access patterns. If you mainly need to drive equipment straight through a container, a double door unit is usually the better fit. If you need to reach items anywhere along the length of the container without walking to the back, the side door version does something neither of the others can. If straightforward storage with a single access point covers your needs, the standard configuration is the most economical option of the three.
New (one-trip) containers have made a single ocean voyage and show up close to factory condition. They have clean paint, no dents, and doors and seals without wear. If the container is going to sit somewhere visible, like a retail lot or a client-facing job site, or if you want the longest possible service life before you deal with any maintenance, a one-trip unit is worth the higher price point.
Used containers have circulated longer and will show cosmetic wear: surface rust spots, small dents, scuffed paint. What matters more than the cosmetics is condition grade. A wind-and-water-tight (WWT) unit is guaranteed not to leak, even if it doesn’t have the prettiest appearance, which makes it a solid choice for job site storage. A cargo-worthy unit sits a notch above WWT with tighter structural standards. As-is units are priced lowest and sold without a condition guarantee, so they’re best reserved for buyers who plan to inspect in person or who are storing items that won’t be damaged by a minor leak.
“Bought a used container, its perfect, no leaks and in good condition.” — Dudley P.
For a side door container specifically, pay close attention to the door panels and hinges regardless of new or used condition. Because the sidewall carries more moving hardware than an end door, seal and hinge condition matters more here than it does on a standard container. Our team can walk you through what’s currently available in each condition tier and point you toward the right one for how the container will actually be used.
Great Lakes Kwik Space has been Chicagoland’s largest independently owned portable storage company since 1990. A few things that set us apart when you’re comparing sellers:
Having a dependable, experienced team on your side who wants to match your business with the right, high-quality container everytime makes all the difference.
“We are very pleased with our recent purchase of new one trip storage containers from Great Lakes Kwik Storage.
Bob Lukowski provided us with reasonable prices and great service.” — Bo P.
If your storage needs involve wide loads, frequent access, or reaching items without walking the length of a container, a 20-ft side door unit solves a problem that standard and double door containers simply can’t. Whether you’re outfitting a mobile tool crib, staging materials next to a loading dock, or setting up a seasonal retail display, the flexibility of an 8-foot or full 20-foot opening puts everything within reach exactly when you need it.
Great Lakes Kwik Space has been supplying Chicagoland with dependable, secure portable storage since 1990, and our team can help you decide whether a new or used unit makes sense for your project and budget. We’ll walk you through current inventory, condition grades, and any customization options so you get a container built around how you’ll actually use it.
Ready to get started? Call us at 1.866.524.6603 or fill out an online quote form to get pricing, with delivery available across the Chicagoland area in as little as 24 hours.
20ft side door containers are standard 20-foot steel containers, but built with a hinged, multi-panel sidewall instead of a solid one. You can open a single panel for roughly an 8-foot access point or fold back the whole wall for a full 20-foot opening, giving you access to any point along the container’s length without walking in from the end.
Each panel opens to roughly 8 feet, and the panels can be opened individually or together. Opening all of them gives you a continuous 20-foot opening along the entire sidewall, which is wide enough to load pallets, vehicles, or equipment directly from the side.
A double door container adds a second set of doors to the opposite end, so you get two access points but still have to walk the length of the unit to reach anything in the middle. A side door container opens along the length itself, so you can reach any section directly. Double door units are better for pass-through loading; side door units are better when you need access at multiple points without walking the full length.
Yes. Used units cost less and are graded by condition, from wind-and-water-tight to as-is. Because the sidewall has more moving hardware than a standard container, it’s worth asking specifically about hinge and seal condition on any used side door unit before you buy, even at the WWT or cargo-worthy grade.
Yes. The door panels lock the same way standard cargo doors do, with lockable handles and bar hardware that keep the unit sealed and watertight when closed, whether you’ve got one panel shut or the entire wall.
Give us a call at 1.866.524.6603 for more information or fill out an online KWIK Quote now.
All of our containers feature:
Rob was always very honest and upfront about everything and took the time to explain everything I needed.
“highly recommended. They provided us with a great storage container with ontime services.”
“Bought a used container, its perfect, no leaks and in good condition.”
“Good service and prompt delivery. A great option for temporary storage at a decent price.”
