Container Delivery to the San Juan Islands
Do you live on the San Juan Islands or are you moving there? If so, you may have wondered the best way to transport your belongings to your new home. Every year at Get Simple Box, we move 75+ boxes to the San Juan Islands via ferry.
On average there is a ferry able to carry shipping containers to and from the islands daily.* When determining if a ferry delivery is the right option for you, a member on our team will help you by answering the following questions:
1. How do you get started?
When you begin researching a ferry to the San Juan Islands, you will select the size of container you need, ensuring that the size of the box will fit in the location where it will be placed. We ask that you provide us with a 3-5 day window to make a reservation, knowing that we are still subject to a ferry schedule. We deliver all sizes to the Islands. (Some islands like Guemes and Lopez Island require a barge to transport the container.) Regardless of size or to which island, all contracts are the same terms and conditions. If it’s commercial, a PO number is needed.
2. Cost
At Get Simple Box, we make the reservations for you. This means for a rental, you will have just 1 bill which includes delivery, pick up, first month’s rent, ferry fees and driver stand by time. It is important to note that 2 fees are variable. Ferry fees vary based on the size of the truck and driver standby time depends on the island (each island has different time reservation slots). Boxes for sale are subject to the Box Cost, Delivery cost, and possible standby fees for delivery.
3. Time
We make the reservation(s) on the first available day that works for the delivery schedule. Reservations can be made as early as 2 Months in advance when they release 30% of their available sailings. Two weeks in advance of delivery date, the ferry releases another 30% of available sailings. Two days prior, they release another 30% of the available sailings, saving 10% for drive-ups. The reservation process can be challenging, we recommend that you provide as much notice as possible to ensure a speedy delivery. Once we have made a reservation, we let the customer know what day we have a reservation for and when they can expect us to arrive to the island. We book a morning ferry so that the driver can get back by the afternoon. Around the holidays, reservations are much harder to get however during the winter months, there are more reservation options available.
4. Delivery
When preparing for your delivery, site prep is key. Deliveries arrive on tilt bed trailers for 20’s and semi for 40’s. 70’ of straight stretch is needed for a 20’ delivery and 150’ is needed for a 40’ delivery. We ask that the driveway is accessible – we need 13 feet in width and 13 feet in height. Our trucks with the containers are 12 feet tall so making sure that there are no lowing power lines, cable lines and other obstructions provides for quicker entry. If there has been a lot of rain, we won’t be able to do grass placement (in fresh dirt, we will sink). Level Ground and an open gate provide a more seamless entry. Although many individuals like to be there for delivery, you do not need to be there for the delivery. Wanting more information on deliveries? Read about our deliveries here.
The sun sets over the San Juan islands.
Are you ready to make your trip to the islands? We’re happy to help, call us at (855) 855-4269 or get a customized quote here.
Video of a stormy ride on a ferry, taken by one of our delivery drivers.
*Reservations are able to be made in advance for each island with the exception of Lopez Island and Guemes. There is no return trip reservation option for Lopez and Shaw Island. Travelers get in line to ensure their return via ferry. At Get Simple Box, we can only deliver on days that have availability for the earliest sailing at 6am. There is an hourly rate over and above the standard delivery rate/ferry fee for this island.