Useful articlesReading time ~5 minPublished 09.10.2026

How to protect a shipping container from theft

Which locks actually protect, what a lock box is and how to place a container so it is harder to break into.

In short

The shackle of a standard padlock can be cut with bolt cutters in seconds.
The most secure combination: a puck lock inside a steel lock box.
A door bar lock stops the locking bars and handles from being forced.
Place the container somewhere visible and lit, ideally with the doors facing a wall.

Where a container is weakest

The walls of a shipping container are steel, so thieves almost always try the doors. Most often they:

cut the lock shackle — on a standard padlock it is exposed, and bolt cutters get through it in seconds;
force the door handles or locking bars — if they are not secured;
use a hidden location — where no one can see and there is no lighting.

Types of locks

From weakest to most secure

Standard padlockCheap, but the shackle is exposed — bolt cutters can cut it.

Heavy-duty padlockHardened steel is tougher, but the shackle is still exposed.

Puck lockThe shackle is almost fully hidden in the body, leaving bolt cutters nothing to grip.

Door bar lockSecures the locking bars and handles, so the doors cannot be forced.

Lock box + puck lockA steel box covers the lock — bolt cutters and angle grinders can hardly reach it.

What is a lock box

A lock box is a steel box welded or bolted onto the container doors where the lock joins the two handles. The lock sits inside the box and can only be reached by hand from below. There is no room for bolt cutters or an angle grinder.

There are universal bolt-on lock boxes you can fit yourself, and weld-on ones fitted by a welder. A lock box works best with a puck lock, and a door bar lock additionally secures the handles.

Other security measures

Doors facing a wall. If the container stands with its doors close to a building or another container, they cannot be opened fully — but then you cannot use them either.
A visible spot. A container visible from the house or road is less attractive than one in a far corner.
Motion-sensor lighting. Cheap and an effective deterrent.
A camera or alarm. There are wireless, battery-powered options if the container has no electricity.
Do not leave the doors open. Not even briefly while you work away from the container.
Check your insurance. Find out whether it covers items stored in the container.

How to prepare the site so the container stands level and the doors open easily is covered in the article shipping container foundation.

Common mistakes

Relying on a cheap padlock.
Not securing the locking bars — the doors can be forced without touching the lock.
Placing the container in a hidden, unlit spot.
Keeping valuables in view near the doors.
Not checking on the container for a long time.

Lockable containers from Kontiks.lv

All our containers have standard door locking bars that take a padlock or a lock box. New one-way containers have doors and seals in almost new condition that close tightly; used containers can be viewed in Riga so you can check the doors before buying.