Shipping containers Proston
Out west where the properties get larger, the towns get smaller and the distances start to mean something. Proston sits in grain and grazing country with Boondooma Dam beyond it, and the container conversation here is as much about the run as it is about the box.
- Postcode
- 4613
- Local government
- South Burnett Regional Council
- The run
- About 75 km north-west of Kingaroy via Wondai
- Usual vehicle
- Tilt-tray for most; sidelifter where the property has room
The recurring Proston jobs
Proston enquiries nearly always turn out to be about fodder, lick and fencing storage on the larger grazing runs, fuel and workshop consumables a long way from the nearest supplier, seed and fertiliser on the cropping ground, camping and boating gear on the blocks out near Boondooma, and secure storage on properties that are not occupied every day of the year. Each of those is a slightly different specification and it resolves faster by voice than off a price list. One call covers grade, availability and the run to Proston.
| Unit | Used from | New from |
|---|---|---|
| 10ft Containers | $4,350 | $6,400 |
| 20ft Containers | $2,200 | $3,300 |
| 40ft Containers | $2,600 | $5,500 |
All figures ex GST and shown as a guide. Condition and availability set the final number. Freight to Proston sits inside the same figure — one price, nothing added later.
Buying at a distance from a supplier
The reason containers make particular sense out this way has nothing to do with storage volume and everything to do with the round trip. When the nearest parts counter is an hour and a half each way, the cost of not having the fitting, the filter or the fencing wire on hand is a day, not a drive.
That turns a container from a storage solution into an inventory one, and it changes what people buy. Properties out here tend to order bigger and order once — often a 40ft, or a 20ft plus a dedicated chemical unit — rather than adding capacity a bit at a time.
It also raises the argument for buying over hiring, since the need is permanent and the delivery is the expensive part either way.
The dam and the country around it
Boondooma brings the seasonal blocks — places used hard for a few months and left alone the rest of the year, holding boats, camping gear and fishing tackle that has to survive being unvisited.
For that job the priority is a sound roof and doors that still work after a year of no attention, which means cargo-worthy at minimum. As-is units are the cheap end and are not sold watertight, and an unattended block is the worst place to find that out.
Blocking up matters more than usual too, because nobody is there to notice the long grass, the damp underside and the ants.
Delivery access at Proston
Distance is the defining feature and it works in your favour more often than people assume, because the roads out here are built for grain and stock movements and the properties have room. Once a truck is on a property the delivery is usually the easiest kind we do — long approaches, wide gates, and hardstand or compacted gravel near the sheds that will hold anything. The complications are on the way in. A good deal of the route is unsealed, and unsealed road out here means corrugation, dust and a surface that changes character completely after rain — days after, not hours. Grid crossings are worth flagging: on the bigger runs there are often several between the front gate and the shed, and a loaded vehicle needs each of them to be up to it. The other thing that catches people is simply the length of the internal road. It is not unusual for the gate to be four or five kilometres from where the container is going, which is fine but needs to be said when you enquire rather than discovered by a driver. Because the runs are long we would rather combine deliveries where the timing suits, and that generally makes the freight better than the distance suggests.
The baseline does not move: solid footing, a clear run in, and open sky above the drop. Anything outside that usually means a crane rather than a refusal. Detail in the delivery access guide.
Proston — common questions
Is delivery to Proston expensive because of the distance?
It costs more than a Kingaroy drop and less than most people guess. The run is long but uncomplicated, and where the timing lets us combine it with another delivery on the same route the freight comes down accordingly. Whatever it works out to, it is quoted with the container as a single figure rather than added afterwards.
I have several cattle grids between the gate and the shed. Is that a problem?
It can be, so tell us before dispatch rather than on the day. A loaded truck plus container is a lot of weight and not every grid on a property is rated for it. If one of them is doubtful we will place the container at the nearest sound point instead, which is a far better outcome than finding out mid-crossing.
How far in from the front gate can you deliver?
As far as the internal road will carry the vehicle, which on most properties out here is the whole way. What we need is to know the distance up front — a five kilometre run in is fine when it is planned for and a surprise when it is not, especially if the surface is unsealed.
What grade suits a block that sits empty most of the year?
Cargo-worthy at minimum. Those units are checked wind and watertight before they are loaded, which is what an unattended block needs. As-is is cheaper again and not sold watertight, so it belongs where the contents can get wet without anyone caring. Block it up properly as well — an unvisited container sitting in long grass is the one that rots from underneath.
Nearby delivery areas
Need one at Proston this month?
Ring and we will tell you what is available now and what the run out to you looks like.
(07) 4141 7699Mon–Fri 7:30am–5pm, Sat 8am–12pm. If we are out on a run, leave a message or send the form and you will get a call back.