Shipping Container Roll-Up Doors: Sizes, Accessories and Installation
A roll-up door turns a shipping container into something you can drive a forklift, a cart or a pallet jack straight into. It opens vertically, so it keeps the full height of the opening and needs no swing space outside. Here's how to pick the right size, which accessories you need, and how the install comes together.
Why choose a roll-up door for a container?
Full headroom: the curtain rolls up out of the way, so you keep the whole opening height.
No swing clearance: useful in tight yards, rows of containers or next to walls.
Wide access: much wider openings than a walk-through man door, for equipment and bulky stock.
Flexible placement: on the end, in place of the original cargo doors, or along the side wall.
What size roll-up door do you need?
Start with where the door will go:
Replacing the original ISO cargo doors: 7' wide.
Replacing an end wall: 6' wide.
Side wall openings: anywhere from 4' to 20' wide, depending on what you're moving in and out.
Height depends on the container: 6'8" for standard containers and 7'4" for high cube. The most common widths are 6', 7' and 8'. Our Shipping Container Roll Up Door is made from 26-gauge steel and comes as a complete system: the door, track, hardware kit, handle and slide lock.
The accessories that make the install last
Cutting a large opening in a container changes how it handles weight and weather. Our Roll Up Door Accessories are built for exactly that:
Framing kit: a welded steel frame around the opening. It restores the strength lost when you cut the corrugated wall and gives the door tracks a solid mounting surface.
Threshold plate: a heavy-duty steel plate welded to the bottom rail. It sends rain and snow away from the door instead of into the container.
Header plate: recommended when you remove the original cargo doors. It welds to the top of the opening and has a slight bend that works as a rain guard.
Weather brush seal: closes the gaps around the door to keep out bugs, rodents and light weather, without slowing the door down.
How a roll-up door install comes together
Plan the opening. Choose the location and width, and keep clear of the corner posts so the frame lands on solid steel.
Mark and cut. Mark the opening from the frame dimensions and cut it out with a plasma cutter or grinder. This is hot work, so use proper protection and keep a fire extinguisher close.
Weld in the frame. Fit the framing kit, check it for square and level, tack it, then weld it in fully.
Install the track and door. Mount the tracks to the frame, set the door and check that it rolls smoothly and latches.
Seal it. Add the threshold plate at the bottom, the header plate at the top if you removed the cargo doors, and the brush seal around the edges.
Finish and secure. Prime and paint the bare steel and welds, then lock the door. A slide lock comes with the door.
Common questions
Our container modification FAQ covers roll-up door sizing, reinforcing openings and keeping rain out in more detail.
Ready to add a roll-up door?
Browse our roll-up doors, or talk to our team if you're not sure which size fits your container. Call (562) 366-0784.
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