How to Prepare Your Site for a Freight Farm: A Practical Guide to Container Farm Delivery
Bringing a container farm to your property is an exciting step - but before your Freight Farm arrives, it's essential to make sure your site is ready for delivery day. Preparing your land or site for a container farm involves more than just picking a location, it’s about making sure that location is accessible, safe, and properly equipped for installation and sets your farming business up to be successful from the day it’s delivered.
Whether your farm is headed to a school campus, corporate site, nonprofit or healthcare organization, or your own backyard, this guide will walk you through the key steps to prepare your site, avoid delivery surprises, and get your Freight Farm up and running smoothly.
Still working through local regulations?
Check out our Zoning Guide for Container Farms to make sure your location is good to go.
1. Why Site Prep Matters
Your Freight Farm is delivered fully assembled and ready to be installed on-site. That means your delivery will arrive on a full-sized tractor trailer and will most likely require a crane to offload. If the site isn’t ready, your delivery may be delayed, or you could incur extra costs due to access issues or delivery rescheduling.
Preparing the site ahead of time not only keeps things running smoothly, but it also helps you save time, money, and stress as you move closer to your delivery and getting your farm operational.
2. How a Freight Farm Is Delivered
Your container farm is most likely going to be delivered on a stepdeck trailer, typically by an independent long-haul driver. The full truck and trailer setup is about 72 feet long and weighs around 60,000 pounds when loaded. Most deliveries require a crane to offload the farm and place it on your prepared foundation.
Because every delivery site is different, your Account Executive will work with you to gather site-specific details well in advance.
3. What Your Site Needs
To ensure your Freight Farm can be delivered safely and efficiently, your site must meet a few basic criteria:
✓ Hard, Level Surface: The farm needs to be placed on a level, compact surface that can support its weight. Most customers use asphalt, concrete, or compacted gravel. Sloped or uneven ground may require additional work to prepare.
✓ Clear Access Path: The truck needs to be able to enter the site, maneuver into place, and park next to the offload location. Roads leading to the site should be wide enough for a tractor trailer to pass through without tight turns, low overhangs, or steep grades.
✓ Crane Access: Ideally, the truck and crane should be able to set up immediately adjacent to the foundation pad. This minimizes the lift radius and keeps offload costs down. The more obstacles there are (trees, fencing, buildings), the more complex, and expensive, the offload can become.
✓ Nearby Utilities: You’ll also want a plan in place to connect the farm to electricity and water. While these don’t need to be active at the time of delivery, proximity to utility connections can save time and installation costs.
For a full list of site prep and utilities required and recommended, check out Site Preparation and Delivery Guide
4. Common Obstacles to Avoid
Some issues can complicate or delay delivery if they aren't addressed early. Watch out for:
Overhead powerlines
Low-hanging branches or signs
Tight corners or narrow roads
Soft or unpaved ground
Underground drainage or septic systems near the offload location
Your Customer Experience team member will ask you to submit photos and layout details so we can flag any potential concerns well ahead of time.
5. Timing & Communication Tips
Deliveries are coordinated through a network of freight brokers and crane companies. Because of this, clear communication and proper lead time are key. When you're ready to schedule your farm's delivery, we’ll need final site details, photos, and any important dates, like grant deadlines or opening events, so we can align logistics.
A few best practices:
Share your preferred delivery window well in advance
Identify an on-site contact who can be present the day of delivery
Let us know about any deadlines that can’t be missed (events, funding, etc.)
Be prepared to adjust if needed - weather, site access, and equipment availability can all influence timing
6. Final Site Prep Checklist
Here’s a simple list to help you confirm your site is ready:
Hard, level surface prepared (concrete, asphalt, compacted gravel)
Clear access route for truck and crane
Delivery pad free of obstructions (trees, poles, etc.)
Overhead space clear of powerlines
Photos of site sent to Freight Farms team
Utilities plan in place (electric and water)
On-site contact confirmed for delivery day
Any important timing constraints shared with your Freight Farms contact
Ready to Plan Your Delivery?
Site prep is one of the last big steps before your farm begins growing. With a little advance planning and the right support, you can make delivery day a breeze and start farming with confidence from day one.
If you’re unsure about your site or want feedback on your plan, reach out to our team. We're here to help every step of the way.
