Container Sizes: 20ft, 40ft and 40ft High Cube

These are approximate figures for standard dry containers. Exact numbers vary by manufacturer.

20ft standard

inside length about 5.9 m, capacity about 33 CBM, maximum payload about 25 to 28 tons.

40ft standard

inside length about 12.0 m, capacity about 67 CBM, maximum payload about 26 to 28 tons.

40ft High Cube (40HQ)

inside length about 12.0 m and taller, capacity about 76 CBM, maximum payload about 26 to 28 tons.

Which to choose

• 20ft: heavy, dense cargo such as tiles, machinery or bagged goods
• 40ft: large volume of medium-weight cargo
• 40HQ: light, bulky cargo such as furniture, garments or plastic goods

Practical limits

you rarely fill the full volume because of pallets and packing gaps, so plan on about 80 to 90% usable space. Weight limits also depend on local road rules, so check them before loading.

Other types

refrigerated (reefer), open top, flat rack and tank containers exist for special cargo.