Trade and customs
Container sizes: what actually fits
Internal dimensions, payload limits and the door opening. Three numbers that decide whether your cargo fits.
Quick take
- External and internal dimensions differ by roughly 10 to 15 cm on each axis.
- A high cube adds about 30 cm of height, not width.
- Payload is limited by road regulations long before the container runs out.
Most loading mistakes come from planning against external dimensions or from forgetting that weight runs out before space does.
The standard sizes
| Type | Internal length | Internal height | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20ft standard | ~5.90 m | ~2.39 m | ~33 m³ |
| 40ft standard | ~12.03 m | ~2.39 m | ~67 m³ |
| 40ft high cube | ~12.03 m | ~2.69 m | ~76 m³ |
| 45ft high cube | ~13.56 m | ~2.69 m | ~86 m³ |
Figures vary slightly between manufacturers and between individual containers. For anything tight, measure the actual container rather than trusting a table.
Payload before volume
A 20ft container has a payload around 28 tonnes on paper. You will almost never use it, because road weight limits in the destination country cap what a truck may carry, and that cap is usually well below the container's structural limit.
This is why dense cargo like tiles or machinery ships in 20ft units while light bulky cargo fills 40ft high cubes. The rule of thumb: if your cargo is heavier than about 350 kg per cubic metre, weight decides, not volume.
See it on your own shipment
Paste a container number, bill of lading or booking reference. We detect the carrier across 170+ shipping lines, and when the data does not line up, a person checks it.
The door opening
The door is narrower and lower than the internal cross section, typically by five to ten centimetres. Cargo that fits the internal dimensions on paper can still refuse to go through the door. For any single piece close to the limit, get the door opening figures for the specific container before it is delivered.
Questions people ask
How many pallets fit in a 40ft container?
Around 25 standard europallets on the floor, or 21 US pallets, depending on how they are turned.
Is a high cube wider?
No. It adds height only, roughly 30 cm.
Read next
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