Shipping Container Dimensions: 10ft, 20ft, 40ft, 45ft and High Cube
Exterior, interior and door dimensions for ISO dry containers, with capacity, weight limits, pallet counts and what that means for loading, trucking or using a container on your own land.
A standard 20ft container measures 6.06 × 2.44 × 2.59 m outside (19 ft 10½ in × 8 ft × 8 ft 6 in) and about 5.90 × 2.35 × 2.39 m inside, for 33.2 m³ (1,172 cu ft). A 40ft is 12.19 m long with 67.7 m³ (2,392 cu ft) inside, and a 40ft high cube is 30 cm taller at 2.90 m, giving 76.4 m³ (2,696 cu ft).
- 20ft outside
- 6.06 × 2.44 × 2.59 m
- 20ft capacity
- 33.2 m³ (1,172 ft³)
- 40ft HC capacity
- 76.4 m³ (2,696 ft³)
- High cube height
- 9 ft 6 in (2.90 m)
On this page
Shipping container dimensions chart
Outside dimensions are fixed by ISO 668, so every 20ft or 40ft box fits the same ships, cranes, trucks and rail cars. Inside dimensions depend on wall and floor construction and vary by about 1-2 cm between manufacturers; the figures below are typical for steel dry containers.
| Type | Outside L × W × H (m) | Inside L × W × H (m) | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10ft standard | 2.99 × 2.44 × 2.59 | 2.83 × 2.35 × 2.39 | 15.9 m³ |
| 20ft standard | 6.06 × 2.44 × 2.59 | 5.90 × 2.35 × 2.39 | 33.2 m³ |
| 20ft high cube | 6.06 × 2.44 × 2.90 | 5.90 × 2.35 × 2.70 | 37.4 m³ |
| 40ft standard | 12.19 × 2.44 × 2.59 | 12.03 × 2.35 × 2.39 | 67.7 m³ |
| 40ft high cube | 12.19 × 2.44 × 2.90 | 12.03 × 2.35 × 2.70 | 76.4 m³ |
| 45ft high cube | 13.72 × 2.44 × 2.90 | 13.56 × 2.35 × 2.70 | 86.0 m³ |
| Type | Outside | Inside | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20ft standard | 19′ 10½″ × 8′ × 8′ 6″ | 19′ 4″ × 7′ 8½″ × 7′ 10″ | 1,172 cu ft |
| 20ft high cube | 19′ 10½″ × 8′ × 9′ 6″ | 19′ 4″ × 7′ 8½″ × 8′ 10″ | 1,322 cu ft |
| 40ft standard | 40′ × 8′ × 8′ 6″ | 39′ 5½″ × 7′ 8½″ × 7′ 10″ | 2,392 cu ft |
| 40ft high cube | 40′ × 8′ × 9′ 6″ | 39′ 5½″ × 7′ 8½″ × 8′ 10″ | 2,696 cu ft |
| 45ft high cube | 45′ × 8′ × 9′ 6″ | 44′ 5½″ × 7′ 8½″ × 8′ 10″ | 3,038 cu ft |
A "20ft" container is not actually 20 ft long. Its 6,058 mm (19 ft 10½ in) length is set so that two 20ft boxes plus the 76 mm gap between them occupy exactly the 12,192 mm of one 40ft slot on a ship or rail car.
Door opening dimensions
The doors are the bottleneck when loading tall or wide items. The opening is smaller than the interior because of the door frame and the header beam.
| Container | Door width | Door height |
|---|---|---|
| Standard (20ft, 40ft) | 2.34 m (7′ 8″) | 2.28 m (7′ 6″) |
| High cube (20ft, 40ft, 45ft) | 2.34 m (7′ 8″) | 2.59 m (8′ 6″) |
A forklift needs to lift the load clear of the floor and pass under the door header. With a standard container's 2.28 m opening, loaded pallets of about 2.1 m (83 in) are the practical maximum when using a pallet jack, and less with a forklift's mast height. Furniture and machinery taller than about 2.2 m need a high cube or an open-top container.
Container weight: tare, payload and gross
Each container carries a CSC safety approval plate on the door listing its maximum gross mass (container plus cargo), tare (empty weight) and the payload in between. ISO 668 has allowed ratings up to 36,000 kg for all sizes except the 10ft since a 2016 amendment, but many boxes in service are still plated at 30,480 kg.
| Container | Tare (empty) | Typical max gross | Resulting payload |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10ft | about 1,300 kg (2,870 lb) | 10,160 kg (22,400 lb) | about 8,860 kg |
| 20ft standard | 2,200-2,400 kg (4,850-5,300 lb) | 30,480 kg (67,200 lb) | about 28,100 kg (62,000 lb) |
| 40ft standard | 3,700-3,800 kg (8,200-8,400 lb) | 30,480-32,500 kg | about 26,700-28,700 kg |
| 40ft high cube | 3,900-4,000 kg (8,600-8,800 lb) | 30,480-32,500 kg | about 26,500-28,500 kg |
Since July 2016 the SOLAS convention requires a verified gross mass (VGM) for every packed export container before it is loaded on a ship.
A 20ft box rated for 28 tonnes of cargo cannot legally be trucked with that much in most places. In the US the federal limit on Interstates is 80,000 lb gross for the whole vehicle. After the tractor, chassis and container, that usually leaves about 44,000 lb (20 t) of cargo for a 40ft and about 36,000-38,000 lb (16-17 t) for a 20ft on a standard chassis. Heavy, dense cargo such as stone or steel fills the weight limit long before the space.
What fits in a shipping container
Pallets
| Container | US pallets (48 × 40 in) | Euro pallets (1200 × 800 mm) |
|---|---|---|
| 20ft | 10 | 11 |
| 40ft / 40ft high cube | 20-21 | 23-24 |
The interior width of 2.35 m is the reason the counts are uneven: two 1,016 mm (40 in) pallet sides take 2.03 m, leaving 32 cm unused, while a Euro pallet's 1,200 mm and 800 mm sides can be mixed across the width to fill 2.0 m. For pallet sizes themselves, see the pallet dimensions guide.
Cartons and household moves
Freight forwarders plan mixed cartons at about 80-85% of the theoretical volume because of gaps and the space lost near the doors:
- 20ft: about 25-28 m³ of cartons, or the contents of a one- to two-bedroom home.
- 40ft: about 55-58 m³, enough for a three- to four-bedroom home.
- 40ft high cube: about 65-68 m³; the extra 30 cm of height helps with tall furniture and stacked cartons.
To estimate cartons, divide the usable volume by the carton volume. A medium moving box of 18 × 18 × 16 in is 0.085 m³ (3 cu ft), so about 300 of them fill a 20ft at 25 m³. Carton sizes are on the shipping box sizes page.
Other container types
| Type | Lengths | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerated (reefer) | 20ft, 40ft high cube | Insulation and the cooling unit cut inside width to about 2.29 m and length by about 0.4-0.5 m; a 40ft high cube reefer holds roughly 67-68 m³. |
| Open top | 20ft, 40ft | Removable roof bows and tarp; loaded by crane from above for tall cargo. |
| Flat rack | 20ft, 40ft | End walls only; for vehicles, machinery and over-width loads. |
| Pallet-wide | 40ft, 45ft | Thinner walls give about 2.44 m inside width, enough for three Euro pallets across. |
| Tank | 20ft frame | A cylindrical tank of roughly 21,000-26,000 liters inside a 20ft frame for liquids. |
Using a container for storage or building
Used 20ft and 40ft containers are common as site storage, workshops and the shell of small buildings. The figures that matter for planning:
- Floor area inside: 20ft about 13.9 m² (149 sq ft); 40ft about 28.3 m² (305 sq ft). That is roughly a 10 × 15 ft and a 10 × 30 ft storage unit.
- Footprint outside: 20ft 14.8 m² (159 sq ft); 40ft 29.7 m² (320 sq ft). Add at least 1 m in front of the doors for them to swing fully open.
- Supports: the box rests on its four corner castings. Level concrete pads or blocks under each corner (plus mid-points on a 40ft) keep the doors square so they close.
- Interior height after insulation: 50 mm of insulation and a ceiling lining bring a standard container's 2.39 m down to under 2.3 m. A high cube keeps about 2.6 m, which is why it is the usual choice for living or working space.
- Delivery access: tilt-bed trucks need a long, straight approach and overhead clearance to slide the box off. Ask the supplier for their exact requirements before ordering, and check local zoning and permit rules, which treat containers as structures in many areas.
For smaller backyard storage options, compare shed sizes.
Container markings and codes
Every container's door shows its ISO 6346 identification: a four-letter owner code ending in U (for example MSCU), a six-digit serial number and a check digit, followed by a size and type code. The first two characters of the type code give length and height: 22 is 20ft × 8 ft 6 in, 42 is 40ft × 8 ft 6 in, 45 is 40ft high cube and L5 is 45ft high cube. G1 after it means a general-purpose dry container, so 45G1 is a 40ft high cube dry box.
Frequently asked questions
What is the height of a 20ft container in mm?
A standard 20ft container is 2,591 mm (8 ft 6 in) tall outside and about 2,393 mm inside. A 20ft high cube is 2,896 mm (9 ft 6 in) outside and about 2,698 mm inside. The door opening is about 2,280 mm high on a standard box and 2,585 mm on a high cube.
How many cubic meters (CBM) are in a shipping container?
A 20ft holds about 33.2 m³, a 40ft about 67.7 m³, a 40ft high cube about 76.4 m³ and a 45ft high cube about 86 m³. Mixed cartons rarely fill more than 80-85% of that, so forwarders plan around 25-28 m³ for a 20ft and 65-68 m³ for a 40ft high cube.
What are the highway payload limits for containers in the US?
The federal limit is 80,000 lb gross for the whole truck on Interstates. After the tractor, chassis and container, that typically leaves about 44,000 lb of cargo for a 40ft and roughly 36,000-38,000 lb for a 20ft on a standard tandem chassis; a tri-axle chassis lets a 20ft carry 47,000 lb or more. These are trucking norms, not container ratings, and vary by state and equipment.
How many pallets fit in a 20ft and 40ft container?
Single-stacked, a 20ft takes 10 standard 48 × 40 in pallets or 11 Euro pallets (1200 × 800 mm). A 40ft takes 20-21 standard pallets or 23-24 Euro pallets, depending on how they are turned.
What does TEU mean?
Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit: one 20ft container. A 40ft counts as 2 TEU (also called 1 FEU). Ship capacity and port traffic are measured in TEU, so a 24,000 TEU ship can carry the equivalent of 24,000 twenty-foot boxes.
How much does an empty shipping container weigh?
A 20ft steel dry container weighs about 2,200-2,400 kg (4,850-5,300 lb), a 40ft about 3,700-3,800 kg (8,200-8,400 lb) and a 40ft high cube about 3,900-4,000 kg (8,600-8,800 lb). The exact tare is painted on the door.