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Stack of colourful 20ft sea containers with visible CSC plates showing container dimensions and weights

Container dimensions: all sizes per container type

Container dimensions: all sizes, types and weights at a glance

The three most-used sea containers have fixed external dimensions. A 20ft container is 6.06 m long, 2.44 m wide and 2.59 m high. A 40ft container is 12.19 m long at the same width and height. A 40ft high cube is the same length and width, but at 2.90 m it is thirty centimetres taller. Those are the external dimensions, and they are standardised worldwide under ISO 668.

Inside, you lose a few centimetres at each wall, and the door opening is smaller again than the internal space. That is exactly where things go wrong in practice. Below we set out all external and internal dimensions, door openings, weights and pallet counts per container type, so you can see straight away which container fits your cargo.

The figures below are common reference values. They vary slightly by manufacturer and year of build. The exact figures for a specific container are always on the CSC plate next to the door.

Download our technical guide to container dimensions (PDF)

Container types and their dimensions

20ft dry container

The 20ft standard container is the base unit of container shipping, also known as the TEU. For heavy, dense cargo it is often the right choice, because you reach the maximum weight before you reach the maximum volume.

40ft dry container

The 40ft standard container (also written as 40' or 40 foot) is twice the length of the 20ft, with roughly double the volume. The maximum payload is only slightly higher than a 20ft, because the gross weight is capped for structural reasons. For light, bulky cargo this is where you get the most out.

40ft high cube container

The high cube has the same length and width as a standard 40ft, but is thirty centimetres taller. That gives about thirteen percent more volume for the same floor area. This is the most-used 40ft container today, and for most cargo it is our workhorse.

40ft high cube pallet wide

A pallet wide has the same external dimensions as a standard 40ft high cube, but is about ten centimetres wider inside. That sounds like little, but it is just enough to fit Euro pallets side by side more efficiently. Where a standard 40ft high cube takes 25 Euro pallets on the floor, a pallet wide takes 30. For anyone shipping on pallets, that is often the difference that makes the load profitable.

Reefer (refrigerated container)

A reefer is a mechanically cooled container. The insulated walls and the refrigeration unit at the front take up space, so inside a reefer is noticeably smaller than a standard container of the same external size. The volume is therefore close to that of a standard 40ft, not a high cube. The figures below apply to the most-used 40ft high cube reefer.

Open top

An open top has no fixed roof, but a removable tarpaulin on steel bows. You load from above with a crane, which is handy for machinery or cargo that will not fit through the door. The end wall is removable, so cargo can protrude above the rim. Note: as soon as the cargo rises above the container rim, your cargo sets the height, not the container. More on that below.

An open top comes in a 20ft and a 40ft version.

On the road a reefer needs a genset to keep cooling. If you ship refrigerated dangerous goods, ADR rules come into play as well. We arrange both.

Flatrack

A flatrack is a load bed with two end walls, without side walls or a roof. For cargo that is too wide, too long or too heavy for a closed container: machinery, steel coils, boats, transformers. You load from above or from the side. A flatrack deliberately carries far more weight than a standard container, because it is built for concentrated loads. Cargo that falls outside container dimensions is called out of gauge (OOG).

A flatrack comes in a 20ft and a 40ft version.

External versus internal dimensions, and why the door opening is smaller

With a container you deal with three different measurements, and confusing them costs money.

The external dimension is what counts for the terminal, the chassis and stacking on the ship. It is standardised, so every container fits on every chassis and in every ship cell worldwide.

The internal dimension is your actual loading space. It is always smaller than the external dimension, because the corrugated steel walls, the corner posts and the roof take up room. On a 40ft you lose about nine centimetres in width against the external dimension.

The door opening is smaller again than the internal dimension, and it is the measurement people forget most often. The door frame sits inside the walls, so the opening is narrower than the space behind it. On a 40ft the internal width is 2.35 m, but the door opening is only 2.34 m, and the door height is seven to ten centimetres lower than the internal height.

Where it goes wrong: a pallet or crate that fits within the internal dimension on paper, but will not pass through the door opening. A stack of 2.60 m stands comfortably in a 40ft high cube with its internal height of 2.70 m, but it will not pass through the door opening of 2.58 m. Then you have to load from above with an open top, or de-stack at the threshold. So always plan against the door opening, not the internal dimension.

Container weight: payload, tare and VGM

Three figures come into play with weight. The tare is the empty weight of the container itself. The maximum payload is how much cargo you may load. The maximum gross weight (MGW) is the total of both together, and it is on the CSC plate next to the door.

The misjudgement we see most often: a customer picks a 40ft because the cargo fits by size, but then runs over weight with heavy goods. A 20ft is often the better choice, because with dense cargo you reach the weight limit before you fill the volume. If you are unsure between volume and weight, we work it out for you.

For sea freight the VGM comes on top, the Verified Gross Mass. Since 1 July 2016 the international SOLAS regulation requires the shipper to declare the total weight of the loaded container before it may go on board. No VGM means the container is not loaded. It covers cargo plus packaging plus tare, determined via a certified weighbridge or via the sum of all components. PLS arranges the VGM determination for you.

Weight distribution: as important as the total

The total weight is one thing, its distribution another. We have seen a case where a 40ft was stuffed in the country of origin with the load unevenly spread across the container. On paper the weight was fine. But when the reachstacker lifted the container, the load shifted to one side. The result: a damaged reachstacker, a torn container and damaged goods. You cannot see poor loading from the outside. You notice it only when it is too late. That is why an even weight distribution is not a detail, but a condition for safe transport.

How many pallets fit in a container?

This is the question we get most often. The answer depends on the container type and the type of pallet. Below are the common counts in a single floor layer, for Euro pallets (120 x 80 cm) and block pallets (120 x 100 cm).

20ft: 11 Euro pallets, or 9 to 10 block pallets

40ft: 23 to 25 Euro pallets, or 20 to 21 block pallets

40ft high cube: 25 Euro pallets, or 20 to 21 block pallets

40ft pallet wide: 30 Euro pallets, or 24 block pallets

The high cube takes the same number of pallets on the floor as a standard 40ft. You use the extra height to stack, not to fit more pallets side by side. If you want more pallets on the floor, a pallet wide is the answer. Those ten extra centimetres of width take you from 25 to 30 Euro pallets in a 40ft. For anyone shipping on pallets, that is a twenty percent gain on the same trip.

If you work with crates that have no standard size, such as Euro or block pallets, it becomes a calculation. At PLS we work out for you how many containers you need and which type comes out cheapest and safest. That saves you an expensive wrong choice.

Container transport by road: the height is fixed, except on open types

For the onward road leg from Antwerp, the sting is in one measurement: the height. On a closed container it is fixed. A 40ft high cube has an internal height of about 2.70 m, and on a standard container chassis the whole unit stays within the legal limit of 4 metres. What comes off the sea goes straight onto the road. No permit needed.

On an open top or flatrack that story changes, because they have no fixed roof. As soon as your cargo rises above the container rim, the cargo sets the total height, not the container. If that takes you above the legal 4 metres, it is exceptional transport and you need a permit. In Flanders you apply for it through Wegen en Verkeer. One important point: a container or flatrack counts legally as packaging. Transport above the norm under an exceptional transport permit is only possible if the container is empty, or if it carries a single indivisible piece inside or on it.

In practice, you often avoid that permit anyway. If over-height cargo has to go into a container leaving from Antwerp, we stuff it on the quay and it runs there on a normal trailer. If over-height cargo arrives in Antwerp on a flatrack, we strip it on the quay and it continues on a trailer or flatbed. That way you do not drag a flatrack across the road for cargo that fits just as well on a normal trailer.

The practical takeaway: on an open top or flatrack, give us the exact dimensions of your cargo, height included. That way we determine in advance whether it stays within the norm or whether a permit and a route are needed.

Which container do you need?

To determine the right type, we need a few details from you. The more complete, the faster we give you the cheapest and safest option.

With those details we work out for you which container type and how many units you need.

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