Standard ISO shipping container internal dimensions, cubic capacity and maximum payload. Actual figures vary slightly by manufacturer and container age.
Common container sizes
The two most common container sizes in ocean freight are the 20ft and 40ft dry containers, joined by the 40ft High Cube (HC) which adds around a foot of internal height, plus specialised reefer, open-top and flat-rack units. The table below lists the internal length, width and height, cubic capacity and maximum payload for each of these sizes so you can work out how much cargo a 20ft or 40ft container will hold before you book.
| Container | Length | Width | Height | Capacity | Max Payload | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20' Standard (GP) | 5.90 m | 2.35 m | 2.39 m | 33.2 m³ | 28,200 kg | General dry cargo — the base TEU unit. |
| 40' Standard (GP) | 12.03 m | 2.35 m | 2.39 m | 67.7 m³ | 26,700 kg | General dry cargo, double the length of a 20-ft. |
| 40' High Cube (HC) | 12.03 m | 2.35 m | 2.69 m | 76.4 m³ | 26,500 kg | Extra height for voluminous or light cargo. |
| 45' High Cube | 13.56 m | 2.35 m | 2.69 m | 86.1 m³ | 25,600 kg | Maximum volume standard container. |
| 20' Reefer | 5.44 m | 2.29 m | 2.27 m | 28.3 m³ | 27,400 kg | Refrigerated, temperature-controlled cargo. |
| 40' Reefer High Cube | 11.56 m | 2.29 m | 2.50 m | 67.0 m³ | 29,000 kg | Refrigerated high cube for perishables. |
| 20' Open Top | 5.90 m | 2.35 m | 2.35 m | 32.5 m³ | 28,100 kg | Open roof for over-height or crane-loaded cargo. |
| 20' Flat Rack | 5.94 m | 2.35 m | 2.35 m | — | 27,700 kg | Collapsible sides for heavy, wide or awkward loads. |
A 20-ft container equals 1 TEU. A 40-ft equals 2 TEU — the units by which global container trade is measured. Choosing the right size matters for cost: a full 40ft box usually ships more cheaply per cubic metre than two 20ft boxes, while a 20ft is easier to fill completely for dense or heavy cargo.
How to choose the right container size
The right box depends on whether your cargo runs out of space or out of weight first. Light, bulky goods — furniture, packaging, apparel — usually "cube out", filling the volume long before they hit the payload limit, so a 40ft or 40ft High Cube gives the best value per cubic metre. Dense, heavy cargo — tiles, machinery, canned goods — "weighs out" instead, hitting the maximum payload while the box is only part full, which is where a 20ft often makes more sense.
Specialised units cover the exceptions: reefers for temperature-controlled goods, open-top for over-height cargo loaded by crane, and flat-rack for out-of-gauge or very heavy pieces. When you are quoting or comparing options, match the container's internal dimensions and payload to your actual pallet plan rather than the nominal size — a foot of extra height on a High Cube can be the difference between one tier of pallets and two.
Every Bill of Lading record in our database shows the container count and TEU/FEU for each shipment, so you can see exactly how competitors move their cargo. ← Back to all resources