What size are shipping containers?
The standard sizes are the 20ft (about 33 m³ inside), the 40ft (about 67 m³) and the 40ft high cube (about 76 m³, roughly 30 cm taller). All are about 2.35 m wide inside. In practice you can usually load around 25–28 m³ in a 20ft, 55–58 m³ in a 40ft and 65–68 m³ in a high cube.
Knowing what fits in a container helps you order the right quantity, compare quotes and avoid paying for space you don't use. This guide gives the standard dimensions, what you can realistically load and how many pallets fit.
Standard dry container dimensions
| 20ft | 40ft | 40ft high cube | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internal length | 5.90 m | 12.03 m | 12.03 m |
| Internal width | 2.35 m | 2.35 m | 2.35 m |
| Internal height | 2.39 m | 2.39 m | 2.69 m |
| Door opening (width × height) | 2.34 × 2.28 m | 2.34 × 2.28 m | 2.34 × 2.58 m |
| Volume | about 33 m³ | about 67 m³ | about 76 m³ |
| Tare (empty) weight | about 2,200 kg | about 3,750 kg | about 3,900 kg |
| Maximum payload | about 28,000 kg | about 26,500–28,800 kg | about 26,500–28,600 kg |
Typical figures. Exact dimensions and weights vary slightly by manufacturer and container age, and are shown on the container doors. UK road weight limits usually mean you can't use the full payload, so check with your haulier for heavy loads.
How to work out your cargo volume
Volume in cubic metres is length × width × height of one carton, in metres, multiplied by the number of cartons. Your supplier's packing list should show the total, but it's worth checking yourself, because a small error in carton size makes a big difference across a whole order.
- Volume of one carton (0.60 × 0.40 × 0.40 m)
- 0.096 m³
- Total volume (0.096 × 200)
- 19.2 m³
- Total weight (12 kg × 200)
- 2,400 kg
- Best fit
- One 20ft container
19.2 m³ sits comfortably inside the 25–28 m³ you can realistically load in a 20ft, with room for some extra stock.
Weight or volume: which runs out first?
Light, bulky goods such as furniture, textiles and plastics fill a container's space long before they reach its weight limit. Dense goods such as tiles, stone, metal, paper and liquids hit the weight limit first, often with the container less than half full. For dense goods, plan your order around the weight you can legally carry on UK roads, not the volume.
How much can you actually load?
You can never use the full internal volume. Cartons don't fit perfectly, and you need some space to load and secure the goods. As a rough guide:
| Container | Internal volume | Realistic loadable volume |
|---|---|---|
| 20ft | 33 m³ | 25–28 m³ |
| 40ft | 67 m³ | 55–58 m³ |
| 40ft high cube | 76 m³ | 65–68 m³ |
Uniform cartons that stack well get closer to the top of the range. Mixed or irregular goods come in lower.
Our free container load calculator uses these figures to suggest the right container for your carton size and quantity.
How many pallets fit?
| Container | UK standard pallets (1,200 × 1,000 mm) | Euro pallets (1,200 × 800 mm) |
|---|---|---|
| 20ft | 9–10 | 11 |
| 40ft / 40ft high cube | 20–21 | 23–24 |
Single tier, depending on how the pallets are turned. Double stacking roughly doubles these numbers if the goods and pallet height allow it, which is where a high cube helps.
20ft or 40ft?
A 40ft holds twice as much as a 20ft but usually costs nowhere near twice as much to ship, so per cubic metre it's normally the better deal for light, bulky goods. A 20ft is better for heavy, dense goods such as tiles, stone, metal or paper, which reach the weight limit long before the container is full.
When a high cube is worth it
A 40ft high cube gives you about 13% more space than a standard 40ft for a similar price, so it's the default for light, bulky cargo such as furniture, textiles and homeware. It also has a taller door for tall items.
Specialist containers
| Type | What it's for |
|---|---|
| Reefer (refrigerated) | Chilled and frozen goods, with a built-in unit holding a set temperature. Slightly smaller inside because of the insulation. |
| Open top | Tall cargo loaded from above by crane, with a removable tarpaulin roof |
| Flat rack | Oversized or heavy machinery, vehicles and boats, with no sides or roof |
| 45ft high cube | Extra length (about 86 m³) on some short-sea and European services |
| Pallet-wide | Slightly wider inside so two euro pallets fit side by side, mainly on European routes |
How we can help
Tell us your carton sizes, quantities and weights, and we'll recommend the right container and quote for it. Read whether to ship FCL or LCL for smaller orders.
Written by the 365 Freight team · Last reviewed . General guidance only, so check the specifics for your shipment.