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Container Types & Specifications

Understanding container types helps you choose the right option for your cargo. This guide covers dimensions, capacities, and ideal uses for each container type.

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Quick Reference: Standard Container Sizes

20' Standard

33 CBM | ~20 pallets

Max payload: 28.2 t

40' Standard

67 CBM | ~40 pallets

Max payload: 28.7 t

40' High Cube

76 CBM | ~40 pallets

Max payload: 28.6 t

20ft standard

The most common container type. Ideal for heavy cargo that doesn't need the full length of a 40'.

Dimensions

  • External: 6.06m × 2.44m × 2.59m
  • Internal: 5.90m × 2.35m × 2.39m

Capacity

  • Volume: 33.2 CBM
  • Payload: 28,200 kg
  • Tare: 2,300 kg

Door/Opening

  • 2.34m × 2.28m

Machinery

General cargo

General cargo

Automotive parts

40ft standard

Double the length of a 20'. Most economical per CBM for volume cargo.

Dimensions

  • External: 12.19m × 2.44m × 2.59m
  • Internal: 12.03m × 2.35m × 2.39m

Capacity

  • Volume: 67.7 CBM
  • Payload: 28,750 kg
  • Tare: 3,750 kg

Door/Opening

  • 2.34m × 2.28m

Consumer goods

Furniture

Textiles

Large machinery

40ft high cube (40' HC)

Extra 30cm height compared to standard 40'. Popular for lightweight, voluminous cargo.

Dimensions

  • External: 12.19m × 2.44m × 2.89m
  • Internal: 12.03m × 2.35m × 2.69m

Capacity

  • Volume: 76.3 CBM
  • Payload: 28,600 kg
  • Tare: 3,900 kg

Door/Opening

  • 2.34m × 2.58m

Furniture

Appliances

Oversized pallets

Retail goods

20ft Refrigerated (Reefer)

Temperature-controlled from -30°C to +30°C. For perishables and pharmaceuticals.

Dimensions

  • External: 6.06m × 2.44m × 2.59m
  • Internal: 5.44m × 2.29m × 2.27m

Capacity

  • Volume: 28.3 CBM
  • Payload: 27,400 kg
  • Tare: 3,100 kg

Door/Opening

  • 2.29m × 2.26m

Fresh produce

Frozen food

Pharmaceuticals

Chemicals

40ft Refrigerated (Reefer)

High-cube reefer with maximum cold storage capacity.

Dimensions

  • External: 12.19m × 2.44m × 2.89m
  • Internal: 11.56m × 2.29m × 2.50m

Capacity

  • Volume: 66.7 CBM
  • Payload: 29,500 kg
  • Tare: 4,800 kg

Door/Opening

  • 2.29m × 2.50m

Large perishable shipments

Frozen cargo

Temperature-sensitive goods

20ft Open Top

Removable tarpaulin roof for top-loading of tall cargo.

Dimensions

  • External: 6.06m × 2.44m × 2.59m
  • Internal: 5.90m × 2.35m × 2.35m

Capacity

  • Volume: 32.5 CBM
  • Payload: 28,100 kg
  • Tare: 2,400 kg

Door/Opening

  • 2.34m × 2.28m

Machinery

Timber

Marble slabs

Scrap metal

40ft Open Top

For cargo that must be loaded from above due to height or shape.

Dimensions

  • External: 12.19m × 2.44m × 2.59m
  • Internal: 12.03m × 2.35m × 2.35m

Capacity

  • Volume: 66.5 CBM
  • Payload: 28,600 kg
  • Tare: 3,900 kg

Door/Opening

  • 2.34m × 2.28m

Industrial equipment

Heavy machinery

Over-height cargo

20' Flat Rack

No sides or roof. End walls fold flat for easy stacking when empty.

Dimensions

  • External: 6.06m × 2.44m × 2.59m
  • Internal: 5.62m × 2.20m × 2.23m

Capacity

  • Payload: 28,200 kg
  • Tare: 2,800 kg

Door/Opening

  • Collapsible end walls

Heavy machinery

Vehicles

Boats

Out-of-gauge cargo

40' Flat Rack

For very heavy or wide cargo that can't fit in enclosed containers.

Dimensions

  • External: 6.06m × 2.44m × 2.59m
  • Internal: 5.62m × 2.20m × 2.23m

Capacity

  • Payload: 28,200 kg
  • Tare: 2,800 kg

Door/Opening

  • Collapsible end walls

Transformers

Generators

Construction equipment

Yachts

40' Tank Container

Cylindrical tank within container frame for liquid cargo.

Dimensions

  • External: 12.19m × 2.44m × 2.59m

Capacity

  • Volume: 21,000-26,000 liters
  • Payload: 26,000-36,000 kg

Door/Opening

  • Top hatch, bottom valve

Transformers

Food-grade liquids

Petroleum products

Wines/spirits

Pallet loading

Pallet counts assume single-tier loading. Whether you can double stack depends on the crush resistance of your own packaging, not on the container.

Container Euro pallets (1200 × 800 mm) Standard pallets (1200 × 1000 mm) Double stacked (Euro)
20ft standard 10 – 11 9 – 10 20 – 22
40ft standard 23 – 25 20 – 21 46 – 50
40ft high cube 23 – 25 20 – 21 46 – 50
45ft high cube 27 – 28 24 – 25 54 – 56

A 40ft high cube takes the same number of pallets as a 40ft standard on the floor, but the extra 30 cm of height often allows a second tier where a standard would not. If your palletised load is between 1.2 m and 1.35 m tall, the high cube is worth asking for specifically.

LCL or FCL?

There is no universal crossover point, but the decision usually turns on four things:

  • Volume. Somewhere between 13 and 18 CBM, a 20ft container typically becomes cheaper than the equivalent LCL charge. Below 10 CBM, LCL is almost always right; above 20 CBM, FCL almost always is.
  • Time. LCL adds consolidation at origin and destuffing at destination — commonly a week at each end. If the timeline is tight, FCL buys back days that no amount of expediting will recover from a consolidator.
  • Risk. In LCL your cargo shares a container with other shippers' goods and is handled several extra times. Fragile, high-value or contamination-sensitive cargo is safer in its own box.
  • Destination charges. LCL destination handling is charged per CBM and can be surprisingly high. Compare landed cost using the cost estimator, not freight alone.