20' · 40' · 45' · Reefer · Open Top · Flat Rack
Container Dimensions
Inside sizes, door openings and payloads for every ISO container, and a quick way to find the one your cargo needs.
Inside sizes, door openings and payloads for every ISO container, and a quick way to find the one your cargo needs.
Enter the volume or the number of pallets and the weight. We show the smallest container that takes it, and how full it will be.
Indicative ISO figures. Sizes and tare weights vary by manufacturer and shipping line, so we confirm the equipment with every booking.
Dense cargo and heavy loads. The most widely available box.
Door W × H: 2.34 × 2.28 m · TEU: 1
Max gross / tare / payload: 30,480 / 2,200 / 28,280 kg
Floor: 11 Euro / 10 standard pallets (single tier)
Palletized and cartoned general cargo with a good volume-to-cost ratio.
Door W × H: 2.34 × 2.28 m · TEU: 2
Max gross / tare / payload: 30,480 / 3,800 / 26,680 kg
Floor: 23 Euro / 20 standard pallets (single tier)
Light, bulky cargo. About 30 cm more height than a 40' standard.
Door W × H: 2.34 × 2.58 m · TEU: 2
Max gross / tare / payload: 30,480 / 3,900 / 26,580 kg
Floor: 23 Euro / 20 standard pallets (single tier)
The largest dry box. Availability depends on the trade lane.
Door W × H: 2.34 × 2.58 m · TEU: 2.25
Max gross / tare / payload: 30,480 / 4,800 / 25,680 kg
Floor: 27 Euro / 24 standard pallets (single tier)
Chilled or frozen cargo in smaller volumes.
Door W × H: 2.29 × 2.26 m · TEU: 1
Max gross / tare / payload: 30,480 / 3,000 / 27,480 kg
Floor: 10 Euro / 9 standard pallets (single tier)
The standard reefer for food and pharma. Needs power at port and on board.
Door W × H: 2.29 × 2.50 m · TEU: 2
Max gross / tare / payload: 30,480 / 4,800 / 25,680 kg
Floor: 23 Euro / 20 standard pallets (single tier)
Tall cargo loaded by crane from above, under a removable tarpaulin roof.
Door W × H: 2.34 × 2.28 m · TEU: 1
Max gross / tare / payload: 30,480 / 2,400 / 28,080 kg
Floor: 11 Euro / 10 standard pallets (single tier)
Long or tall machinery, pipes and equipment loaded from the top.
Door W × H: 2.34 × 2.28 m · TEU: 2
Max gross / tare / payload: 30,480 / 4,100 / 26,380 kg
Floor: 23 Euro / 20 standard pallets (single tier)
Heavy or over-width cargo loaded from the sides or the top. Cargo can exceed the frame by arrangement.
Door W × H: Open sides · TEU: 1
Max gross / tare / payload: 30,480 / 2,360 / 28,120 kg
Floor: Pallets: depends on lashing and cargo
Heavy machinery, vehicles and project cargo, often out of gauge.
Door W × H: Open sides · TEU: 2
Max gross / tare / payload: 45,000 / 5,800 / 39,200 kg
Floor: Pallets: depends on lashing and cargo
A GP (general purpose) container is about 2.39 m high inside. A High Cube adds about 30 cm, so a 40' HC holds around 76 m³ instead of 67.6 m³ on the same floor. HC suits light, bulky cargo; GP is fine when weight is the limit.
Single tier, about 23 Euro pallets (1.2 × 0.8 m) or 20 pallets of 1.2 × 1.0 m. The container finder above plans on these numbers; a tight load pattern can sometimes take one more, which we confirm with the shipping line. Stacking doubles that if the cargo allows it.
LCL is charged per cubic meter or per 1,000 kg, whichever is higher, plus handling at both ends. As a rule of thumb, below about 15 m³ LCL usually costs less. Above that, a full 20' is often cheaper and avoids consolidation. When it is close, we price both.
Yes. When the load is a little more than one 40', a 40' plus a 20' often costs less than two 40' boxes. Both can travel on the same booking and the same bill of lading.
Most 20' and 40' boxes are rated around 30,480 kg maximum gross weight, and the empty 40' is heavier, so less is left for cargo. Some newer 40' boxes are rated higher. Road limits in the country of delivery can also cap the load.
The Verified Gross Mass is the weight of the packed container: cargo, packing, lashing and the empty box. Under the SOLAS convention the shipper must declare it to the shipping line before loading, and a container without a VGM is not loaded.
Use an Open Top when cargo is too tall for the doors but can be lifted in by crane. Use a Flat Rack for heavy or over-width cargo, or when it must load from the side. Both are available on request; tell us the dimensions and weight.
Figures are indicative ISO references. Actual inside sizes, tare weights and availability vary by manufacturer, container age and shipping line.
Sea, air, land, or customs — one team in Alexandria handles the full chain from quote to delivery.
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