Shipping Container Sizes & Dimensions Guide
Exact internal and external dimensions, door openings, capacities and weights for every standard container size.
Container sizes are standardised by ISO, so a 20 ft box from one manufacturer matches another within millimetres. These are the figures you need to plan a site or a load.
External dimensions
| Type | Length | Width | Height | Tare weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 ft standard | 10 ft (3.05 m) | 8 ft (2.44 m) | 8 ft 6 in (2.59 m) | ~1,300 kg |
| 20 ft standard | 20 ft (6.06 m) | 8 ft (2.44 m) | 8 ft 6 in (2.59 m) | ~2,200 kg |
| 20 ft high cube | 20 ft (6.06 m) | 8 ft (2.44 m) | 9 ft 6 in (2.90 m) | ~2,400 kg |
| 40 ft standard | 40 ft (12.19 m) | 8 ft (2.44 m) | 8 ft 6 in (2.59 m) | ~3,750 kg |
| 40 ft high cube | 40 ft (12.19 m) | 8 ft (2.44 m) | 9 ft 6 in (2.90 m) | ~3,940 kg |
| 45 ft high cube | 45 ft (13.72 m) | 8 ft (2.44 m) | 9 ft 6 in (2.90 m) | ~4,800 kg |
Internal dimensions and capacity
| Type | Internal L × W × H | Door opening (W × H) | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 ft standard | 19'4" × 7'8" × 7'10" | 7'8" × 7'5" | ~1,170 ft³ (33 m³) |
| 20 ft high cube | 19'4" × 7'8" × 8'10" | 7'8" × 8'5" | ~1,320 ft³ (37 m³) |
| 40 ft standard | 39'5" × 7'8" × 7'10" | 7'8" × 7'5" | ~2,390 ft³ (67 m³) |
| 40 ft high cube | 39'5" × 7'8" × 8'10" | 7'8" × 8'5" | ~2,694 ft³ (76 m³) |
Figures vary by a few millimetres between manufacturers. Where a tolerance matters to your build, ask us for the exact unit's measurements before you order.
The door opening is the real constraint
People plan around internal volume and then find the item will not go through the doors. The opening is always shorter than the internal height — about 5 inches shorter — because of the header. On a standard 20 ft that leaves 7 ft 5 in. If you are driving a vehicle in or forklifting tall pallets, measure the opening, not the ceiling.
What fits
- 10 ft: a garden's worth of tools and a ride-on mower. Popular where space is tight.
- 20 ft: the contents of a two to three bedroom house, or a complete workshop. About 10 standard pallets.
- 40 ft: a four to five bedroom house, or roughly 20 pallets. The standard choice for commercial storage.
- 40 ft high cube: the same footprint with usable headroom — the default for offices, workshops and conversions.
Standard or high cube?
The extra foot costs relatively little and changes what the box can do. Once you insulate a standard container and add a ceiling, internal height drops under 7 ft and it feels tight. Start from a high cube and you finish at a comfortable 8 ft. For anything people will stand in, buy the high cube.
Weight and site loading
An empty 20 ft weighs about 2,200 kg and an empty 40 ft about 3,750 kg. Maximum gross for a 20 ft is typically 30,480 kg. Nearly all of that load sits on the four corner castings, so your foundation must carry a concentrated point load at each corner — which is exactly why blocks or piers under the castings work better than a thin slab under the middle.
Specialist sizes
- Open top — removable tarpaulin roof, for loading tall cargo by crane.
- Flat rack — collapsible ends, no sides, for oversized machinery.
- Open side — doors along the full length, for easy access to the whole unit.
- Reefer — integrated refrigeration, 20 ft and 40 ft.
- Insulated — passive insulation without a refrigeration unit.
Still unsure? Send us your dimensions and we will tell you which size fits.