How much stuff can you fit in a 40ft shipping container? In this post, you’ll find out the 40ft shipping container dimensions. Read on!
A 40’ metal cargo container is one of the largest storage sizes available. It’s also one of the most common types of cargo containers, next to a 20ft container.
So what’s the size of a 40-foot shipping container? Usually, a 40’ shipping container can hold the amount of two to three bedrooms in an apartment or 2 standard passenger cars. Take a good look below.
40-Foot Shipping Container Dimensions:
- A 40ft shipping container has the following dimensions: length – 40ft, width – 8ft, height – 8.5 ft.
- The container’s weight is approximately 3,500 kg and can hold up to 26,000 kg of cargo.
- The interior volume of the container is 1,360 cubic feet (38 m3) and the exterior volume is 2,350 cubic feet (66 m3).
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Standard 40-foot Shipping Container Dimensions
40-Foot Shipping Container External Dimensions | ||||||
Type of Container | Height | Height (Metric) | Width | Width (Metric) | Length | Length (Metric) |
Standard 40’ Shipping Container | 8ft. 6in. | 2.59m | 8ft. | 2.44m | 40 ft. | 12.19m |
High Cube 40’ Shipping Container | 9ft. 6in. | 2.89m | 8ft. | 2.44m | 40ft. | 12.19m |
40 Foot Shipping Container Internal Dimensions | ||||||
Type of Container | Height | Height (Metric) | Width | Width (Metric) | Length | Length (Metric) |
Standard 40’ Shipping Container | 7ft. 10in. | 2.38m. | 7ft. 8.5in. | 2.35m. | 39ft. 6in. | 12.02m. |
High Cube 40’ Shipping Container | 8ft. 9in. | 2.69m. | 7ft. 8.5in. | 2.35m. | 39ft. 6in. | 12.02m |
Volume of 40 ft. Containers | ||
Type of Container | Volume (provides 2300 ft.³ of storage) | Volume (Metric) |
Standard 40’ Shipping Container | 2,350 cubic ft. | 33 cubic meters |
High Cube 40’ Shipping Container | 2,694 cubic ft. | 76.3 cubic meters |
Weight of 40 ft. Containers | ||||
Type of Container | Tare Weight (lbs) | Tare Weight (kg) | Max Cargo Weight (lbs) | Max Cargo Weight (kg) |
Standard 40’ Shipping Container | 8333.5 lbs | 3,780 kgs | 58,863.4 lbs | 26,700 kgs |
High Cube 40’ Shipping Container | 8862.6 lbs | 4,020 kgs | 58,334.3 lbs | 26,460 kgs |
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40 FT High Cube Container Dimensions
EXTERIOR DIMENSIONS
- External dimensions (meters): 12.2m long x 2.90 m high x 2.44m wide
- External dimensions (feet): 40ft long x 9 ft 6 in high x 8 ft wide
INTERIOR DIMENSIONS
- Internal dimensions (meters): 12.03m length x 2.69m height x 2.35m width
- Internal dimensions (feet): 39 ft 5 in length x 8 ft 9 in height x 7 ft 9 in width
- Door width (meters): 2.34m
- Door width (feet): 7 ft 8 in
- Door height (feet): 8 ft 6 in
VOLUME/WEIGHT
- Volume: 33 cubic meters (2,694 cubic feet) – Gives an additional 344 cu ft of storage space.
- Tare Weight: 8,554 lbs
- Maximum gross weight: 67,196 lbs
- Maximum payload weight (max cargo weight): 58,642 lbs.
40-Foot Shipping Container Dimensions Imperial
A standard height 40-foot long container’s exterior dimensions are:
- 40’ long x 8’ wide x 8’6” high, with mild variations depending on the shipping container manufacturer
40-Foot Shipping Container Dimensions Metric
- A 40-foot shipping container dimension in meters is 12.192 m long x 2.438 m wide x 2.591 m high.
- Doors are between 7’8″ tall and 7’5″ wide for 40-foot shipping containers.
Depending on the thickness of the doors and container steel, interior dimensions will change. As a rule of thumb, though, they are:
- 39’6” long x 7’6” wide x 7’10” high
- 12.19m long x 2.44m wide x 2.59m high
How Much Does a 40-foot Shipping Container Hold?
A 40-foot shipping container can hold up to 2,300 cubic feet or 67.7 cubic meters of goods and materials. This is the equivalent of 10 standard pallets in a single stack, with each pallet being 4 feet by 4 feet.
A 40-foot shipping container can generally shelter the belongings of a three to four-bedroom home. Depending on the type of goods that are being shipped, this could amount to thousands of pounds of goods, depending on their weight.
Nevertheless, atypically shaped items or specific kinds of furniture may occupy more space than other similar-sized boxes.
To give you an idea of what can fit a 40ft shipping container, you can maximize the space with the following:
- 3 to 4 cars depending on the size
- 400 mattresses
- Up to 30,000 pounds of goods
- Belongings for 3 to 4 bedroom home
In addition to its ability to hold large amounts of products and materials, a 40-foot shipping container is also incredibly secure.
Considerations for Loading
Considerations for Stacking
How many pallets can fit into a 40-foot container?
The answer depends on the size and weight of each pallet. Generally, this type of container can fit up to 21 standard US pallets and 25 Euro pallet stacks.
However, these numbers may vary depending on the type and weight of the pallets being loaded. For example, if the pallets are unusually heavy or large, that number may be lower.
The capacity of a 40-foot container depends on the type of pallets used. For European pallets, with dimensions measuring 1.2m x 0.8m, it can fit 25 stacks in a row along the length and width so long as no part of the load hangs over the sides.
On the other hand, for standard American pallets measuring 1.016m x 1.219m, the same container can fit 21 pallets as long as there is nothing hanging over the sides.
How Much Does a 40ft Shipping Container Weigh?
A standard 40ft shipping container weighs about 8,270 lbs (3,750 kg) empty — this is the tare shipping container weight stamped on the door. The 40ft high cube weighs slightly more at roughly 8,600 lbs (3,900 kg). Under ISO ratings, the maximum gross weight of a loaded shipping container is 67,200 lbs (30,480 kg), which leaves a payload capacity of about 58,930 lbs (26,730 kg) — the maximum cargo weight you can load. For comparison, a 20ft shipping container weighs about 5,070 lbs (2,300 kg) empty. Please note that road transport weight limits in California are often stricter than the container’s rated capacity, so check with your hauler before loading heavy cargo.
Conex Container Dimensions & Common Sizes
“Conex” is simply another name for these same steel boxes, so conex container dimensions match the ISO standards above. The most common sizes of conex box are 10ft, 20ft, and 40ft — with container measurements 40 ft long, 8 ft wide, and 8’6″ (standard) or 9’6″ (high cube) tall.
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What’s the maximum load for a 40-foot container?
A 40-foot shipping container is relatively lightweight, weighing 3,750 kg when empty. However, it can be loaded with up to 29 tons (26,300 kg) of cargo. The exact amount of cargo that can be loaded into the container depends on various factors such as restrictions and/or limitations set by the shipping line, nature of the cargo, and other details of the shipment.
Maximizing a 40’ shipping container dimension and space
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