Updated
This is the most common sizing question in the trade, and it has a counter-intuitive answer at its centre: a 40ft container holds twice as much space as a 20ft but carries less weight.
Both are normally plated at 30 480 kg maximum gross. The 40ft structure weighs about 1 500 kg more, so payload drops from roughly 28 230 kg to roughly 26 730 kg. If your cargo is dense, the 20ft is the bigger container in the only sense that matters.
| Size | Internal dimensions | Door opening | Cubic capacity | Payload | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10ft12G1 | 2 831 mm × 2 352 mm × 2 393 mm9 ft 3.5 in × 7 ft 8.6 in × 7 ft 10.2 in | 2 340 mm × 2 280 mm7 ft 8.1 in × 7 ft 5.8 in | 15.9 m³560 cu ft | 8 860 kg19 530 lb | Constrained sites |
| 20ft22G1Popular | 5 898 mm × 2 352 mm × 2 393 mm19 ft 4.2 in × 7 ft 8.6 in × 7 ft 10.2 in | 2 340 mm × 2 280 mm7 ft 8.1 in × 7 ft 5.8 in | 33.2 m³1 170 cu ft | 28 230 kg62 240 lb | Ocean freight |
| 20ft HC25G1 | 5 898 mm × 2 352 mm × 2 698 mm19 ft 4.2 in × 7 ft 8.6 in × 8 ft 10.2 in | 2 340 mm × 2 585 mm7 ft 8.1 in × 8 ft 5.8 in | 37.4 m³1 320 cu ft | 28 130 kg62 020 lb | Tall cargo on a short footprint |
| 40ft42G1 | 12 032 mm × 2 352 mm × 2 393 mm39 ft 5.7 in × 7 ft 8.6 in × 7 ft 10.2 in | 2 340 mm × 2 280 mm7 ft 8.1 in × 7 ft 5.8 in | 67.7 m³2 390 cu ft | 26 730 kg58 930 lb | Volume ocean freight |
| 40ft HC45G1Popular | 12 032 mm × 2 352 mm × 2 698 mm39 ft 5.7 in × 7 ft 8.6 in × 8 ft 10.2 in | 2 340 mm × 2 585 mm7 ft 8.1 in × 8 ft 5.8 in | 76.4 m³2 700 cu ft | 26 530 kg58 490 lb | Volume ocean freight |
| 45ft HCL5G1 | 13 556 mm × 2 352 mm × 2 698 mm44 ft 5.7 in × 7 ft 8.6 in × 8 ft 10.2 in | 2 340 mm × 2 585 mm7 ft 8.1 in × 8 ft 5.8 in | 86.0 m³3 040 cu ft | 25 680 kg56 610 lb | European intermodal |
Where each one wins
- Dense cargo — 20ft. You reach the weight limit long before you fill the space.
- Bulky cargo — 40ft. You run out of space long before you reach the weight limit.
- Ocean freight cost — 40ft. One 40ft slot is cheaper than two 20ft slots on most trades.
- Storage cost per m³ — 40ft, clearly.
- Difficult site access — 20ft. It needs roughly 25 m of approach against 30 m, and it can be repositioned with a forklift.
- Splitting across two locations — two 20ft, obviously.
Forklift pockets: the difference nobody mentions
20ft containers normally have forklift pockets in the bottom side rails. 40ft containers do not. If you will ever need to move the container around your own site after it has been delivered, that single fact may decide the choice regardless of volume.
The numbers side by side
A 20ft gives 33.2 m³ and about 28.2 t of payload; a 40ft gives 67.7 m³ and about 26.7 t. A 40ft High Cube gives 76.4 m³ for essentially the same payload as a standard 40ft, which is why it usually beats the standard-height box when volume is what you are buying.