Containers and shipping
20 ft container dimensions and payload
Independent site, not a government service. General information, not customs advice.
The 20 foot box is the choice for heavy goods. Enter your cargo volume and weight to see which limit you hit first.
Will my cargo fit this container?
Tightest limit used
75.3%
| Volume used | 75.3% |
| Payload used | 72.8% |
| Space left | 8.2 m³ |
Nominal figures from one carrier brochure of 2016. Check the plate on your own container.
A 20 foot general purpose container measures 6,058 by 2,438 by 2,591 millimetres on the outside, which is about 19 feet 10 inches long, 8 feet wide and 8 feet 6 inches high. In the carrier specification we read, the inside is 5,900 long, 2,352 wide and 2,393 high, with a door opening of 2,340 by 2,292 and a capacity of 33.2 cubic metres. The same table shows a tare of 2,300 kilograms and a maximum payload of 30,200 kilograms, with a gross of 32,500. Other series in that sheet have a lower gross of 30,480 kilograms. On those numbers it can carry about as much as a 40 foot box in half the space, so it is the one to test first when your cargo is dense. All figures come from a brochure of March 2016.
Pallets on a container floor
Pallets on the floor
8
| Inside floor | 5,900 × 2,352 mm |
| Fits under the door | Yes |
| Door height | 2,292 mm |
One orientation only. Mixed patterns can gain a pallet: measure before you book.
Tariff and rules read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
Key figures
| Measure | Millimetres or kilograms | In feet or pounds |
|---|---|---|
| Inside length | 5,900 | 19' 4 1/4" |
| Inside width | 2,352 | 7' 8 5/8" |
| Inside height | 2,393 | 7' 10 1/4" |
| Door width | 2,340 | 7' 8 1/8" |
| Door height | 2,292 | 7' 6 1/4" |
| Tare | 2,300 | 5,071 lb |
| Payload | 30,200 | 66,579 lb |
When to choose it
Choose the small box when weight is your limit. In the tool above, 25 cubic metres weighing 22 tonnes uses more of the payload than of the space. Move the numbers until you see which limit matters. If your goods are light and bulky, compare a high cube, which has more than twice the volume. We print no freight prices, because we read no official list of them.
Heavy cargo points
The brochure warns that concentrated loads must not exceed the strength of the floor, and says a floor can take a forklift with a maximum axle load of 5,460 kilograms under its stated contact area. For heavy goods such as steel, ask your forwarder how the load will be spread over that floor. Compare with the 40 foot box or the full table.