Container dimensions by type
Shipping containers and storage containers can come in a range of sizes, 20ft and 40ft shipping containers are the most common container lengths (externally) and 8ft in width as standard. Commonly the height of a container will be 8ft 6” and a high cube will have an additional foot to be 9ft 6”.
Container weights
There are three relevant weights, the Tare weight, the Gross weight, and the Payload. These are painted onto the outside of the container doors when it is in service or before it has been repainted for another application.
The container Tare weight is the weight of the container without cargo or contents.
The container Gross weight is the weight of the container plus the maximum Payload it can hold i.e. the maximum total weight of the container.
The Payload (or Net weight) is the weight of the cargo or contents that a container can hold.
| Container Type | External (L x W x H) | Max Gross Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 20 ft | 20 ft x 8 ft x 8ft | 30 ton |
| 20 ft High Cube | 20 ft x 8 ft x 9ft | 30 ton |
| 40 ft | 40 ft x 8 ft x 8ft | 30 ton |
| 40 ft High Cube | 40 ft x 8 ft x 9ft | 30 ton |
| 45 ft high-cube | 45 ft x 8 ft x 9ft | 30 ton |
| 48 ft high-cube | 48 ft x 8 ft x 9ft | 30 ton |
| 53 ft high-cube | 53 ft x 8 ft x 9ft | 30 ton |