ISO 42G1 · 2 TEU
40 ft Container Dimensions
Yuri Kan Checked against 17 of 88 published sheets Updated
A 40 ft container is 40′ × 8′ × 8′6″ outside (12.192 × 2.438 × 2.591 m), 39′5½″ × 7′8½″ × 7′10″ inside (12.032 × 2.352 × 2.393 m), door 7′8″ × 7′6″ (2.340 × 2.280 m): 67.7 m³ (2,391 ft³), tare 3,700 kg (Seaco prints 3,640), max gross 32,500 kg, payload 28,800 kg. ContSize, 2026: sizes per ISO 668; inside, per 13 of 16 sheets; tare: per 9 of 16 sheets.
The numbers in this chart
| Measure | Metric | Imperial |
|---|---|---|
| Length outside | 12,192 mm | 40′ |
| Width outside | 2,438 mm | 8′ |
| Height outside | 2,591 mm | 8′6″ |
| Length inside | 12,032 mm | 39′5½″ |
| Width inside | 2,352 mm | 7′8½″ |
| Height inside | 2,393 mm | 7′10″ |
| Door width | 2,340 mm | 7′8″ |
| Door height | 2,280 mm | 7′6″ |
| Floor area | 28.3 m² | 305 ft² |
| Volume | 67.7 m³ | 2,391 ft³ |
| Tare (empty) | 3,700 kg | 8,157 lb |
| Payload | 28,800 kg | 63,493 lb |
| Max gross | 32,500 kg | 71,650 lb |
| TEU | 2 | — |
| ISO type | 42G1 | — |
| EUR pallets, one tier (counted) | 25 | — |
| US pallets, one tier (counted) | 21 | — |
Checked : outside sizes set by ISO 668, read in IS 6566:2001, GOST R 51876-2008 and GOST R 53350-2009; every other figure against 17 published sheets of 17 lines, lessors and makers. A sheet agrees within ±5 mm, or ±2 % for a mass and ±1 % for a volume; a maximum gross is a rating and must be the same. Every figure and its sources
40 ft container: dimensions and weight
| Metric | Imperial | |
|---|---|---|
| External dimensions | ||
| Length | 12.192 m | 40′ |
| Width | 2.438 m | 8′ |
| Height | 2.591 m | 8′6″ |
| Internal dimensions | ||
| Length | 12.032 m | 39′5½″ |
| Width | 2.352 m | 7′8½″ |
| Height | 2.393 m | 7′10″ |
| Door opening | ||
| Width | 2.340 m | 7′8″ |
| Height | 2.280 m | 7′6″ |
| Specification | ||
| Tare weight | 3,700 kg | 8,157 lb |
| Max gross weight | 32,500 kg | 71,650 lb |
| Max payload | 28,800 kg | 63,493 lb |
| Capacity (volume) | 67.7 m³ | 2,391 ft³ |
| Pallets (one tier, counted on the floor) | 25 EUR · 21 US | |
| Pallets as Seaco’s sheet prints them | 23 EUR · 20 US | |
| TEU | 2 | |
Beside each figure, its evidence: ISO set by the standard · ✓ 16 sheets that agree, counted · range the sheets disagree · 1 sheet one source. A mark opens the sheets behind the figure.
Checked : outside sizes set by ISO 668, read in IS 6566:2001, GOST R 51876-2008 and GOST R 53350-2009; every other figure against 17 published sheets of 17 lines, lessors and makers. A sheet agrees within ±5 mm, or ±2 % for a mass and ±1 % for a volume; a maximum gross is a rating and must be the same. Every figure and its sources
Machine-readable: /data/containers.json · closest published sheet: Seaco, 9 of 12 figures
Data: ISO 668 (1995 text, read in IS 6566:2001) · CMA CGM Equipment Guide · Evergreen Container Specifications · Hapag-Lloyd Container Specifications · Maersk Container Specifications · ONE Container Specifications · Singamas product range · COSCO, HMM, Matson, MSC, OOCL, Seaco, SeaCube, Textainer, Triton, Yang Ming, ZIM
A 40 ft container stands on about 28.3 m² (305 ft²) of floor, counts as 2 TEU and holds 25 EUR or 21 US pallets per tier. Its payload is only 550 kg more than a 20 ft’s for double the volume: it carries more space, not more weight — think the contents of a three-to-four-bedroom house.
The numbers in this chart
| Size | Cargo-worthy | Wind & watertight |
|---|---|---|
| 40 ft container | $2,100–3,400 | $1,700–2,900 |
The numbers in this chart
| Size | Volume | Max payload |
|---|---|---|
| 10 ft container | 15.9 m³ · 562 ft³ | 8,860 kg · 19,533 lb |
| 20 ft container | 33.2 m³ · 1,172 ft³ | 28,250 kg · 62,281 lb |
| 40 ft container | 67.7 m³ · 2,391 ft³ | 28,800 kg · 63,493 lb |
| 40 ft high cube container | 76.4 m³ · 2,698 ft³ | 28,670 kg · 63,207 lb |
| 45 ft high cube container | 86.0 m³ · 3,037 ft³ | 27,850 kg · 61,399 lb |
| 48 ft container | 97.6 m³ · 3,447 ft³ | 25,530 kg · 56,284 lb |
| 53 ft container | 111.8 m³ · 3,948 ft³ | 25,250 kg · 55,667 lb |
Checked : the figures in this chart against 42 of 88 published sheets from 27 lines, lessors, makers and rail and road operators: those that print these figures. A sheet agrees within ±5 mm, or ±2 % for a mass and ±1 % for a volume; a maximum gross is a rating and must be the same. Every figure and its sources
What a 40 ft container is used for
The 40 ft dry container (ISO type 42G1) is the long-haul box for consumer goods, furniture, machinery and anything voluminous rather than dense. It is 12.192 m long — the length ISO 668 sets for the forty — with the same width and height as a twenty, and counts as 2 TEU.
Note the asymmetry with the 20 ft box: double the volume, but almost the same maximum payload. A 40 ft container carries more space, not more weight; when two twenties carry more than one forty is worked out on the page that sets the two side by side.
The door opening matches the 20-footer’s, so anything that loads into a twenty loads into a forty — the difference is simply how far back it can go. Per cubic metre, the forty is the cheaper box to buy and to ship, which is why light consumer freight lives in this size.
One practical note for buyers: 12.192 m of container needs about 37 m (120 ft) of clear, straight run for a tilt-bed delivery truck to set it down — as 2 independent documents print it (Eveon Containers and Dry Box). If your site cannot offer that, a crane truck (HIAB) or two 20 ft units may be the realistic option.
The 40 ft container on one page, plus the whole pack
Every dimension in millimetres, metres and feet, the door opening, tare, payload and volume, and the floor drawn to scale with EUR and US pallets on it. In the same email, the container pack: all 17 containers by the job, 17 sheets like this one, the 85 owner prefixes, an A3 wall chart and an Excel workbook.
- 17 containers, by the job
- 17 container sheets
- 85 owner prefixes
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What fits in a 40 ft container
One floor tier takes 25 EUR pallets or 21 US pallets. Loose-loaded, 67.7 m³ is about the contents of a three-to-four-bedroom house; a container load calculator gives the count for your own cartons and pallets. Layouts and double stacking: how many pallets fit in a 40 ft container. One-page answers, the figure first: how many pallets fit, how many CBM it is and how much it weighs.
Max payload is around 28,800 kg at the 32,500 kg gross rating most published sheets print — only about 550 kg more than a 20 ft container for twice the volume. Older forties still rated 30,480 kg gross, the minority of sheets, carry about 26,480–26,840 kg — less than a twenty. If your cargo is heavy per cubic metre, two twenties often beat one forty.
Standard vs high cube — which to choose. If you are booking freight or buying a box today, the honest answer is: take the 40 ft high cube unless something specific stops you. Lines often quote the HC at the standard 40 ft’s ocean rate (ask for both), and the high cube then adds 8.7 m³ (76.4 vs 67.7 m³) and 305 mm of interior height at no extra freight. The standard-height forty still wins in two cases: road transport under a low height limit — on a 1,075 mm chassis deck (Schmitz Cargobull’s sheets) it stands 2.591 + 1.075 = 3.666 m, under Japan’s general 3.8 m road limit (per Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (Japan), Road Bureau), where a high cube stands 2.896 + 1.075 = 3.971 m — and buying used, where 8′6″ units are older stock and priced at or a little under high cubes (cargo-worthy: $2,100–3,400 against $2,100–3,500).
For conversions the same logic applies with more force — insulating floor and ceiling takes its thickness twice out of a 2.393 m inside height, against 2.698 m in a high cube, which is why builders mostly specify high cubes.
40 ft standard vs 40 ft high cube
| 40 ft container | 40 ft high cube container | |
|---|---|---|
| ISO type code | 42G1 | 45G1 |
| External dimensions — Length | 12.192 m40′ | 12.192 m 40 ft high cube container · Outside length 12,192 mm Set by the standard |
| External dimensions — Width | 2.438 m8′ | 2.438 m 40 ft high cube container · Outside width 2,438 mm Set by the standard |
| External dimensions — Height | 2.591 m8′6″ | 2.896 m 40 ft high cube container · Outside height 2,896 mm Set by the standard |
| Internal dimensions — Length | 12.032 m39′5½″ | 12.032 m39′5½″ |
| Internal dimensions — Width | 2.352 m7′8½″ | 2.352 m7′8½″ |
| Internal dimensions — Height | 2.393 m7′10″ | 2.698 m8′10″ |
| Tare weight | 3,700 kg8,157 lb | 3,830 kg8,444 lb |
| Max gross weight | 32,500 kg71,650 lb | 32,500 kg71,650 lb |
| Max payload | 28,800 kg63,493 lb | 28,670 kg63,207 lb |
| Capacity (volume) | 67.7 m³2,391 ft³ | 76.4 m³2,698 ft³ |
| EUR pallets | 25 | 25 |
| TEU | 2 | 2 |
Every figure checked: ISO 668 + 25 published sheets · · Every figure and its sources
Data: ISO 668 (1995 text, read in IS 6566:2001) · CMA CGM Equipment Guide · Evergreen Container Specifications · Hapag-Lloyd Container Specifications · Maersk Container Specifications · ONE Container Specifications · Singamas product range · COSCO, Crowley, HMM, Matson, MSC, OOCL, Seaco, SeaCube, Textainer, TOTE, Trailer Bridge, Triton, Yang Ming, ZIM
Frequently asked questions
What are the dimensions of a 40 ft container?
A 40 ft container is 12.192 × 2.438 × 2.591 m outside (40′ × 8′ × 8′6″) and 12.032 × 2.352 × 2.393 m inside (39′5½″ × 7′8½″ × 7′10″) — per ISO 668; inside, per 13 of 16 sheets. The door opening is 2.340 × 2.280 m (per 13 of 16 sheets), and the capacity 67.7 m³ (2,391 ft³).
How much does a 40 ft container weigh?
An empty 40 ft container weighs about 3,700 kg (8,157 lb) — per 9 of 16 sheets, within 3,530–4,000 kg. With a max gross of 32,500 kg (per 12 of 15 sheets), payload is roughly 28,800 kg; older forties rated 30,480 kg gross, the minority of sheets, carry about 26,480–26,840 kg, and high cube variants weigh slightly more.
How many cubic metres (cubic feet) is a 40 ft container?
A 40 ft container holds 67.7 m³ (2,391 ft³) inside — per 15 of 16 sheets, within 67.0–67.8 m³. Cartons and pallets never fill every corner, so plan cargo on about 57.5 m³, roughly 85% of it; the high cube holds 76.4 m³.
How much does a 40 ft container cost?
In October 2026, used cargo-worthy 40 ft containers typically sell for $2,100–3,400 in the US. New forties are almost all high cubes, at $4,000–5,600, so we quote no range for a new standard-height one. Used standard-height forties cost the same as high cubes or a little less ($2,100–3,500 for a used high cube) because they are older stock. Prices vary by market and location — compare quotes from depots near the major ports.
How many square meters (square feet) is a 40 ft container?
A 40 ft container has about 28.3 m² (305 ft²) of internal floor — 12.032 m long by 2.352 m wide (39′5½″ × 7′8½″), per 13 of 16 sheets. That is comparable to a studio apartment or a double garage.
How many pallets fit in a 40 ft container?
25 EUR pallets or 21 US pallets in a single floor tier — more with two-tier stacking if cargo height and weight allow.
Does a 40 ft container carry twice as much as a 20 ft?
Twice the volume, yes (67.7 vs 33.2 m³, 2,391 vs 1,172 ft³) — but not twice the weight: on the 32,500 kg rating 12 of 15 published sheets print, a forty carries 28,800 kg (63,493 lb), only 550 kg more than a 20 ft. Older forties rated 30,480 kg carry less, so heavy cargo usually ships in 20 ft units.