Fit math · Securing · Container vs RoRo
Shipping a Car in a Container
The arithmetic is friendlier than it looks. A typical sedan measures about 4.8 m long and 1.85 m wide; the 20 ft container interior is 5.898 × 2.352 m, leaving roughly a metre of length and half a metre of width to spare. The pinch point is the door: 2.34 m wide × 2.28 m high. With mirrors extended most cars run close to 2.0 m — tight but through; fold them and the margin is comfortable.
The height limit of 2.28 m at the door rules out very few passenger vehicles — tall vans and lifted trucks are the exceptions that need a high cube (door 2.585 m) or a flat rack.
How many cars per container
20 ft: one car, full stop — a second will not fit lengthwise.
40 ft: two cars nose-to-tail on the floor: 2 × 4.8 m = 9.6 m inside the 12.032 m interior, with room for bracing between them.
40 ft high cube with racking: three to four cars, using bolted or hydraulic rack systems that tilt one car above another under the 2.698 m ceiling. Racked loading is a specialist job — the economics only work for commercial movers shipping cars in volume.
Securing the car inside
A car in a container is secured to the lashing points — the steel rings along the bottom side rails. The standard method: wheel chocks in front of and behind each tyre, then four ratchet straps, one per wheel, run over the tyres and tensioned to the lashing rings. Straps go over the tyres, never over the body or through suspension components — the suspension must stay loaded and free to flex with the ship’s movement. Handbrake on, in gear (or park), battery disconnected, fuel tank no more than a quarter full per most carriers’ rules.
Getting the car in
Two loading methods dominate. Drive-in via ramps: the container sits on the ground or at a loading dock, steel ramps bridge the sill, and the car drives in under its own power — the everyday method. Forklift with a spreader attachment: the car is lifted on padded arms and placed inside — used for non-runners, low-clearance sports cars that cannot climb ramps, and racked loads. Either way, the driver’s door must still open inside the box: with 2.352 m of interior width against a 1.85 m car, there is roughly 25 cm per side — enough to squeeze out, not enough to be careless.
Container vs RoRo
RoRo (roll-on/roll-off) drives the car onto a vehicle-carrier deck and lashes it there — usually the cheaper option for one drivable car on a major route. Container shipping costs more but buys a sealed steel box: the car travels locked away from weather, salt spray and handling, personal effects may travel inside it (where customs rules allow), non-runners are no problem, and two cars can split one 40 ft box. Classic, high-value and inoperable vehicles almost always go containerised; a daily driver on a busy RoRo lane usually goes RoRo.
Frequently asked questions
Can a car fit in a 20 ft container?
Yes — a standard sedan (~4.8 × 1.85 m) fits the 5.898 × 2.352 m interior with room to spare, and passes the 2.34 m wide × 2.28 m high door opening with mirrors folded. Only tall vans and lifted trucks exceed the door height.
How many cars fit in a 40 ft container?
Two, loaded nose-to-tail on the floor — 9.6 m of car in a 12.03 m interior. With a professional racking system in a 40 ft high cube, three to four.
How do you secure a car in a container?
Wheel chocks at each tyre plus four ratchet straps run over the tyres — never over the bodywork — tensioned to the lashing rings on the container’s bottom rails. Handbrake on, battery disconnected, fuel tank a quarter full or less.
Is container car shipping better than RoRo?
It costs more but protects more: a sealed box against an open vehicle deck. Choose container for classics, non-runners, high-value cars or two cars sharing a 40 ft; choose RoRo for one ordinary drivable car on a route with frequent RoRo sailings.