Shipping Container FAQ

Yes, every ISO container is 2.438 m (8′) wide outside, per ISO 668. The exceptions are the US domestic 48 ft and 53 ft at 2.591 m (8′6″, 102 in), and European pallet-wide boxes, about 2.42 m inside, from one sheet (DP World), which are not ISO sizes.

The 20 ft and 40 ft dry containers and the 40 ft high cube — 6.058 m (19′10½″) and 12.192 m (40′) long, all 2.438 m (8′) wide, per ISO 668 — cover most of the world fleet. 10 ft and 45 ft round out the ISO range; 48 ft and 53 ft are North-America-only domestic sizes.

A 20 ft container is 6.058 × 2.438 × 2.591 m outside (19′10½″ × 8′ × 8′6″) and 5.898 × 2.352 × 2.393 m inside (19′4″ × 7′8½″ × 7′10″) — per ISO 668; inside, per 15 of 18 sheets. Its door opens 2.340 × 2.280 m (7′8″ × 7′6″), it holds 33.2 m³ (1,172 ft³) and carries 28,250 kg (62,281 lb); empty it weighs 2,230 kg (4,916 lb), within 2 % of what 8 of 18 published sheets print (they range 2,080–2,570 kg).

A standard container is 2.591 m (8′6″) tall and a high cube 2.896 m (9′6″), whatever the length, per ISO 668. Inside that leaves 2.393 m (7′10″) and 2.698 m (8′10″), as most published sheets print them.

A high cube is 2.896 m (9′6″) tall outside — exactly one foot taller than the standard 8′6″ — per ISO 668. Inside it gives 2.698 m (8′10″), per 13 of 19 sheets.

A TEU, twenty-foot equivalent unit, is the capacity of one 20 ft container, 6.058 m (19′10½″) long and 33.2 m³ (1,172 ft³) inside, the volume per all 18 sheets. A 40 ft box counts as 2 TEU; the largest ships are rated 24,346 TEU, MSC Irina and her sisters. Full guide: what is a TEU.

The biggest ISO container is the 45 ft high cube at 86.0 m³ (3,037 ft³) inside, per 13 of 15 sheets. In North American domestic service the 53 ft holds 111.8 m³ (3,948 ft³), per 5 of 8 sheets.

An empty 40 ft weighs 3,700 kg (8,157 lb) and a 40 ft high cube 3,830 kg (8,444 lb), within 2 % of what 9 of 16 and 10 of 19 published sheets print (they range 3,530–4,000 kg and 3,700–4,300 kg). Each unit’s own tare is painted on its doors; that is the one to use. More in the weight guide.

A 20 ft carries 28,250 kg (62,281 lb) of cargo and a 40 ft rated 32,500 kg gross carries 28,800 kg (63,493 lb), 550 kg more, within 2 % of what 15 of 16 and 11 of 15 published sheets print. An older 40 ft rated 30,480 kg carries about 26,780 kg, less than a 20 ft. Roads usually stop you first: US lines advise about 38,000 lb (17,236 kg) of cargo in a 20 ft and 44,000 lb (19,958 kg) in a 40 ft.

A 40 ft takes 25 EUR pallets (1200 × 800 mm, 47.2 × 31.5 in) or 21 US pallets (48 × 40 in, 1219 × 1016 mm) in one tier, as our pallet calculator lays them with every pallet tight; Seaco’s sheet prints 23 and 20. Double-stacked in a high cube, up to 50 EUR when height and weight allow. Patterns: pallets in a 40 ft.

A 20 ft takes 11 EUR pallets (1200 × 800 mm, 47.2 × 31.5 in) or 10 US pallets (48 × 40 in, 1219 × 1016 mm) in one tier, the same counts Seaco’s sheet prints.

About 30 US pallets (48 × 40 in) fit a 53 ft in one tier, two abreast in its 2.515 m (8′3″) wide inside, sheets print 2,489–2,540 mm. Loaded straight in pairs it takes 26; turning some reaches 30.

About 270 medium moving boxes of 60 × 40 × 40 cm (23.6 × 15.7 × 15.7 in) fit a 20 ft, by our 3D load planner’s first plan — 78% of the 33.2 m³ (1,172 ft³) inside, the volume per all 18 sheets. The 345 that volume alone suggests never go in, because boxes do not divide the inside evenly; run your own sizes in the load planner.

One car fits a 20 ft — a car shorter than the 5.898 m (19′4″) long inside, through a 2.340 m (7′8″) wide door, per 16 of 18 sheets. A 40 ft takes two nose-to-tail, and car racks that lift one car over another let a 40 ft high cube take more.

Owner code + serial + check digit (ISO 6346), then the size/type code: 22G1 = 20 ft standard dry, 45G1 = 40 ft high cube. Below that come the max gross, tare and payload; the CSC plate repeats the max gross and gives the stacking load and inspection status.

The International Convention for Safe Containers, 1972. The CSC plate on every container door certifies its structural ratings and inspection status — no valid plate, no vessel.

Cargo-worthy units are wind- and water-tight (WWT): door gaskets and roof shed weather at sea. They are not hermetic — condensation (“container rain”) needs ventilation or desiccants.

It depends on the box: a reefer’s machine holds −30 °C to +30 °C (−22 °F to +86 °F) on the makers’ sheets we read, some down to −40 °C, while an unventilated steel box in the sun gets far hotter inside than the air around it. The day–night swing drives condensation; insulation or vents fix both.

Usually nothing physical — a “storage container” is a shipping container sold or rented for static use, often retired from ocean service (WWT grade rather than cargo-worthy).

American slang for a shipping container, from the 1950s US military “Container Express” program. Same box, same dimensions.

A used cargo-worthy 20 ft costs $1,700–2,800 and a one-trip 20 ft $2,800–4,400; a used 40 ft high cube $2,100–3,500 and a one-trip one $4,000–5,600 — US ranges from dealers’ published prices. Coastal locations run cheaper than inland; the full table is in the prices guide.

Three channels: depots in port cities (cheapest, since supply lands there), national dealers who truck units inland, and online marketplaces listing both. Buying near a port cuts the delivery bill — often the largest single line item. Decide the grade first — one-trip for conversions, WWT for plain storage: see container grades.

A container that made a single loaded voyage from the Asian factory to its sale market. Effectively new — the premium grade in the resale market.

About 13 years in ocean service, the useful life over which Triton, a container lessor, writes a dry box off in its annual report; retired to static storage with basic rust care, a box goes on for many years more. Corten steel weathers well — the floor and door seals usually age first.

Undeclared hazardous goods (paints, aerosols, lithium batteries beyond limits), perishables in a dry box, people and animals, and cash/negotiables per carrier rules. Hazardous cargo ships legally only when declared under the IMDG Code.

Not directly — corner castings would not align (a 40 ft has no load-bearing points at its midpoint). Two 20s under one 40 works; one 20 under a 40 does not.

Twist-locks between corner castings — the same fittings that secure them to ships, chassis and railcars. Lashing rods and bridge fittings add rigidity in high stacks.

No — a loaded 20 ft weighs up to 30,480 kg (67,197 lb; 32,500 kg on some sheets), and even an empty one needs a heavy container forklift using the fork pockets most 20 ft units have. 40-footers are lifted at the corners — reach stacker, crane or side-loader. A standard warehouse forklift cannot move a container at all. Methods: moving a container.

The World Shipping Council counted 1,478 containers lost at sea in 2025, out of about 280 million carried, against 576 in 2024 and an average of 1,274 a year over 2015–2024. A tiny fraction, but real enough to be insured against.

A strong tornado (EF3 and up) can move or roll an empty container, because the box weighs only 2.2–3.8 t, a 20 ft (sheets print 2,080–2,570 kg) to a 40 ft high cube (per 10 of 19 sheets), against a large sail area. A loaded or anchored container is far more resistant; hurricane-zone installations bolt the castings to ground anchors or piers.

In most jurisdictions yes — but as permitted dwellings, not exempt structures: expect a building permit, zoning compliance and engineer-stamped drawings for cut openings, exactly like a conventional house. Rules vary by municipality, so verify locally before buying the box. Planning figures: container home dimensions.

Often yes — many municipalities treat a container as a temporary or accessory structure. Rules hinge on duration, zoning and visibility; check locally before delivery.

A container needs no concrete slab: it bears its load at its four corner castings, so piers, pads or sleepers under the corners suffice on stable ground. Slabs are for convenience, not necessity.

A 20 ft container pool holds at most about 16,500–21,000 litres (4,400–5,500 US gal): its whole 5.898 × 2.352 m (19′4″ × 7′8½″) inside floor, per 16 of 18 sheets, filled 1.2 to 1.5 m (3′11″ to 4′11″) deep; steps and an equipment room take part of that. A 40 ft holds up to about 34,000–42,500 litres the same way. Full structure and cost breakdown: container pool guide.

Yes, barely: the door opening is 2.340 m (7′8″) wide, per 16 of 18 sheets, against 2.0–2.1 m across a car’s open mirrors, the width we assume — 12–17 cm a side. A 20 ft garages one car shorter than its 5.898 m (19′4″) inside length; a 40 ft takes two nose-to-tail. Layouts and roll-up doors: container garage guide.

Often yes: a used 20 ft gives 13.9 m² (149 ft²) of secure storage for $1,300–2,800, or $94–202 per m² of floor for the box alone, the figure to set against a builder’s quote for a timber shed of the same floor — and it arrives finished in an afternoon. The trade-offs (looks, ventilation) are in the container shed guide.

Yes — a 20 ft box (13.9 m² / 149 ft² of inside floor) makes a weekend cabin and a 40 ft high cube (28.3 m² / 305 ft²) a full one-bedroom layout, the inside as most published sheets print it. Solar, battery and budget: the container cabin guide.

A welded lockbox — a steel shroud over the door hasp — with a hidden-shackle puck lock or a hardened padlock inside it, so bolt cutters and grinders cannot reach the shackle. In transit, add an ISO 17712 bolt seal. Full hardware comparison: container locks & seals.

2–3 desks fit a 20 ft (13.9 m² / 149 ft²) and up to 4–7 a 40 ft (28.3 m² / 305 ft²), fewer with a meeting corner, if each desk is given 4–6 m² (43–65 ft²), the allowance we assume. Insulation and a mini-split air conditioner are the non-negotiables. Layouts and costs: container office guide.