ISO 45G1 · L5G1
High Cube Container
Yuri Kan Checked against 23 of 88 published sheets
A high cube container is 2.896 m (9′6″) tall outside — exactly one foot more than the standard 2.591 m (8′6″), per ISO 668 — and 2.698 m (8′10″) high inside on a 40 ft, per 13 of 19 sheets. On a 40 ft box that adds 8.7 m³, taking capacity from 67.7 to 76.4 m³ (2,698 ft³), usually at the same ocean rate as a standard container. Most new 40 ft containers built today are high cubes.
| Metric | Imperial | |
|---|---|---|
| External dimensions | 12.192 × 2.438 × 2.896 m | 40′ × 8′ × 9′6″ |
| Internal dimensions | 12.032 × 2.352 × 2.698 m | 39′5½″ × 7′8½″ × 8′10″ |
| Door opening | 2.340 × 2.585 m | 7′8″ × 8′6″ |
| Capacity (volume) | 76.4 m³ | 2,698 ft³ |
| Tare weight | 3,830 kg | 8,444 lb |
| Max payload | 28,670 kg | 63,207 lb |
A high cube (HC) container is a standard dry container with one extra foot of height: 2.896 m (9′6″) externally instead of 2.591 m (8′6″). Length, width, doors and corner fittings are otherwise identical, so it stacks and ships exactly like a standard box.
The numbers in this chart
| Figure | Value |
|---|---|
| Outside, L × W × H | 12.192 × 2.438 × 2.896 m |
| Volume | 76.4 m³ |
| Payload | 28,670 kg |
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 20 published sheets of 20 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
The same extra foot exists at other lengths: the 45 ft box is built as a high cube (L5G1), and there is a 20 ft high cube too (25G1).
The door opening grows with the box: 2.340 m wide × 2.585 m high against 2.280 m on a standard unit. Those 305 mm of extra door clearance are often the deciding spec for tall crates, garment-on-hanger systems and machinery on skids.
Weight-wise the penalty is trivial. A 40 ft HC tares at about 3,830 kg versus 3,700 kg for a standard forty, and on the same 32,500 kg max gross the payload stays at around 28,670 kg, within about 130 kg of the standard box’s 28,800 kg. In almost every dimension that matters, the high cube dominates — which is exactly why the industry converged on it.
The numbers in this chart
| Height, m | Height, ft in | |
|---|---|---|
| Standard 8′6″ | 2.591 | 8′6″ |
| High cube 9′6″ | 2.896 | 9′6″ |
| 1.75 m person | 1.75 | 5′9″ |
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 25 published sheets of 20 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
High cube container: dimensions and weight
| Metric | Imperial | |
|---|---|---|
| External dimensions | ||
| Length | 12.192 m 40 ft high cube container · Outside length 12,192 mm Set by the standard | 40′ |
| Width | 2.438 m 40 ft high cube container · Outside width 2,438 mm Set by the standard | 8′ |
| Height | 2.896 m 40 ft high cube container · Outside height 2,896 mm Set by the standard | 9′6″ |
| Internal dimensions | ||
| Length | 12.032 m | 39′5½″ |
| Width | 2.352 m | 7′8½″ |
| Height | 2.698 m | 8′10″ |
| Door opening | ||
| Width | 2.340 m | 7′8″ |
| Height | 2.585 m | 8′6″ |
| Specification | ||
| Tare weight | 3,830 kg | 8,444 lb |
| Max gross weight | 32,500 kg | 71,650 lb |
| Max payload | 28,670 kg | 63,207 lb |
| Capacity (volume) | 76.4 m³ | 2,698 ft³ |
| Pallets (one tier, counted on the floor) | 25 EUR · 21 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 20 published sheets of 20 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
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
| Metric | Imperial | |
|---|---|---|
| External dimensions | ||
| Length | 13.716 m 45 ft high cube container · Outside length 13,716 mm Set by the standard | 45′ |
| Width | 2.438 m 45 ft high cube container · Outside width 2,438 mm Set by the standard | 8′ |
| Height | 2.896 m 45 ft high cube container · Outside height 2,896 mm Set by the standard | 9′6″ |
| Internal dimensions | ||
| Length | 13.556 m | 44′5½″ |
| Width | 2.352 m | 7′8½″ |
| Height | 2.698 m | 8′10″ |
| Door opening | ||
| Width | 2.340 m | 7′8″ |
| Height | 2.585 m | 8′6″ |
| Specification | ||
| Tare weight | 4,650 kg | 10,251 lb |
| Max gross weight | 32,500 kg | 71,650 lb |
| Max payload | 27,850 kg | 61,399 lb |
| Capacity (volume) | 86.0 m³ | 3,037 ft³ |
| Pallets (one tier, counted on the floor) | 27 EUR · 24 US | |
| TEU | 2.25 (by length) | |
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 16 published sheets of 16 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
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 · Crowley, HMM, Matson, OOCL, Seaco, Textainer, TOTE, Triton, Yang Ming, ZIM
High cube vs standard container
The difference between a high cube and a standard container is exactly one foot of height — 9′6″ vs 8′6″ external (2.896 vs 2.591 m), 2.698 vs 2.393 m internal — which on a 40 ft box means about 13% more volume: 76.4 m³ against 67.7 m³. Full spec tables for each: 40 ft container and 40 ft high cube.
Internal height grows from 2.393 m to 2.698 m. On a 40 ft box that adds 8.7 m³ — from 67.7 to 76.4 m³ — enough to fit a third tier of many cartons, or double-stacked pallets up to 2,698 ÷ 2 ≈ 1,340 mm (4′5″) each when they are stacked inside the box (2,585 ÷ 2 ≈ 1,290 mm (4′3″) each for a stack built before loading, which has to pass the door; both rounded down to the centimetre).
Lines often quote a high cube at the standard box’s ocean rate (ask for both); where they do, the high cube is free capacity for light, voluminous cargo. The only caution is road transport where height is capped. The EU caps a vehicle at 4.0 m overall, per Directive 96/53/EC, so a 9′6″ box (2.896 m) travels there on a low-bed chassis: its laden deck sits 1.075 m up, as 3 independent documents print it (Schmitz Cargobull), which makes 3.971 m in all. Most US states allow 4.110–4.270 m (13′6″–14′), per U.S. Federal Highway Administration, Office of Freight Management and Operations.
For conversions — homes, offices, workshops — the extra foot is not a bonus but a requirement. Whatever goes onto the floor and under the roof comes off the inside height, 2.393 m (7′10″) in a standard 8′6″ box against 2.698 m (8′10″) in a high cube, so once floor and ceiling are insulated the high cube still has 305 mm more headroom. That is why virtually every container-building guide starts from a 40 ft high cube.
The High cube 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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How to identify a high cube
Check the ISO type code on the door: the first two characters give length and height, and in the ISO 6346:1995 codes a second character 5 means 9′6″ height: “45” for a 40 ft high cube, “L5” for a 45 ft (e.g. 45G1 = 40 ft high cube dry). Some owners also paint a black-and-yellow caution stripe on the top side rails of high cube units, but the code is the sure sign.
From the outside without the code, look at the corner posts against a neighbouring stack: 9′6″ units stand a visible head taller than 8′6″ boxes, and where an owner has painted the caution stripe, it warns crane and bridge operators of the extra height.
Frequently asked questions
How much taller is a high cube container?
A high cube is exactly one foot (305 mm) taller: 2.896 m (9′6″) against 2.591 m (8′6″) outside, per ISO 668. Inside a 40 ft it is 2.698 m (8′10″) against 2.393 m (7′10″), per 13 of 19 sheets.
Is a high cube container worth it?
Usually yes: ocean rates for a high cube are normally the same as for a standard container of equal length, so the extra 8.7 m³ (307 ft³) on a 40 ft is effectively free capacity. The only caution is road transport where height is capped, as in the EU at 4.0 m (per Directive 96/53/EC), where the taller box travels on a low-bed chassis. For conversions, the extra foot of ceiling makes it the default choice.
Is a high cube container better than a standard container?
For most cargo, yes: the high cube adds 8.7 m³ on a 40 ft (76.4 vs 67.7 m³, 2,698 vs 2,391 ft³) at typically no extra ocean cost, and on the same 32,500 kg gross rating it gives up only about 130 kg of payload. A standard-height box wins only where a road height limit such as the EU’s 4.0 m (per Directive 96/53/EC) calls for a low-bed chassis under a 9′6″ unit, or where the lower used price of an 8′6″ container matters more than the volume.
How much does a high cube container cost?
In October 2026, a used cargo-worthy 40 ft high cube is listed at $2,100–3,500 in the US and a one-trip unit at $4,000–5,600, against $2,100–3,400 for a used standard-height forty. Prices vary by market and location, with the best supply near major ports; the container prices guide names the dealers behind each range.
Is shipping a high cube more expensive?
Often not at sea: lines often quote a high cube at the rate of a standard container of equal length — both count as 2 TEU for a 40 ft — so ask for both. Road legs can cost more where a lowered chassis is required.
Do 20 ft high cube containers exist?
Yes (ISO code 25G1), but they are uncommon. Most operators jump straight from the standard 20 ft to the 40 ft high cube.
What is the internal height of a high cube container?
A 40 ft high cube is 2.698 m (8′10″) high inside, per 13 of 19 sheets, against 2.393 m in a standard container. The door opening is 2.585 m (8′6″) high, versus 2.280 m (7′6″) on a standard box.
40 ft standard vs 40 ft high cube: what is the difference?
Height only: the high cube stands 2.896 m (9′6″) against 2.591 m (8′6″), per ISO 668, which adds 8.7 m³ (307 ft³) of capacity, 76.4 m³ (2,698 ft³) against 67.7 m³ (2,391 ft³), and raises the door opening from 2.280 m (7′6″) to 2.585 m (8′6″), per 13 of 19 sheets. Length, width, floor area and ocean rates are identical, and payload is about the same: the HC’s slightly heavier shell leaves around 28,670 kg on a 32,500 kg rating, against 28,800 kg in the standard forty.