# Reefer Container Dimensions

Source: https://contsize.com/reefer-container/ · CC BY 4.0 · checked 2026-10-19

A 20 ft reefer measures 5.454 × 2.290 × 2.267 m (17′10½″ × 7′6″ × 7′5½″) inside (length and width per 10 of 16 sheets; height: per 8 of 15 sheets), which holds 28.3 m³ (999 ft³) against 33.2 m³ in a dry box, because insulation and the refrigeration machine take room. A 40 ft high cube reefer measures 11.583 × 2.290 × 2.545 m (38′ × 7′6″ × 8′4″) (length and width per 13 of 20 sheets; height per 13 of 18 sheets), which holds 67.5 m³ (2,384 ft³). [Tare](https://contsize.com/glossary/tare-weight/) is about 2,980 kg for the 20 ft (sheets range 2,480–3,920 kg) and 4,620 kg for the 40 ft HC (4,300–5,080 kg); standard units hold −30 °C to +30 °C, and cargo must stay below the [load line](https://contsize.com/glossary/load-line/) marked inside — 2.150–2.211 m above the floor in a 20 ft and 2.380–2.474 m in a 40 ft HC on the sheets — so air can circulate over it.

*20 ft reefer: dimensions and weight*

|  | Metric | Imperial |
| --- | --- | --- |
| External dimensions | **6.058 × 2.438 × 2.591 m** | 19′10½″ × 8′ × 8′6″ |
| Internal dimensions | **5.454 × 2.290 × 2.267 m** | 17′10½″ × 7′6″ × 7′5½″ |
| Door opening | **2.290 × 2.264 m** | 7′6″ × 7′5″ |
| Capacity (volume) | **28.3 m³** | 999 ft³ |
| Tare weight | **2,980 kg** | 6,570 lb |
| Max payload | **27,500 kg** | 60,627 lb |

[Types of shipping containers](https://contsize.com/types-of-shipping-containers/)

A reefer is a refrigerated container with an integrated cooling unit and insulated walls, holding cargo anywhere from −30 °C to +30 °C (specialised units go lower). The machinery and insulation eat into space: internal dimensions are noticeably smaller than a dry container of the same nominal size.

![Drawing of a reefer container: a white insulated box with the refrigeration unit and its fans in the front wall.](https://contsize.com/figures/reefer-container-isometric-drawing-en.png)

**The numbers in this chart**

*Reefer container: what it looks like*

| Figure | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Outside, L × W × H | 6.058 × 2.438 × 2.591 m |
| Volume | 28.3 m³ |
| Payload | 27,500 kg |

Checked 19 October 2026: outside sizes set by ISO 668, read in IS 6566:2001, GOST R 51876-2008 and GOST R 53350-2009; every other figure against 18 published sheets of 15 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](https://contsize.com/container-data-sources/#c-20ft-reefer)

*Reefer container: what it looks like*

A 20 ft reefer offers 28.3 m³ against 33.2 m³ in a dry box; the 40 ft high cube reefer offers 67.5 m³. Width shrinks to about 2.290 m, and load height is capped by the red load line — air must circulate over the top of the cargo.

The machinery also shows up on the scale: a 20 ft reefer tares at about 2,980 kg (versus 2,230 kg dry) and a 40 ft HC reefer at about 4,620 kg. Higher [max gross](https://contsize.com/glossary/max-gross/) ratings compensate — the 40 ft HC reefer is rated to 34,000 kg, giving a [payload](https://contsize.com/glossary/payload/) near 29,380 kg, more than the 28,670 kg of its dry counterpart.

Two operating modes exist and matter for cost: an integral reefer runs its own refrigeration plant on the electric supply it is plugged into, while a “non-operating reefer” (NOR) is the same box shipped with the machine off, sold as cheap insulated capacity for cargo that merely needs temperature stability, not active cooling.

![Bar chart comparing the inside of a 40 ft high cube reefer with a dry 40 ft high cube.](https://contsize.com/figures/reefer-vs-dry-container-interior-en.png)

**The numbers in this chart**

*What insulation costs: a 40 ft reefer against a dry high cube*

|  | 40 ft high cube, dry | 40 ft high cube reefer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Inside length | 12.032 m | 11.583 m |
| Inside width | 2.352 m | 2.290 m |
| Inside height | 2.698 m | 2.545 m |
| Volume | 76.4 m³ | 67.5 m³ |

Checked 19 October 2026: outside sizes set by ISO 668, read in IS 6566:2001, GOST R 51876-2008 and GOST R 53350-2009; every other figure against 31 published sheets of 21 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](https://contsize.com/container-data-sources/)

*What insulation costs: a 40 ft reefer against a dry high cube*

## 20 ft reefer and 40 ft high cube reefer: dimensions and weight

*20 ft reefer22R1*

|  | Metric | Imperial |
| --- | --- | --- |
| External dimensions |  |  |
| Length | 6.058 m | 19′10½″ |
| Width | 2.438 m | 8′ |
| Height | 2.591 m | 8′6″ |
| Internal dimensions |  |  |
| Length | 5.454 m | 17′10½″ |
| Width | 2.290 m | 7′6″ |
| Height | 2.267 m | 7′5½″ |
| Door opening |  |  |
| Width | 2.290 m | 7′6″ |
| Height | 2.264 m | 7′5″ |
| Specification |  |  |
| Tare weight | 2,980 kg | 6,570 lb |
| Max gross weight | 30,480 kg | 67,197 lb |
| Max payload | 27,500 kg | 60,627 lb |
| Capacity (volume) | 28.3 m³ | 999 ft³ |
| Pallets (one tier, counted on the floor) | 10 EUR · 9 US |  |
| TEU | 1 |  |

Checked 19 October 2026: outside sizes set by ISO 668, read in IS 6566:2001, GOST R 51876-2008 and GOST R 53350-2009; every other figure against 18 published sheets of 15 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](https://contsize.com/container-data-sources/#c-20ft-reefer)

Data: [ISO 668 (1995 text, read in IS 6566:2001)](https://contsize.com/citations/#iso-668) · [CMA CGM Equipment Guide](https://contsize.com/citations/#cma-specs) · [Evergreen Container Specifications](https://contsize.com/citations/#evergreen-specs) · [Hapag-Lloyd Container Specifications](https://contsize.com/citations/#hapag-specs) · [Maersk reefer equipment specifications](https://contsize.com/citations/#maersk-reefer-specs) · [ONE Container Specifications](https://contsize.com/citations/#one-specs) · COSCO, Crowley, HMM, MCI, MSC, OOCL, Seaco, SeaCube, Triton, Yang Ming

*40 ft high cube reefer45R1*

|  | Metric | Imperial |
| --- | --- | --- |
| External dimensions |  |  |
| Length | 12.192 m | 40′ |
| Width | 2.438 m | 8′ |
| Height | 2.896 m | 9′6″ |
| Internal dimensions |  |  |
| Length | 11.583 m | 38′ |
| Width | 2.290 m | 7′6″ |
| Height | 2.545 m | 8′4″ |
| Door opening |  |  |
| Width | 2.290 m | 7′6″ |
| Height | 2.567 m | 8′5″ |
| Specification |  |  |
| Tare weight | 4,620 kg | 10,185 lb |
| Max gross weight | 34,000 kg | 74,957 lb |
| Max payload | 29,380 kg | 64,772 lb |
| Capacity (volume) | 67.5 m³ | 2,384 ft³ |
| Pallets (one tier, counted on the floor) | 23 EUR · 20 US |  |
| TEU | 2 |  |

The door is taller than the inside height as the sheets print them: they give the door’s height from its sill and the inside height from the floor, which in a reefer sits above the sill. What a load can pass is the cargo access height some sheets print, lower than both.

Checked 19 October 2026: outside sizes set by ISO 668, read in IS 6566:2001, GOST R 51876-2008 and GOST R 53350-2009; every other figure against 22 published sheets of 19 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](https://contsize.com/container-data-sources/#c-40hc-reefer)

Data: [ISO 668 (1995 text, read in IS 6566:2001)](https://contsize.com/citations/#iso-668) · [CMA CGM Equipment Guide](https://contsize.com/citations/#cma-specs) · [Evergreen Container Specifications](https://contsize.com/citations/#evergreen-specs) · [Hapag-Lloyd Container Specifications](https://contsize.com/citations/#hapag-specs) · [Maersk reefer equipment specifications](https://contsize.com/citations/#maersk-reefer-specs) · [ONE Container Specifications](https://contsize.com/citations/#one-specs) · COSCO, Crowley, HMM, Matson, MCI, MSC, OOCL, Seaco, SeaCube, TOTE, Trailer Bridge, Triton, Yang Ming, ZIM

## Loading rules that change the numbers

Reefer floors are T-shaped gratings that channel cold air upward; cargo must cover the floor as evenly as possible and never rise above the load line marked inside. Effective capacity is therefore lower than the geometric volume: in a 40 ft HC reefer the line sits 2.380–2.474 m above the floor on the sheets we read, against an inside height of 2.545 m.

The machine cools only while it has power: Carrier’s and Thermo King’s manuals describe an all-electric unit fed through a three-phase cable, so check before booking that power is arranged for every leg — the vessel, the terminal and any road or rail leg.

Pre-cooling is the classic beginner’s mistake: the reefer’s machine is built to hold temperature, not to pull warm cargo down. Produce and frozen goods must enter the box already at carriage temperature; cargo loaded warm stays warm for too long and can spoil the whole consignment.

## Pallets in a reefer

The 2.290 m internal width still takes EUR pallets two-abreast: 10 in a 20 ft reefer and 23 in a 40 ft HC reefer, floor-loaded, as Seaco’s reefer sheets print it. By our count US pallets fit 9 and 20 respectively.

Keep pallet loads under the load line — 2.150–2.211 m above the floor in a 20 ft and 2.380–2.474 m in a 40 ft HC on the line and maker sheets we read; check the line painted in the unit you are given — and keep the T-floor channels clean and clear of debris up to the door, as Carrier’s manual asks, since the cold air rises out of the floor along the whole length of the box.

## Frequently asked questions

**What are the dimensions of a 20 ft reefer?**

A 20 ft reefer (22R1) measures 5.454 × 2.290 × 2.267 m (17′10½″ × 7′6″ × 7′5½″) inside (length and width per 10 of 16 sheets; height: per 8 of 15 sheets), in the standard outside of 6.058 × 2.438 × 2.591 m (19′10½″ × 8′ × 8′6″), per ISO 668. That is 28.3 m³ (999 ft³), about 4.9 m³ less than a 20 ft dry box, because of insulation and the cooling machinery.

**What are the dimensions of a 40 ft reefer container?**

A 40 ft high cube reefer (45R1) measures about 11.583 × 2.290 × 2.545 m (38′ × 7′6″ × 8′4″) inside (length and width per 13 of 20 sheets; height per 13 of 18 sheets), and 12.192 × 2.438 × 2.896 m (40′ × 8′ × 9′6″) outside, per ISO 668. Its inside volume is 67.5 m³ (2,384 ft³); the space you may load is less, because cargo must stay below the load line, 2.380–2.474 m above the floor on the sheets.

**How much does a reefer container cost?**

In October 2026, the middle of the US dealer listings we read puts a used 40 ft high cube reefer with a working unit at $7,500–8,000 and a used 20 ft at about $9,000. With a non-working unit, sold as an insulated box, the 40 ft HC is about $5,500 and the 20 ft about $7,300; new, a 40 ft HC reefer is about $28,000. Prices vary widely by market and location, and the machine’s service history matters more than the box.

**Why is a reefer smaller inside than a dry container?**

A 20 ft reefer holds 28.3 m³ (999 ft³), per 13 of 16 sheets, against 33.2 m³ (1,172 ft³) in a dry box, because insulated walls, the cooling machinery at the front end and the raised T-bar floor all take space.

**What temperature range can a reefer hold?**

Standard units hold −30 °C to +30 °C, as Carrier’s, Daikin’s and Triton’s documents print it; Carrier’s PrimeLINE goes down to −35 °C and Thermo King’s Magnum Plus to −40 °C. A deep-freeze unit goes further: Thermo King’s Superfreezer manual prints set points down to −60 °C.

**How much does a reefer container weigh?**

A 20 ft reefer carries about 27,500 kg (60,627 lb), per all 15 sheets, and weighs about 2,980 kg (6,570 lb) empty — sheets print 2,480–3,920 kg. A 40 ft high cube reefer weighs about 4,620 kg (10,185 lb; sheets 4,300–5,080 kg) and, with its 34,000 kg max gross rating, carries roughly 29,380 kg.

**Why is it called a reefer container?**

“Reefer” is old maritime slang for “refrigerated”: purpose-built refrigerated cargo vessels were nicknamed reefer ships from the early 20th century, and when the machinery moved into ISO boxes in the 1960s–70s the name moved with it. Today “reefer” covers any refrigerated container, trailer or ship.

## Related pages

- [20 ft container6.058 × 2.438 × 2.591 m · 33.2 m³](https://contsize.com/20-ft-container/)
- [40 ft high cube container12.192 × 2.438 × 2.896 m · 76.4 m³](https://contsize.com/40-ft-high-cube-container/)
- [High cube containerISO 45G1 · L5G1](https://contsize.com/high-cube-container/)
- [Pallet calculatorFloor pattern + stacking](https://contsize.com/pallet-calculator/)
- [Container size chart (all 17)17 containers · Metric and imperial · Prints on one sheet](https://contsize.com/shipping-container-dimensions-chart/)
- [Insulated containerISO group H · insulated](https://contsize.com/insulated-container/)