Illustrative image Used 40ft High Cube Shipping Container
A used 40ft high cube is a 40-foot shipping container retired from ocean service and sold by grade. It stands 9′6″ (2.90 m) tall, a foot more than a standard 40ft. This week a wind & watertight unit starts at $1,980 and a cargo worthy one at $2,130, before delivery and sales tax. The extra foot costs $70–$80 over a standard-height used 40ft of the same grade.
Illustrative image Why LandedBox
More choice. Less legwork.
One free request goes to up to 5 sellers serving your address, each checked for licensing and insurance, and you compare their quotes or accept none. How it works
Used high cubes span many build years, so ask each seller for the manufacture date on the box’s CSC plate along with its photos.
$450Average gap between the highest
and lowest quote on the same request
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compare prices.
Which grade for a used high cube?
| Grade | From | What it means | Choose it if |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cargo worthy (CW) | $2,130 | Watertight, and sound enough to pass a CSC exam and carry freight at sea again | You may ship tall cargo in it later, or resell it |
| Wind & watertight (WWT) | $1,980 | Keeps out wind and rain, and the doors seal; not certified to go back to sea | It will stay on your land as a workshop or storage for tall items, at the lowest price |
Cargo worthy carries a $150 premium this week. It’s worth paying if the container may go back to sea or you plan to resell it, though shipping it again usually means a fresh CSC exam after the sale. For a box that stays on your land, wind & watertight is enough. Either way, you get a used box: expect dents, some surface rust and leftover markings from its shipping years. On land, none of that matters as long as the roof, walls and door seals keep water out, and that’s what you check when it arrives (delivery-day checklist; what the seller’s guarantee should cover).
High cube or standard used 40ft?
The extra foot is all height. Inside, you get about 8′10″ (2.69 m) of headroom instead of 7′10″ (2.39 m), and the door opening is about 8′6″ (2.59 m) tall instead of 7′6″ (2.28 m). That adds about 310 cu ft (8.8 m³), roughly 13% more space, on the same 305 sq ft (28.3 m²) floor, which still takes 20 standard US pallets (48 × 40 in) in one layer. Empty, a high cube weighs a few hundred pounds more.
It’s worth it if you’ll insulate it or add a ceiling and lights, which eat into the headroom, if you want room for tall shelving, or if anything taller than 7′6″ has to go through the doors, like machinery. For boxes, furniture and anything that clears a 7′6″ door, a used 40ft standard container covers the same floor for less.
You can spot a high cube at the depot or on delivery day: every container taller than 8′6″ is required to carry yellow-and-black stripes along its top edges, starting at the corners, and a height mark on each side (ISO 6346). If the paint has worn off, measure it: a high cube stands 9′6″.
Good for: tall equipment, stacked storage and workshops on a budget.
Only need it for a few months? Rent one instead.
Specs in feet and metric
| Measurement | Feet, inches, pounds | Metric |
|---|---|---|
| Outside (L × W × H) | 40′ × 8′ × 9′6″ | 12.19 × 2.44 × 2.90 m |
| Inside (L × W × H) | about 39′5½″ × 7′8½″ × 8′10″ | about 12.03 × 2.35 × 2.69 m |
| Door opening (W × H) | about 7′8″ × 8′6″ | about 2.34 × 2.59 m |
| Inside volume | about 2,690 cu ft | about 76.2 m³ |
| Floor area (inside) | about 305 sq ft | about 28.3 m² |
| Pallets on the floor, one layer | 20 standard US pallets (48 × 40 in) | |
| Empty weight (tare) | about 8,200–8,600 lb | about 3,700–3,900 kg |
| Max. payload | about 63,300 lb | about 28,700 kg |
| Max. gross weight | up to 71,650 lb | up to 32,500 kg |
| Tilt-bed truck access | 100–120 ft (30–37 m) of straight approach, 10–14 ft (3–4.3 m) wide; 14–16 ft (4.3–4.9 m) of overhead clearance, about 20 ft (6 m) where the container tilts off; ground that’s firm, dry and level (5° slope at most) | |
Sources: ISO 668 (type 1AAA, 40ft high cube); 40ft high cube specs from an ocean carrier and two leasing companies. Your container’s exact weights are marked on its doors.
Delivery
Away from the seller’s depot, delivery is usually priced by distance, about $4–$6 per mile.
Delivery cost and site checklist · container foundation options
Options & accessories
Add-ons you can order with this container (see all):
- Shipping container lock box ($94)
- Heavy-duty container door lock (from $200)
- Shipping container leveling kit ($195)
- Shipping container vents (from $104)
- Shipping container roll-up door kit (from $617)
- Shipping container office kit (from $8,301)
Man door, shelving or an installed roll-up door? Ask for a quote. To keep heat and damp out: insulated containers.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a used 40ft high cube cost?
This week’s starting prices are $1,980 for wind & watertight and $2,130 for cargo worthy, before delivery and sales tax. Delivered near the seller’s depot, a wind & watertight unit comes to roughly $2,280–$2,580 before sales tax.
What is the average cost of a 40ft high cube?
Prices vary a lot from one depot to the next. The 207 public listings we recorded this week for a used wind & watertight 40ft high cube ran from $1,550 to $3,800, and about 4 in 10 were at or below our $1,980 starting price. Cargo worthy listings ran from $1,620 to $4,000. Our weekly starting price is set from those listings: how we set it.
Where can I find high cube containers for sale?
You can get quotes for a used 40ft high cube on this page, from $1,980 this week: we send your request to up to 5 sellers serving your area, anywhere in the 48 contiguous states. For a newer box, the new (one-trip) 40ft high cube starts at $3,900.
Is there a 20ft high cube, and how much is it?
Yes. It has the same 9′6″ height on a 20-foot footprint. New (one-trip), the 20ft high cube starts at $4,620 this week; a used one has no weekly price, and you can ask for one on its page.
Can you find a used 40ft high cube for under $1,000?
Not among the listings we recorded this week: the lowest wind & watertight one was $1,550. If you see one under $1,000, check whether it’s sold as-is, with no guarantee of condition. Buying a container under $1,000.
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Illustrative image See all 40ft containers or used containers by grade.