40ft Container Dimensions
Dimensions table: 40ft standard and high cube
Length, width and door width match; only the height changes, and with it the volume and the door opening.
| Measurement | 40ft standard | 40ft high cube |
|---|---|---|
| Outside (L × W × H) | 40′ × 8′ × 8′6″ 12.19 × 2.44 × 2.59 m | 40′ × 8′ × 9′6″ 12.19 × 2.44 × 2.90 m |
| Inside (L × W × H) | 39′5½″ × 7′8½″ × 7′10″ 12.03 × 2.35 × 2.39 m | 39′5½″ × 7′8½″ × 8′10″ 12.03 × 2.35 × 2.69 m |
| Door opening (W × H) | about 7′8″ × 7′6″ about 2.34 × 2.28 m | about 7′8″ × 8′6″ about 2.34 × 2.59 m |
| Inside volume | about 2,380 cu ft about 67.4 m³ | about 2,690 cu ft about 76.2 m³ |
| Floor area | about 305 sq ft about 28.3 m² | about 305 sq ft about 28.3 m² |
| US pallets (48 × 40 in), one layer | 20 | 20 |
| Empty weight (tare) | about 8,000– | about 8,200– |
| Max payload | about 63,500 lb about 28,800 kg | about 63,300 lb about 28,700 kg |
| Max gross weight | up to 71,650 lb up to 32,500 kg | up to 71,650 lb up to 32,500 kg |
40ft container dimensions in inches and millimeters
The outside sizes are exact; inside, each fleet’s figures differ by a few millimeters.
| Measurement | Inches | mm | High cube |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outside length | 480 in | 12,192 mm | Same |
| Outside width | 96 in | 2,438 mm | Same |
| Outside height | 102 in | 2,591 mm | 114 in (2,896 mm) |
| Inside length | about 473½ in | 12,025– | Same |
| Inside width | about 92½ in | 2,348– | Same |
| Inside height | about 94 in | 2,385– | about 106 in (2,690– |
| Door width | about 92 in | 2,340 mm | Same |
| Door height | about 89½– | 2,274– | about 101½– |
Standard or high cube
A high cube, written HC or HQ, is the same 40ft box built a foot taller, for about 13% more space and a few hundred pounds of extra steel; new, it costs less than a standard this week. What the extra foot changes, size by size: high cube vs standard.
Weight and road limits
Five fleets’ spec sheets put the empty weight of a standard 40ft between 8,000 and 8,300 lb (3,640–3,750 kg), and a high cube’s between 8,200 and 8,600 lb. For gross weight, box and cargo together, four of the five rate the standard box at 71,650 lb (32,500 kg) and all five the high cube; the fifth rates its standard 40ft at 67,200 lb, and the ISO standard would allow up to 36,000 kg. That rating is printed on the safety approval plate and the doors of each unit. On the road, a second limit applies: on Interstates the federal cap is 80,000 lb for the whole vehicle, truck and chassis included, and states set their own limits off the Interstate.
Volume and pallets
Inside, about 39′5½″ × 7′8½″ × 7′10″ works out to about 2,380 cu ft: 12.03 × 2.35 × 2.39 m comes to 67.6 m³, and the fleets list 67.0 to 67.7 m³. A high cube gives 2,690 cu ft. Twenty standard US pallets (48 × 40 in) cover the floor in one layer if you turn one row: eleven with the 40-inch side along one wall, nine with the 48-inch side along the other.
What fits in a 40ft
The limits are the 39′5½″ inside length, the 7′8″ door width and a door height of 7′6″, or 8′6″ in a high cube. Two cars can go in end to end if together they’re shorter than about 39 ft, each narrower than the door with its mirrors folded and lower than its height.
Lifting and delivering a 40ft
A tilt-bed truck brings most 40ft containers: plan on a straight, open run of 100–120 ft (30–37 m) for it to back in, 14–16 ft (4.3–4.9 m) of height along the way, and about 20 ft (6.1 m) of open air above the drop spot, where the container rises as the bed tips. Off a flatbed, a 40ft is normally lifted by crane: many have no fork pockets, and at 8,000 lb and up empty it sits at or beyond the 5,000–8,000-lb forklift capacity sellers ask for. Delivery and site needs.
40ft vs 45ft high cube, and 20ft
The 45ft high cube adds five feet of length to a 40ft high cube, for 3,000–3,040 cu ft and about 24 pallets against 20, with practically the same width, height and door: 45ft high cube. Going the other way, a 20ft has the same cross-section on half the length: 20ft container dimensions · all sizes compared.
Buy a 40ft container
Illustrative image 40ft Shipping Container — Used
Illustrative image 40ft High Cube Shipping Container — Used
Illustrative image 40ft High Cube Shipping Container — New (One-Trip)
Used, a standard 40ft costs from $1,900 this week and a high cube from $1,980, before delivery and sales tax; our price index tracks what both heights list for across the market each month. All 40ft containers · all shipping containers.
Frequently asked questions
What is the actual size of a 40ft container?
Unlike the 20ft, the 40ft really is 40 ft: 480 inches (12,192 mm) long, 96 inches wide and 102 inches tall, or 114 inches for a high cube. Inside, the end wall and the doors take about 6½ inches of the length, which leaves about 473½ inches.
What is the capacity of a 40ft container?
By volume, 2,380 cu ft in a standard 40ft and 2,690 cu ft in a high cube. By weight, the cargo it may carry is about 63,500 lb, with the exact rating on its door. On the floor, 20 standard US pallets in one layer.
How heavy is a 40 ft container?
About 4 short tons empty: a standard box comes in at 8,000–8,300 lb and a high cube a little heavier, at 8,200–8,600 lb. Fully loaded to its rating, box and cargo together can reach 71,650 lb, close to 36 short tons (32.5 metric tons).
What is the difference between 40 HC and 40 HQ?
None: HC and HQ are two shorthands for the same 40ft high cube, 9′6″ tall. Shipping lines and sellers simply use one or the other.
Are all 40 foot containers high cube?
No. A 40ft comes as a standard box, 8′6″ tall, or as a high cube, 9′6″, and the ISO standard also lists an 8′-tall version. Check which one a listing means before you compare prices.
How much weight can you put in a 40ft high cube container?
Up to about 63,000 lb (28,600–28,800 kg) by its rating, the gap between its 71,650 lb maximum gross weight and its own tare. On US highways the federal 80,000-lb limit counts the truck and chassis too, so a loaded 40ft on the road carries less than that.
How wide is the door on a 40ft container?
About 7′8″ (2,340 mm) on both heights. It opens about 7′6″ high on a standard 40ft and 8′6″ on a high cube, roughly 4 inches below the inside ceiling.
Sources
Outside sizes and the 8′, 8′6″ and 9′6″ heights: ISO 668 (designations 1A, 1AA and 1AAA), read through the standard’s published summary. Inside sizes, doors, volumes, tare and gross ratings: the 40ft and 40ft high cube sheets of five shipping lines and leasing companies, each giving its figures as examples that vary by builder. Highway limit: the Federal Highway Administration’s size and weight program. Lifting and truck clearances: published requirements of US sellers and carriers. Inches, pallet counts, tons and the volume check are our calculations.