High Cube vs Standard Container
Side by side
Only the height changes. A standard and a high cube of the same length share their 8 ft width, their footprint and their inside width and length; the high cube adds 12 inches to the outside, to the headroom and to the door opening alike.
| Measurement | Standard | High cube |
|---|---|---|
| Outside height | 8′6″ (2.59 m) | 9′6″ (2.90 m) |
| Inside height | about 7′10″ (2.39 m) | about 8′10″ (2.69 m) |
| Door opening height | about 7′6″ (2.28 m) | about 8′6″ (2.59 m) |
| Inside volume | 1,170 cu ft (33.1 m³) | 1,320 cu ft (37.4 m³) |
| Empty weight (tare) | 4,700– | 5,100– |
| Starting price, Oct 21, 2026 | new $2,750 · used $1,400 | new $4,620 |
| Best for | Storage, the most common 20ft | Tall items in a small footprint; fewer depots stock it |
| Measurement | Standard | High cube |
|---|---|---|
| Outside height | 8′6″ (2.59 m) | 9′6″ (2.90 m) |
| Inside height | about 7′10″ (2.39 m) | about 8′10″ (2.69 m) |
| Door opening height | about 7′6″ (2.28 m) | about 8′6″ (2.59 m) |
| Inside volume | 2,380 cu ft (67.4 m³) | 2,690 cu ft (76.2 m³) |
| Empty weight (tare) | 8,000– | 8,200– |
| Starting price, Oct 21, 2026 | new $5,350 · used $1,900 | new $3,900 · used $1,980 |
| Best for | Storage that doesn’t stack high | Racking, tall machinery, offices and workshops |
Heights, doors, volumes and weights: the spec sheets of five ocean carriers and container lessors, which vary by a few millimeters between builders. Full dimensions: 20ft · 40ft.
What the extra foot costs
Yes, the 20ft comes as a high cube too, but it’s the pricier and rarer one: $4,620 new against $2,750 for a standard this week, and fewer depots stock it, so it may come from farther away, which shows in the delivered price. In the 40ft size it’s the other way round when new: the 40ft high cube is one of the most common containers on ocean routes, and a one-trip high cube starts at $3,900 against $5,350 for a standard. Used, the gap on a 40ft is small: $1,980 against $1,900 wind and watertight, $2,130 against $2,060 cargo worthy. All of these are starting prices; delivery and sales tax are added in your quote. Shipping container prices this week; for how the two heights compare at the market median, see our US shipping container price index.
When to choose a high cube
- Tall items and racking. Shelving, stacked loads and machinery get a foot more room, and the 8′6″ door lets taller equipment through.
- Offices, workshops and other build-outs. Insulation and a ceiling come out of the headroom: with 1 to 3 inches of foam overhead, a high cube still leaves about 8′7″ to 8′9″, before lights and ducts. Insulated containers; for a home, how many high cubes a floor plan takes: container home cost.
- A new 40ft. When the one-trip high cube costs no more than the standard, as it does this week, the extra foot comes free.
New 40ft high cube New 20ft high cube
When standard is enough
- Ordinary storage. If nothing you keep stands or stacks above about 7½ ft, the standard door height, the extra foot stays empty.
- A 20ft on a budget. The standard 20ft costs less and is the one most depots carry, used or new.
- Low clearances and heating. A standard box sits a foot lower under branches and carports, while a high cube has about 13% more air to heat or cool.
Used 40ft standard Used 20ft standard
Delivery and height
Both come on the same tilt-bed truck and need the same straight approach, but a high cube rides a foot higher. Carriers ask for 14 to 16 ft of overhead clearance along the route, and one seller asks for the full 16 ft with a high cube; at the drop spot, as the bed tips, the top of any container rises to about 20 ft. Delivery cost and site checklist.
How to tell them apart
From outside, a high cube looks like a standard container with a taller side. The marking rules for freight containers make it easy to spot: any container taller than 8′6″ must carry a height mark on each side and yellow-and-black stripes at the top corners of each side and end. A tape measure settles it too: 9′6″ from the ground to the top of the corner fittings, against 8′6″. And are all 40ft containers high cubes? No: the 40ft comes both ways, so a listing that just says “40ft” may mean either; ask before comparing prices.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between GP and HC containers?
Only the height. GP, for general purpose, is the standard 8′6″ dry container; HC, for high cube (also written HQ), is the 9′6″ version of the same box, with the same length and width and a door a foot taller.
Is a high cube better for a container office or workshop?
Usually, yes. Insulation and a ceiling take inches off the inside: with 1 to 3 inches of foam on the ceiling, a standard box keeps about 7′7″ to 7′9″ of headroom and a high cube about 8′7″ to 8′9″, before lights or ductwork. Sellers who do conversions recommend the high cube for that reason.
Does a high cube hold more pallets?
Not on the floor: it has the same footprint, so 9 standard US pallets fit in one layer in a 20ft and 20 in a 40ft, high cube or not. The extra foot only helps when loads stack higher or the items are tall.
Is a high cube harder to deliver?
It takes the same truck and the same straight run to the drop spot, but it rides a foot higher. Carriers ask for 14 to 16 ft of overhead clearance along the way, and one seller asks for the full 16 ft with a high cube, so check low wires, branches and carports on the route.
How much heavier is a high cube container?
A few hundred pounds: a 20ft high cube weighs about 5,100–5,400 lb empty against 4,700–5,200 lb for a standard one, and a 40ft high cube 8,200–8,600 lb against 8,000–8,300 lb. The cargo each may carry is about the same, roughly 62,000 lb in a 20ft and 63,000 lb in a 40ft.
Sources
Dimensions, doors, volumes and weights: ISO 668 for outside sizes and the dry-container spec sheets of five ocean carriers and container lessors. Height markings: a container handbook summarizing ISO 6346. Overhead clearance: what US carriers and sellers ask for at delivery. How common each size is: a US container builder’s spec pages and a seller’s listing. Insulation thickness: comparable climate-controlled container builds. Prices: the starting prices we recorded on Oct 21, 2026.