Container dimensions and CBM table: 20ft, 40ft, 40HC

Inside length, width and height, door size, max payload, tare and CBM of the 20 foot (20ft), 40 foot (40ft) and 40 foot high cube (40HC) container in one table. The figures come from the table published by the carrier HMM, and they vary a little by container and carrier.

20ft, 40ft and 40HC dimensions table

Published figures for three dry container types. They are the rows HMM labels heavy duty in its weight limitation table, the same values the TradeGraph container load calculator uses. Values vary a little by container and carrier, so confirm your carrier’s figures when you book.

Theoretical CBM and the CBM you actually load

The CBM in the table is the empty volume, inside length × width × height. A 20ft is 5.898 × 2.352 × 2.392 m, or about 33.2 CBM.

What you actually load is less. When carton sides don’t divide the inside evenly, gaps are left at the ends, and door clearance, lashing, dunnage and pallets take room too.

A 60 × 40 × 30 cm carton (0.072 CBM each) kept upright gives 315 cartons or 22.7 CBM in a 20ft, 700 cartons or 50.4 CBM in a 40ft, and 800 cartons or 57.6 CBM in a 40HC. That is about 68%, 75% and 75% of capacity. The ratio changes with the carton size, so try your own carton.

How to work out container loading

Convert the carton sides to mm. A 60 × 40 × 30 cm carton is 600 × 400 × 300 mm.

Divide the inside length, width and height by the carton’s sides and drop the remainders. For a 20ft: 5,898 ÷ 600 = 9 rows, 2,352 ÷ 400 = 5 columns, 2,392 ÷ 300 = 7 layers.

Multiply the three for the count by volume: 9 × 5 × 7 = 315 cartons. Work out the carton turned on the floor the same way and keep the higher count.

Divide the max payload by the weight per carton. At 12 kg a carton, 28,280 ÷ 12 = 2,356 cartons, so space runs out first. The lower of the two is what you can load.

Check the door size and road weight limits too. For door delivery in Korea, HMM lists 21.2 t gross for a 20ft. Take off the 2,200 kg tare and that leaves up to 19,000 kg of cargo.

How many pallets fit?

Count pallets on the floor. With pallets not stacked and all placed one way, 1,200 × 1,000 mm pallets fit 8 in a 20ft (4 × 2) and 20 in a 40ft or 40HC (10 × 2). 1,100 × 1,100 mm pallets fit 10 in a 20ft (5 × 2) and 20 in a 40ft or 40HC (10 × 2).

Put the same 60 × 40 × 30 cm carton on a 1,200 × 1,000 mm pallet, with a 150 mm pallet and a 1,800 mm max height with pallet, and each pallet takes 20 cartons (2 × 2 × 5 layers). That is 160 cartons in a 20ft and 400 in a 40ft, fewer than loading the cartons loose (315 and 700). The pallet height and max height with pallet are example values, so use your own.

Mixing pallet directions can fit a few more. This count uses one direction only, so confirm the exact number with your forwarder’s load plan.

40ft or 40HC: which one?

On HMM’s table the two have the same length and width, and only the inside height differs. A 40HC is 306 mm taller (40HC 2,698 mm, 40ft 2,392 mm) and holds 8.7 CBM more (40HC 76.3 CBM, 40ft 67.6 CBM). Its door is also 305 mm higher (40HC 2,585 mm, 40ft 2,280 mm).

In return, a 40HC is 200 kg heavier empty (40HC 3,800 kg, 40ft 3,600 kg) and its max payload is 200 kg lower (40HC 28,700 kg, 40ft 28,900 kg).

The weight of 1 CBM of your cargo makes the choice easier. A full 40HC reaches its payload at about 376 kg per CBM (28,700 ÷ 76.3). If you apply to a 40HC the 26.6 t gross for door delivery in Korea that HMM lists for a 40ft, it is about 299 kg per CBM after the tare (22,800 ÷ 76.3). Lighter cargo can use the extra height of a 40HC. Heavier cargo reaches the weight limit before the height is used, so the gap with a 40ft is small.

In practice you won’t fill every bit of space, so enter your carton size and weight in the calculator and compare the two containers directly.

The figures in the table are the rows HMM labels heavy duty in its weight limitation table, copied as published. Capacity (CBM) is close to inside length × width × height in metres. The CBM a carrier publishes can differ a little in the first decimal. The loading examples divide the inside dimensions by the carton’s sides, drop the remainders and multiply (rows × columns × layers), and the count by payload divides the max payload by the weight per carton. They assume every carton is stacked one way, so check your forwarder’s load plan before you book.

• What are the dimensions of a 20ft container? On the heavy duty rows of HMM’s table, the inside is 5,898 mm long, 2,352 mm wide and 2,392 mm high, for 33.2 CBM. The door is 2,340 mm wide and 2,280 mm high. Max payload is 28,280 kg and tare is 2,200 kg.
• What are the inside dimensions and CBM of a 40ft container? A 40ft is 12,032 × 2,352 × 2,392 mm inside, for 67.6 CBM. A 40HC has the same length and width and is 2,698 mm high, for 76.3 CBM. Max payload is 28,900 kg for a 40ft and 28,700 kg for a 40HC (HMM table, heavy duty rows).
• How much does a container weigh? On HMM’s table, the tare (empty weight) is 2,200 kg for a 20ft, 3,600 kg for a 40ft and 3,800 kg for a 40HC. Max gross weight, cargo plus tare, is 30,480 kg for a 20ft and 32,500 kg for a 40ft and 40HC. For door delivery in Korea, HMM lists a lower gross weight: 21.2 t for a 20ft and 26.6 t for a 40ft.
• Can I load as many CBM as the table shows? No. The CBM in the table is the volume of the whole empty space. Carton sides rarely divide the inside evenly, and door clearance, lashing and dunnage take room too, so the volume you actually fill is smaller. A 60 × 40 × 30 cm carton kept upright gives 800 cartons in a 40HC, or 57.6 CBM, about 75% of its capacity.
• How do I work out container loading? Divide the inside length, width and height by the carton’s sides, drop the remainders and multiply to get the count by volume. Compare it with the max payload divided by the weight per carton, and the lower of the two is what you can load. Enter your carton size and weight in the container load calculator to work out all three containers at once.
• Should I choose a 40ft or a 40HC? For light cargo, a 40HC is better. Length and width are the same, and it is 306 mm taller inside, so it holds 8.7 CBM more. Heavy cargo hits the payload before the extra height is used. Then a 40ft, 200 kg lighter empty with a 200 kg higher payload, can be the better choice.
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