The storage container has become indispensable for transport of goods by international waterways, roads and railways. In addition to that, storage containers are the ideal solution for (temporary) storage. The sizes of the storage container are especially important when used for international transport. Before buying containers it is important to inform about the storage container sizes and whether these match with the application you have in mind.
Do you want to know the sizes the storage container that you own, or get to know the sizes based on a picture? Each container has a pre-fix through which it is possible to find the storage container sizes. Visit the BIC for an overview. This page explains the numbers you can find on your container.
Standard storage container sizes
The size of a standard storage container is 12 x 2,3 x 2,4 m for a 40ft container. The size of a 20ft container is 5,9 x 2,4 x 2,4 m. storage container sizes are defined in feet. Please take into account that a standard storage container does not really exist: each container has its own dimensions.
Below we display the average storage container sizes for 20ft, 40ft and 40ft high cube containers. These container dimensions are displayed in the metric system (in millimeters).
| 20ft | 40ft | 40ft hc | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Length | 5898 mm | 12032 mm | 12032 mm |
| Height | 2390 mm | 2385 mm | 2698 mm |
| Width | 2350 mm | 2345 mm | 2352 mm |
| Tare weight | 2.180 kg | 3.620 kg | 3.820 kg |
Length of a storage container (meters)
The length of a storage container is 10, 20 or 40ft. The most common length is 40 foot which is about 12 meters long. These storage containers are mainly used for international transport. Besides that there are 20 foot containers which are about 6 meters long. The 20ft storage container is often used at location, for storage, and are regularly spotted on trucks as well. Finally there are 10 foot containers which are 3 meters long. 10 foot storage containers are mainly used for custom solutions such as (emergency)storage capacity on location, as they are not suitable for (international) transport of goods.
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View container20FT Shipping container A-quality
This 20ft sea container is of A-quality and is suitable for the storage or transport of different types of goods. The container can be modified… -
View container40FT Shipping container A-quality
This 40ft sea container is of A-quality and is suitable for the storage or transport of different types of goods. The container can be modified…
Height of a storage container (meters)
The height of a container is an essential measure to know for loading the goods into the container. The standard height of a storage container is 2390 millimeter (internally) and 2591 millimeter (externally). In short, a standard storage container is 2,5 meters high. There are also high cube storage containers which are slightly higher than the standard container. A high cube container has a height of 2896 millimeter (externally).
Weight of a storage container (kilograms)
The weight of a storage container is one of the most important factors of storage container sizes, even more so in case of transportation purposes. Normally there are three weight indications of storage containers: the maximum weight of the cargo (also called net), the maximum weight and its tare weight. Concerning container sizes, the tare weight is important. A 20ft container has a tare weight of 2.180 kg. A 40ft container has a tare weight of 3.620 kg and a 40ft HC container has a tare weight of 3.820 kg. Visit this page to read more about weights of storage containers, reefers and flat racks.
Information about maximum cargo and maximum weight can be found under the container’s details.
Capacity of storage container
To know how much a container can hold, have a look at the capacity or maximum weight. The capacity of storage containers is defined as CU. CAP or CU.M. which means the volume (m3). The capacity of a standard storage container is 67,3 m3 (40 ft container) or 33,1m3 (20ft container). Similarly to the container sizes, also the exact capacity varies per container.
Interested in buying storage containers?
Are you interested in buying a storage container? Our range includes new and used storage containers in the sizes 20ft, 40ft and 40ft high cube. We display the exact storage container sizes on each product page. It is possible to request a quote online. Select the container you are looking for and indicate whether container modification and transportation is needed. We will come back to you with a price indication within 2 working days!