Shipping & logistics
Estimate carton capacity for a standard 40-foot container.
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40ft container calculator guide
Once an order outgrows a 20ft box, the next question is whether it fills a 40ft. This calculator estimates how many identical cartons fit in a standard 40ft dry container from the carton’s outer dimensions in centimetres: it converts the carton to cubic metres, divides a fixed 67 m³ of internal volume by that figure, applies an 85% loading factor, and rounds down to whole cartons. Inside, the box is about 12.03 m long, 2.35 m wide, and 2.39 m high; the 40ft high-cube adds 30 cm of height for about 76 m³. The key trade-off is weight: a 40ft carries twice the volume of a 20ft but is rated for the same 30,480 kg gross mass, so it suits bulky, light goods such as furniture, textiles, and packaged consumer products, while dense cargo like tiles or tinned food hits the payload limit of a 20ft first. Importers use the count to compare supplier loading plans and to judge when a 40ft’s lower cost per cubic metre beats a second 20ft. The figure assumes loose-stacked uniform cartons.
Carton volume (m³) = length (cm) × width (cm) × height (cm) ÷ 1,000,000. Cartons = floor(67 m³ ÷ carton volume × 0.85).
Worked example: cartons of 40 cm × 30 cm × 25 cm are 40 × 30 × 25 ÷ 1,000,000 = 0.03 m³ each. The 40ft internal volume divided by the carton gives 67 ÷ 0.03 = 2,233.33 cartons at perfect packing. Multiplying by the 85% loading factor gives 2,233.33 × 0.85 = 1,898.33, which rounds down to 1,898 cartons. That is just over twice the 935 cartons a 20ft holds. The calculator displays 1,898 cartons.
Carton dimensions are centimetres; the 67 m³ volume and 85% factor are fixed. Multiply inch measurements by 2.54 before entering. If you are pricing a 40ft high-cube, use the container capacity calculator with 76 m³, since the extra 0.3 m of height adds about 13% more space. The carton volume row is displayed to three decimals.
Carriers bill on whichever is greater, actual weight or volumetric weight, so treat this result as the number to compare against your carrier's own quote. Divisors, rounding rules, and surcharges differ between carriers and between domestic and international services, and they change with contract terms. Confirm the current rules for your account before you price a shipment. On this page the figure rests entirely on carton length, carton width, carton height, market / jurisdiction, effective date, data source, update owner and review date, so start there if the 40ft container calculator returns something you did not expect.
Good to know: doubling the container does not double the payload. A 40ft has a tare of about 3,750 kg, leaving roughly 26.7 t of payload against 30,480 kg gross, so 1,898 cartons must average under about 14 kg each to stay within the rating. For palletised cargo count pallets instead: a 40ft floor takes 24–25 EUR pallets or 20–21 US pallets in one layer. Cartons that do not fit the 2.28 m door height cannot be loaded regardless of volume.
Shipping results depend on carrier, service, route, divisor, rounding, surcharges, and contract terms. Confirm the current carrier rule before buying a label or quoting a customer.
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How it works
Estimate carton capacity for a standard 40-foot container. This tool explains the calculation so you can adjust the assumptions to match your situation.
Worked example
With Carton length = 40 cm · Carton width = 30 cm · Carton height = 25 cm → 1898 cartons (practical volume estimate). Change an input above and this example updates with your numbers.
Common questions
Divide 67 m³ by the carton volume and multiply by about 0.85 for realistic stacking. Cartons of 40 × 30 × 25 cm (0.03 m³) give 67 ÷ 0.03 × 0.85 = 1,898 cartons. A 40ft high-cube with 76 m³ would hold about 2,153.
A standard 40ft dry container is about 12.032 m long, 2.352 m wide, and 2.393 m high inside, roughly 67.7 m³. The 40ft high-cube is 2.698 m high inside, about 76.4 m³. Door openings are about 2.34 m wide and 2.28 m (2.58 m high-cube) high.
ISO 668 rates a standard 40ft at 30,480 kg maximum gross mass, the same as a 20ft. With a tare around 3,750 kg the payload is about 26.7 t, and road limits often reduce the practical figure to 20–25 t depending on the country.
Usually not. Ocean freight for a 40ft is commonly 1.3–1.8 times the 20ft rate while offering twice the volume, so the cost per cubic metre is lower. It only pays off if you can fill the space without exceeding the weight rating.
In a single layer the 12.03 × 2.35 m floor takes 24 to 25 EUR pallets (1,200 × 800 mm) or 20 to 21 North American 48 × 40 in pallets. A high-cube allows double stacking of pallets loaded under about 1.3 m.