Container Loading Calculator

Loading a container: inside size, door height and payload

A container is named by its outside length, but you load into the inside. A standard 40 ft container is 1,203 × 235 × 239 cm inside, about 67.6 m³; a 20 ft has the same width and height and is 589 cm long, about 33.1 m³. The calculator uses inside dimensions for every container.

Three limits decide what fits, and the floor is only one of them. Height is limited twice: by the inside height and, before that, by the door opening, which is 11 cm lower on a standard container. Weight is the third: dense cargo reaches the payload long before the container looks full.

A high cube adds 30 cm of height — 269 cm inside, 258 cm at the door — for about the same payload, so it pays off for light, tall cargo. A 40 ft reefer has insulated walls: it is 1,158 × 229 × 255 cm inside, shorter and narrower than a standard 40 ft.

Enter your cartons and pallets above. The planner places them, shows what does not fit, warns about anything taller than the door, and gives you a loading order and a plan you can print or send.

How the container figures are calculated

Where the floor shows two numbers, as in 23 (25), the first leaves 5 cm of loading clearance and the second is packed with no gap at all; the 3D plan places the second. The door opening limits each item on its own: a crate taller than the door cannot go in even if the inside height would hold it.

Worked example: heavy pallets in a 40 ft container

Say you are shipping Euro pallets that weigh 1,200 kg each in a standard 40 ft container.

1. Floor: 23 Euro pallets fit in a single layer with loading clearance.
2. A full floor would weigh 23 × 1,200 = 27,600 kg.
3. The payload of a standard 40 ft container is 26,700 kg — 900 kg short.
4. By weight: 26,700 ÷ 1,200 = 22.25, so 22 pallets.

Result: the container is full by weight one pallet before the floor is full. For dense cargo, check the payload before you count floor places.

What the planner does, and what it does not guarantee

A container plan is a starting point for a real load, not the last word. Here is exactly what the planner does and what it leaves to you.

Frequently asked questions

How many cartons fit in a 40 ft container?

It depends on the carton and on how it may be stacked, so there is no single number. By volume, a standard 40 ft holds 67.6 m³; a 60×40×40 cm carton is 0.096 m³, so even with no gaps at all about 700 would fit. Enter your cartons above to see how many actually fit.

What is the difference between a 40 ft standard and a high cube?

Same length and width. A high cube is 30 cm taller inside (269 cm against 239 cm) and its door is 258 cm high against 228 cm. The payload is about the same, so a high cube helps light, tall cargo, not heavy cargo.

Can I load an item that is taller than the door?

No. Every item has to pass through the door opening, which is lower than the inside height: 228 cm on a standard container, 258 cm on a high cube and 250 cm on the reefer here. The planner warns when an item is taller than the door of the container you have picked.

Why does my container fill up by weight before it looks full?

Because dense cargo — drinks, tiles, paper, metal — reaches the payload while floor and height are still free. Road weight limits in some countries are lower than the container's own payload, so check the limit for your route as well.

Does the plan cover securing, weight distribution or axle loads?

No. It places the cargo and checks volume, weight and door height. Lashing, dunnage, how weight is spread along the floor and the axle loads of the truck carrying the container are not calculated; the loader's judgement still decides.