40ft Reefer (Refrigerated) Container
Dimensions, capacity, payload and real pallet counts — computed with our loading engine.
Typical figures for a NYK 40' Reefer Container. Every carrier differs — see the comparison table below.
A 40ft reefer loses length to the refrigeration machinery at the front wall and width to the insulated walls. Most modern 40ft reefers are High Cube, which claws back some of the volume — but never assume dry-box dimensions.
How many pallets fit in a 40ft reefer (refrigerated) container?
These are not rules of thumb. Each number is the result of running our bin-packing engine — the same one behind the product — against the real internal dimensions, with the pallet free to turn in plan but not to tip.
| Pallet | Footprint | Fits on floor |
|---|---|---|
| EUR / EPAL | 120 × 80 cm | 23pallets |
| Industrial / ISO | 120 × 100 cm | 20pallets |
Floor positions, single layer. Stackable cargo multiplies this — how far depends on your cargo height and stack weight. Not shipping standard pallets? Drop your own cargo list into the free Excel loading calculator and the same engine will work it out for your boxes.
Internal dimensions
| Internal length | 1156.3 cm |
| Internal width | 229.4 cm |
| Internal height | 250.8 cm |
| Internal volume | 66.5 m³ |
| Door width | 229.4 cm |
| Door height | 247.4 cm |
| Tare weight | 3,990 kg |
| Max payload | 28,510 kg |
Reefer internal dimensions vary far more between carriers than dry boxes do. The spread in the table below is real — always plan against the unit you are actually booking.
Airflow matters: leave the T-bar floor channels clear and do not pack tight to the ceiling, or the return air chokes and the cold chain fails.
Specifications by carrier
"A 40ft reefer container" is not one box. Across the 12 carriers below, payload ranges from 25,580 kg to 29,480 kg — a spread of 3,900 kg. If you plan a heavy load against the wrong figure, you find out at the weighbridge.
| Carrier / type | L × W × H (cm) | Door W × H | Volume | Tare | Payload | EUR / EPAL | Industrial / ISO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cosco 40' reefer | 1157.7 × 229.4 × 221 | 228.6 × 221 | 58.7 m³ | 3,950 kg | 28,550 kg | 23 | 20 |
| Cosco 40' reefer High Cube | 1158.4 × 229.4 × 253.2 | 229.4 × 253.2 | 67.3 m³ | 4,550 kg | 29,450 kg | 23 | 20 |
| CSCL 40' reefer | 1159 × 229.4 × 244.5 | 229 × 244.5 | 65 m³ | 4,880 kg | 25,600 kg | 23 | 20 |
| Hanjin 40ft High Cube Ultra Freezer | 1155 × 222 × 245.8 | 222 × 245.8 | 63 m³ | 5,890 kg | 28,110 kg | 23 | 20 |
| Hanjin 40ft Reefer | 1158.8 × 229 × 255.7 | 229.4 × 255.7 | 67.9 m³ | 4,600 kg | 29,400 kg | 23 | 20 |
| Maersk reefer 40 hc | 1158 × 227.5 × 241.5 | 227.5 × 241 | 63.6 m³ | 4,520 kg | 29,480 kg | 23 | 20 |
| Maersk reefer 40 hc starfresh | 1157.8 × 228 × 242.5 | 227.8 × 242 | 64 m³ | 4,600 kg | 29,400 kg | 23 | 20 |
| Maersk reefer 40 hc starfresh plus | 1157.8 × 228 × 242.5 | 227.8 × 242 | 64 m³ | 4,800 kg | 28,200 kg | 23 | 20 |
| MOL 40ft Reefer High Cube | 1166.9 × 228.6 × 250.8 | 228.6 × 243.7 | 66.9 m³ | 4,600 kg | 25,880 kg | 23 | 20 |
| MSC Reefer 40' | 1149.3 × 227 × 219.7 | 228.2 × 215.5 | 57.3 m³ | 4,900 kg | 25,580 kg | 23 | 20 |
| MSC Reefer 40' High Cube | 1155.7 × 229.4 × 250 | 229.4 × 244 | 66.3 m³ | 4,500 kg | 25,980 kg | 23 | 20 |
| NYK 40' Reefer Container | 1156.3 × 229.4 × 250.8 | 229.4 × 247.4 | 66.5 m³ | 3,990 kg | 28,510 kg | 23 | 20 |
Pallet columns are floor positions computed by the LoadCargo.in bin-packing engine (best of its packing modes), not estimates. Data generated 2026-07-14.
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