40ft Standard Container
Dimensions, capacity, payload and real pallet counts — computed with our loading engine.
Typical figures for a MSC Standard 40'. Every carrier differs — see the comparison table below.
The 40ft dry container carries roughly twice the volume of a 20ft for far less than twice the freight cost, which is why it is the workhorse of container shipping. It is the right pick whenever cargo runs out of room before it runs out of payload.
How many pallets fit in a 40ft standard 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 | 25pallets |
| Industrial / ISO | 120 × 100 cm | 22pallets |
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 | 1203.6 cm |
| Internal width | 235 cm |
| Internal height | 239.2 cm |
| Internal volume | 67.7 m³ |
| Door width | 234 cm |
| Door height | 228 cm |
| Tare weight | 3,700 kg |
| Max payload | 26,780 kg |
A 40ft carries about double the volume of a 20ft but NOT double the payload — the box itself is heavier. For dense cargo, two 20ft units often move more tonnes than one 40ft.
Door opening is narrower and lower than the internal cross-section — check the door before you check the box.
Specifications by carrier
"A 40ft standard container" is not one box. Across the 11 carriers below, payload ranges from 26,480 kg to 28,880 kg — a spread of 2,400 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| APL 40' Standard | 1203.2 × 235.2 × 239.2 | 234 × 228 | 67.7 m³ | 3,720 kg | 26,760 kg | 25 | 22 |
| Cosco 40' standard | 1203.5 × 235 × 239.3 | 233.9 × 227.4 | 67.7 m³ | 3,700 kg | 28,800 kg | 25 | 22 |
| CSCL 40' Standard | 1203.2 × 235.2 × 239.3 | 234 × 228 | 67.7 m³ | 3,890 kg | 26,590 kg | 25 | 22 |
| Default 40 standard | 1203 × 235 × 239.3 | 234 × 227.4 | 67.7 m³ | 3,700 kg | 28,800 kg | 25 | 22 |
| Evergreen 40' Steel Dry Cargo Container | 1203.2 × 235.2 × 238.5 | 234.3 × 228 | 67.5 m³ | 4,000 kg | 26,480 kg | 25 | 22 |
| Hanjin 40ft Dry Container | 1203.2 × 235.2 × 239.3 | 234 × 228 | 67.7 m³ | 3,620 kg | 28,880 kg | 25 | 22 |
| Happag-Lloyd 40' standard | 1203.2 × 235.2 × 239.5 | 234 × 229.2 | 67.8 m³ | 4,030 kg | 28,470 kg | 25 | 22 |
| Maersk 40 standard | 1203.2 × 235 × 239.3 | 234 × 227.4 | 67.7 m³ | 3,700 kg | 28,800 kg | 25 | 22 |
| MOL 40ft Dry Container | 1203.3 × 235.2 × 238.6 | 234 × 227.9 | 67.5 m³ | 3,740 kg | 26,740 kg | 25 | 22 |
| MSC Standard 40' | 1203.6 × 235 × 239.2 | 234 × 228 | 67.7 m³ | 3,700 kg | 26,780 kg | 25 | 22 |
| NYK 40' Dry Container | 1203 × 235.2 × 238.3 | 234 × 227.2 | 67.4 m³ | 3,590 kg | 26,580 kg | 25 | 22 |
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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