45ft High Cube Container
Dimensions, capacity, payload and real pallet counts — computed with our loading engine.
Typical figures for a Maersk 45 high. Every carrier differs — see the comparison table below.
The 45ft High Cube is the largest box in common ocean service: High Cube height plus about 1.5 m of extra length. It is popular for light, bulky cargo and is a natural fit for European road legs, where its length matches trailer decks.
How many pallets fit in a 45ft high cube 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 | 27pallets |
| Industrial / ISO | 120 × 100 cm | 24pallets |
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 | 1355.6 cm |
| Internal width | 235.2 cm |
| Internal height | 269.7 cm |
| Internal volume | 86 m³ |
| Door width | 234 cm |
| Door height | 258.5 cm |
| Tare weight | 4,900 kg |
| Max payload | 27,600 kg |
Not every port, carrier or chassis handles 45ft. Confirm equipment availability on your trade before planning around it.
The extra length is what makes it attractive for palletised cargo — it adds floor positions, which a High Cube alone does not.
Specifications by carrier
"A 45ft high cube container" is not one box. Across the 6 carriers below, payload ranges from 25,270 kg to 28,280 kg — a spread of 3,010 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 45' Standard High Cube | 1355.6 × 235.2 × 270.1 | 234 × 258.8 | 86.1 m³ | 4,740 kg | 28,280 kg | 27 | 24 |
| Hanjin 45ft High Cube Dry Container | 1355.6 × 235.2 × 269.8 | 234 × 258.5 | 86 m³ | 4,880 kg | 27,620 kg | 27 | 24 |
| Happag-Lloyd 45' standard High Cube | 1355.6 × 235.2 × 270 | 234 × 259.7 | 86.1 m³ | 5,050 kg | 27,450 kg | 27 | 24 |
| Maersk 45 high | 1355.6 × 235.2 × 269.7 | 234 × 258.5 | 86 m³ | 4,900 kg | 27,600 kg | 27 | 24 |
| MOL 45ft High Cube Dry Container | 1357.6 × 234.5 × 268.6 | 234.3 × 258.5 | 85.5 m³ | 3,950 kg | 26,530 kg | 27 | 24 |
| NYK 45' Dry Container | 1354.9 × 235.2 × 269.7 | 234 × 258.5 | 85.9 m³ | 4,500 kg | 25,270 kg | 27 | 24 |
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.
Frequently asked
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