What are the internal dimensions of an open top container?

1,202.8 × 235 × 234.5 cm (length × width × height), about 66.3 m³ — close to the equivalent dry box.

When do you use an open top container?

When cargo must be craned in from above rather than pushed through the doors, or when it is too tall for a closed box and can travel out-of-gauge under a tarpaulin.

Can cargo stick out above an open top container?

Yes, with carrier approval — this is out-of-gauge (OOG) cargo and carries a surcharge. The tarpaulin is a cover, not a structural roof.

Open Top Container

Dimensions, capacity, payload and real pallet counts — computed with our loading engine.

Length

1202.8 cm

39.5 ft

Width

235 cm

7.7 ft

Height

234.5 cm

7.7 ft

Volume

66.3 m³

2341 ft³

Payload

26,630 kg

58,708 lb

EUR pallets

on the floor

Typical figures for a MSC Open Top 40'. Every carrier differs — see the comparison table below.

An open top container has a removable tarpaulin roof instead of a fixed one, so cargo can be craned in from above and may — with the carrier’s approval — exceed the roof line. Internal dimensions are otherwise close to the equivalent dry box.

How many pallets fit in a open top 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	1202.8 cm
Internal width	235 cm
Internal height	234.5 cm
Internal volume	66.3 m³
Door width	234.1 cm
Door height	227.4 cm
Tare weight	3,850 kg
Max payload	26,630 kg

The door opening is smaller than the internal cross-section. Cargo that fits inside does not automatically fit through.

Out-of-gauge cargo (above the roof line) needs carrier approval and attracts an OOG surcharge. The tarpaulin is not a structural roof.

Nothing can be stacked on an open top in the vessel bay when it is loaded out-of-gauge — which is part of why it costs more.

Specifications by carrier

"A open top container" is not one box. Across the 2 carriers below, payload ranges from 21,600 kg to 26,630 kg — a spread of 5,030 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
MSC Open Top 20'	589.4 × 231.1 × 235.4	228.6 × 218.4	32.1 m³	2,400 kg	21,600 kg	11	9
MSC Open Top 40'	1202.8 × 235 × 234.5	234.1 × 227.4	66.3 m³	3,850 kg	26,630 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.

Frequently asked

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