Capacity of a container: 10ft, 20ft, 40ft, 45ft, 48ft

The capacity of a container depends on its dimensions. Between 20ft containers and 40ft containers, there is a clear difference in capacity. A 40ft container can carry a larger load compared to a 20ft container. For reference, Tradecorp supplies General Purpose (Dry) containers with a 20ft unit offering a volume capacity of 33.2 cubic meters (CBM) and able to hold approximately 28,280 kg of cargo.

Understanding container capacity helps simplify the process of storing and loading goods into the container. This convenience means you may only need one container to ship all the cargo being exported.

Using a single container with the right capacity also helps reduce overall shipping costs. This is because the expenses incurred for cargo transportation become more efficient when fewer containers are used.

Container capacity is represented in CBM, or cubic meters, which is listed on the door of the shipping container. Container cubic capacity or CBM is the total volume of cargo measured in cubic meters.

In other words, container cubic capacity (CBM) is essentially the same as volume, although volume itself can be expressed in different units. The larger the CBM of a container, the more cargo it can carry. Conversely, the smaller the CBM, the less cargo it can transport.

How to Calculate the Capacity of a Container

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Calculating the capacity of a container is fairly simple. Start by identifying the container’s length, width, and height, then multiply the three dimensions: length x width x height. The result of this calculation is what we call the capacity of a container or cubic meters or CBM.

Using the formula above, you can easily estimate how much cargo can fit into a single container you plan to purchase.

• You can also use online tools to calculate the capacity of a container, such as CBM Calculator and Online Container Loading and Stuffing Calculator.
• Begin calculating how much cargo can fit into the container. For example, you want to ship packaged tea in boxes with dimensions of 14 x 5 x 6 centimeters and a weight of 200 grams.
• Open the CBM Calculator in your browser.
• Select cubic meter and enter the tea box dimensions in the fields: Length 14 centimeters, Width 5 centimeters, and Height 6 centimeters. Fill in the Gross Weight with 200 grams.
• After inputting all components, the result will show the number of items without pallets that can fit into a twenty foot container, which is 78,872 tea boxes.

The Capacity of 20ft Container

Even though they are both 20ft in size, each type of container has a different capacity. The difference in cubic measurements is also clearly seen between a 20ft standard and a 20ft high cube. Below is the capacity of a 20ft container based on its type and dimensions.

20ft Dry Shipping Container

20ft High Cube Dry Shipping Container

20ft Open Top Container

20ft Refrigerated Container

20ft High Cube Refrigerated Container

The Capacity of 40ft Container

The same applies to 40ft containers. Each type within this size has a different capacity, including the difference between standard and high cube units. For more clarity, check the detailed information below.

40ft Dry Shipping Container

40ft High Cube Dry Shipping Container

40ft Open Top Container

40ft High Cube Open Top Container

40ft Refrigerated Container

40ft High Cube Refrigerated Container

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Capacity of a Container 10ft, 45ft, 48ft

As additional information, below is the capacity of a container in sizes 10ft, 45ft, and 48ft based on their types.

10ft Dry Shipping Container

10ft High Cube Dry Shipping Container

45ft High Cube Dry Shipping Container