Indonesia
The 20-foot and 40-foot containers are two of the most commonly used container sizes. While many people are familiar with their length, not everyone understands the width of a 20ft or 40ft shipping container, or the information of how wide is a shipping container is important, especially for businesses, logistics providers, or individuals looking to use containers for storage, modifications, or transporting goods.
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How Wide is a Shipping Container
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How wide is a shipping container, both 20ft and 40ft actually have the same width, as they are built following ISO (International Organization for Standardization) standards. Here are their width measurements:
- External Width: around 8 feet or 2.44 meters
- Internal Width: around 7.7 feet or 2.35 meters
This width remains consistent across most standard container types, including dry containers, reefer containers, and modified containers.
Why Is “How Wide Is a Shipping Container” Important?
1. Planning for Cargo Loading
The container’s width affects the type and amount of goods that can be loaded. For example, the use of standard European-size pallets (Euro Pallets) needs to match the container width to ensure efficient loading.
2. Calculating Cargo Capacity
You can calculate the total volume and the maximum load capacity by knowing the internal width. It also allows you to optimize the arrangement of goods inside the container for more efficient and organized storage.
3. For Modification Purposes
If you plan to use a container as the base steel structure for an office, café, residence, or warehouse, the container’s width becomes a key factor in designing the interior layout, partitions, and usability of the space.
Read More: Used Shipping Containers Prices: 20 Feet & 40 Feet Sizes
Dimension Comparison: 20ft vs 40ft
| Container Type | External Length | External Width | External Height | Internal Width | Volume |
| 20ft | 6.06 m | 2.44 m | 2.59 m | 2.35 m | ±33 m³ |
| 40ft | 12.19 m | 2.44 m | 2.59 m | 2.35 m | ±67 m³ |
High Cube Containers have a different height of approximately 2.9 meters, but their width stays unchanged.
Are There Containers Wider Than Standard?
Typically, ISO standard containers come with a uniform width of 8 feet. However, in Europe, a variant called the Pallet Wide Container is commonly used. These containers are slightly wider to precisely fit two standard Euro pallets side by side. Wider-than-standard containers also exist in the form of modified containers, where multiple units are combined to create spacious modular buildings.
When is Container Width Information Needed?
- Logistics & Freight Businesses: to efficiently plan cargo loads and ensure safe transport.
- Architects and contractors: to create useful plans for structures made of containers.
- Temporary Warehouse or Mobile Storage Users: to ensure sufficient space for storage needs.
- Businesses using containers as cafés, booths, or shops: to calculate seating capacity, product display area, and customer movement space.
Shipping Container Width Summary
So, what is the width of a 20ft or 40ft shipping container?. The answer of how wide is a shipping container is approximately 2.44 meters (external) and 2.35 meters (internal), and this applies to both sizes. These dimensions follow international standards to ensure compatibility across land, sea, and design modifications.
If you intend to utilize containers for business operations, storage solutions, or modular building projects, knowing the container’s width is an essential starting point in your planning.
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Looking for Quality Containers?
Tradecorp Indonesia offers a wide range of 20ft and 40ft containers, available new, used, or modified. Get the best deals for your shipping, storage, or building needs, with delivery across Indonesia. Contact us today for more information on prices, sizes, and container types that suit your requirements.
