Container types and dimensions: which box fits your cargo

Six container types cover nearly all cargo. Internal working numbers: 20ft dry — 5.9 × 2.35 × 2.39 m, ~28 usable CBM, up to ~28t payload; 40ft dry — 12.03 m long, ~58 CBM; 40ft high cube — 2.70 m internal height, ~68 CBM; reefer — powered, −30…+20°C, slightly smaller inside; open top — for crane-loaded tall pieces; flat rack — for over-width/over-height machinery. Weight limits bind before volume for dense cargo: a 20ft "fills" with ceramic tiles at half its volume.

The working dimensions table

• 20ft dry: internal 5.90×2.35×2.39 m · door 2.34×2.28 m · ~33 CBM geometric (~28 usable) · max payload ~28,200 kg
• 40ft dry: internal 12.03×2.35×2.39 m · ~67 CBM geometric (~58 usable) · payload ~26,600 kg
• 40ft high cube: height 2.70 m internal · ~76 CBM geometric (~68 usable) — the e-commerce default for light bulky goods
• Reefer (20/40): T-floor and unit eat space — plan ~10% less volume; needs power at every stage
• Open top: soft tarpaulin roof; for tall machinery loaded by crane; over-height travels with an OOG surcharge
• Flat rack: floor + end walls only; over-width/over-weight pieces, lashed and often surveyed
• Tank container: bulk liquids, food-grade or chemical — operator-specific approvals apply

Choosing by cargo, not by habit

The two-question test: does it fit through a standard door (2.28 m high on a dry box — the most common surprise for machinery), and does weight or volume bind first? Dense cargo (tiles, steel, paper) hits the payload ceiling in a 20ft long before filling it — two 20fts often beat one 40ft. Light bulky cargo (furniture, plastics) wants the high cube. Cars go two ways: containerised (one or two per 40ft with lashing — the secure option) or RoRo (cheaper for standard vehicles; see the car import guide). Anything over container dimensions moves open top, flat rack or breakbulk — engineered, not just booked (see project cargo).

Booking realities worth knowing

High cubes are now the global standard for 40ft — specify if you genuinely need standard height for door or crane limits at your warehouse. Reefer and special equipment (OT/FR) are scarcer: book earlier than dry, especially into peak seasons. Container weight is verified (VGM) before loading — declared-vs-actual gaps strand bookings. And the container that arrives is the container you can load: agreeing equipment condition standards with the forwarder (clean, hole-free, food-grade where needed) beats arguing at the loading dock. Sanad Global books all types into Jeddah and Dammam and checks equipment fit against your cargo spec at quote time.

Related guides

• Container shipping
• Road freight
• Air freight
• Sea freight