Container types
Also known as: Container sizes · Container dimensions · Container specifications
A side-by-side comparison of the common shipping container types: sizes, weights, capacity, pallet places, and typical cargo.
Comparison table
Typical figures — exact figures vary by shipping line and manufacturer.
| Type | ISO size-type code | Internal L × W × H (mm) | Max payload | Capacity | Euro / standard pallets | Typical cargo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20' DV20DV · 20' DC · 20DC · 20' GP | 22G1 | 5,898 × 2,352 × 2,393 | 28,250 kg | 33.2 m³ | 11 / 10 | Heavy, dense goods: tiles, stone, metal parts, machinery parts, bagged goods such as sugar or cement, and drums. |
| 40' DV40DV · 40' DC · 40DC · 40' GP | 42G1 | 12,032 × 2,352 × 2,393 | 26,730 kg | 67.7 m³ | 23 / 21 | Light but bulky goods: furniture, textiles and clothing, household goods, toys, and packed consumer products. |
| 40' HC40HC · 40' HQ · 40HQ · High Cube | 45G1 | 12,032 × 2,352 × 2,698 | 26,580 kg | 76.4 m³ | 23 / 21 | Light, bulky, or tall goods: furniture, sofas, mattresses, insulation materials, plastic goods, and mixed retail cargo. |
| 45' HC45HC · 45' HQ · 45HQ · 45' High Cube | L5G1 | 13,556 × 2,352 × 2,698 | 27,700 kg | 86 m³ | 27 / 24 | Very light, bulky goods where every cubic metre counts: furniture, insulation, packaging materials, and palletised retail goods in Europe. |
| Pallet-wide container20' PWPW · PWC · 20' PW · 40' PW | — | 5,900 × 2,440 × 2,390 | 28,080 kg | 34.4 m³ | 14 / 10 | Goods on Euro pallets in European trade: food and drinks, consumer goods, building materials, and retail distribution. |
| Pallet-wide container40' PW HCPW · PWC · 20' PW · 40' PW | — | 12,030 × 2,440 × 2,690 | 26,480 kg | 79 m³ | 30 / 24 | Goods on Euro pallets in European trade: food and drinks, consumer goods, building materials, and retail distribution. |
| 20' RF20RF · 20' RE · 20' REF · 20' Reefer | 22R1 | 5,450 × 2,290 × 2,260 | 27,400 kg | 28.3 m³ | 10 / 9 | Heavy frozen or chilled goods: frozen meat and poultry, fish, butter, frozen vegetables, and some pharmaceuticals. |
| 40' RH40RH · 40' HR · 40RQ · 40' HC Reefer | 45R1 | 11,580 × 2,290 × 2,550 | 29,520 kg | 67.7 m³ | 23 / 20 | Fresh fruit and vegetables, chilled meat and dairy, frozen food, flowers, and pharmaceuticals. |
| Open Top container20' OTOT · 20OT · 40OT · 20' OT | 22U1 | 5,890 × 2,350 × 2,350 | 28,130 kg | 32.6 m³ | 11 / 10 | Tall or heavy items loaded by crane: machinery, glass sheets, marble and stone blocks, timber, and scrap metal. |
| Open Top container40' OTOT · 20OT · 40OT · 20' OT | 42U1 | 12,030 × 2,350 × 2,350 | 26,630 kg | 66.4 m³ | 23 / 21 | Tall or heavy items loaded by crane: machinery, glass sheets, marble and stone blocks, timber, and scrap metal. |
| Hard Top container20' HTHT · 20HT · 40HT · 20' HT | — | 5,886 × 2,342 × 2,388 | 27,780 kg | 32.9 m³ | 11 / 10 | Heavy and tall items that must be loaded by crane but need a solid roof: machinery, marble blocks, heavy pipes, and valuable equipment. |
| Hard Top container40' HT HCHT · 20HT · 40HT · 20' HT | — | 12,020 × 2,342 × 2,690 | 25,680 kg | 75.7 m³ | 23 / 21 | Heavy and tall items that must be loaded by crane but need a solid roof: machinery, marble blocks, heavy pipes, and valuable equipment. |
| Flat Rack container20' FRFR · 20FR · 40FR · Flat | 22P3 | 5,620 × 2,230 × 2,230 | 31,250 kg | — | — | Oversized and heavy cargo: machinery, vehicles, boats, steel beams and structures, pipes, transformers, and cable drums. |
| Flat Rack container40' FRFR · 20FR · 40FR · Flat | 42P3 | 11,660 × 2,200 × 1,950 | 40,000 kg | — | — | Oversized and heavy cargo: machinery, vehicles, boats, steel beams and structures, pipes, transformers, and cable drums. |
| Platform container20' PLPL · 20PL · 40PL · Platform | — | 6,058 × 2,438 × — | 31,400 kg | — | — | Project cargo: heavy machinery, boilers, tanks, large steel structures, and other very heavy or wide single pieces. |
| Platform container40' PLPL · 20PL · 40PL · Platform | — | 12,192 × 2,438 × — | 40,000 kg | — | — | Project cargo: heavy machinery, boilers, tanks, large steel structures, and other very heavy or wide single pieces. |
| Open Side containerOS · 20OS · 20' OS · Side door | — | 5,900 × 2,350 × 2,330 | 27,480 kg | 32.3 m³ | 11 / 10 | Long or wide items loaded by forklift: building panels, pipes in frames, garden furniture, and goods that must be loaded and unloaded quickly. |
| Double Door (tunnel) container20' DDDD · 20DD · 40DD · 20' DD | — | 5,898 × 2,352 × 2,393 | 28,030 kg | 33.2 m³ | 11 / 10 | Long items such as steel bars and pipes, mixed loads that need access from both ends, and cargo that must be unloaded fast. |
| Double Door (tunnel) container40' DDDD · 20DD · 40DD · 20' DD | — | 12,032 × 2,352 × 2,393 | 26,480 kg | 67.7 m³ | 23 / 21 | Long items such as steel bars and pipes, mixed loads that need access from both ends, and cargo that must be unloaded fast. |
| Ventilated containerVH · VE · 20VH · 20' VH | — | 5,888 × 2,345 × 2,385 | 28,080 kg | 32.9 m³ | 11 / 10 | Organic goods that release moisture: green coffee beans, cocoa beans, onions, potatoes, and some seeds and nuts. |
| Insulated containerIN · 20' IN · Thermal container · Porthole container | — | 5,770 × 2,260 × 2,240 | 27,830 kg | 29.2 m³ | 10 / 9 | Goods that need protection from heat or cold but not exact temperature control: chocolate, some chemicals, wine, and electronics on short trips. |
| Dry Bulk containerBU · 20BU · 20' Bulk · Bulk container | — | 5,930 × 2,350 × 2,390 | 28,030 kg | 33 m³ | — | Free-flowing dry goods: grain, malt, plastic granules, sugar, flour, animal feed, and some minerals. |
| ISO Tank containerISO Tank · Tank container · TK · 20TK | — | — | 32,300 kg | 14–26 m³ | — | Bulk liquids: chemicals (hazardous and non-hazardous), food-grade oils and juices, alcohol, liquefied gases in special tanks, and some powders. |
| FlexitankFlexitank · Flexibag · Flexi bag · Flexi | — | — | — | 16–24 m³ | — | Non-hazardous liquids: wine, juice concentrates, edible oils, glycerine, latex, base oils, and liquid fertiliser. |
In plain words
Most cargo travels in dry containers: the 20' DV for heavy goods, and the 40' DV or 40' HC for light, bulky goods. Reefers carry temperature-controlled cargo. Special containers — open tops, hard tops, flat racks, and platforms — carry cargo that is too tall, too wide, or too heavy for a closed box. Tanks and flexitanks carry liquids in bulk.
To choose, start with three questions: How heavy is the cargo? How much space does it need? Does it need temperature control or loading from the top or side? Then check that the container is available on your route, and that the roads, ports, and the receiver can handle it. All figures in the table are typical — exact figures vary by shipping line and manufacturer.
Example from real shipping
An importer has 26 m³ of light furniture parts weighing 6 tonnes. The table shows that a 20' DV (about 33 m³) is enough by volume and weight, so a 40' would mostly carry air. A month later, a 55 m³ order fits in one 40' DV, and a 70 m³ order fits in a 40' HC.
All pages in this section
- 20' DVA 20' DV is the standard 20-foot closed steel container for general dry cargo. It is the smallest common ocean container.
- 20' RFA 20' RF is a 20-foot refrigerated container. It has its own cooling unit and is used for heavy temperature-controlled cargo.
- 40' DVA 40' DV is the standard 40-foot closed steel container for general dry cargo. It has about twice the space of a 20' container, but not twice the weight limit.
- 40' HCA 40' HC is a 40-foot container that is about 30 cm (one foot) taller than a standard 40'. It gives more space for light, bulky cargo.
- 40' RHA 40' RH is a 40-foot high cube refrigerated container. It is the most common reefer in use today.
- 45' HCA 45' HC is a high cube container that is 5 feet (about 1.5 m) longer than a 40' HC. It gives about 10 m³ more space.
- Container number and check digitEvery container has a unique number under the ISO 6346 standard, such as CSQU 305438 3: a 4-letter prefix, a 6-digit serial number, and one check digit.
- CSCThe CSC plate is a metal plate on the container door that shows the container is approved as safe under the International Convention for Safe Containers (CSC, 1972).
- Double Door (tunnel) containerA double door container, also called a tunnel container, has full doors at both ends. You can load and unload from either end.
- Dry Bulk containerA dry bulk container is a 20' container with loading hatches in the roof and a discharge hatch at the bottom of the door end. It carries free-flowing dry goods without bags.
- FCLFCL means you book a whole container only for your cargo. Nobody else's goods are inside, even if your cargo does not fill it.
- Flat Rack containerA flat rack is a container with a strong floor and two end walls, but no side walls and no roof. It carries large, heavy cargo that does not fit in a closed box.
- FlexitankA flexitank is not a container. It is a large, single-use plastic bag that is placed inside a standard 20' dry container to carry non-hazardous liquids in bulk.
- Hard Top containerA hard top container has a removable steel roof. The roof can be lifted off so heavy cargo can be loaded from above by crane.
- Insulated containerAn insulated (thermal) container has insulated walls, roof, floor, and doors, but no cooling unit of its own. It slows down temperature changes inside.
- ISO Tank containerAn ISO tank is a steel tank fixed inside a 20-foot container frame. It carries liquids, gases, and powders in bulk, and it moves by ship, truck, and train like a normal container.
- LCLLCL means your cargo shares a container with cargo from other shippers. You pay only for the space your goods use.
- OOGOOG cargo is cargo that sticks out beyond the normal outside size of a container — too high, too wide, or too long. It usually travels on a flat rack, open top, or platform.
- Open Side containerAn open side container has doors along one long side that open fully, as well as normal doors at one end. It can be loaded from the side by forklift.
- Open Top containerAn open top container has no fixed roof. It is covered with a removable tarpaulin, so cargo can be loaded from above with a crane.
- Pallet-wide containerA pallet-wide container is a little wider inside than a standard container, so two Euro pallets fit side by side lengthwise. This gives more pallet places.
- Platform containerA platform is a container base with no walls, no ends, and no roof — just a very strong floor with corner fittings. It carries very large, heavy pieces.
- Reefer containerA reefer is a refrigerated container. It has its own cooling unit and keeps the cargo at a set temperature during the journey.
- SOC / COCA COC is a container owned (or leased) by the shipping line. A SOC is a container that the shipper owns or leases itself and gives to the line to carry.
- TEUTEU is the standard unit for counting containers. One 20-foot container is 1 TEU, and one 40-foot container is 2 TEU.
- Ventilated containerA ventilated container is a dry container with small openings along the top and bottom rails. Air flows through it, which helps stop condensation (“container rain”) on organic cargo.
Related terms
- 20' DVA 20' DV is the standard 20-foot closed steel container for general dry cargo. It is the smallest common ocean container.
- 40' HCA 40' HC is a 40-foot container that is about 30 cm (one foot) taller than a standard 40'. It gives more space for light, bulky cargo.
- 40' RHA 40' RH is a 40-foot high cube refrigerated container. It is the most common reefer in use today.
- Flat Rack containerA flat rack is a container with a strong floor and two end walls, but no side walls and no roof. It carries large, heavy cargo that does not fit in a closed box.
- FCLFCL means you book a whole container only for your cargo. Nobody else's goods are inside, even if your cargo does not fill it.
- LCLLCL means your cargo shares a container with cargo from other shippers. You pay only for the space your goods use.
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Request a QuoteThis glossary is general information, not legal or customs advice. Rules, fees, and practice can differ by carrier, port, and country.