Half Height container

Also known as: HH · 20HH · 20' HH · Half height · Half-height open top · Half-height container

A half height container is about half as tall as a standard container (around 1.3 m outside). It is made for very heavy, dense cargo that fills the weight limit long before it fills the space.

Specifications

Typical figures — exact figures vary by shipping line and manufacturer.

Internal length	5,890 mm
Internal width	2,350 mm
Internal height	1,100 mm
Tare weight	2,000 kg
Max payload	28,480 kg
Capacity	15.2 m³
Euro pallets (1200 × 800 mm)	11
Standard pallets (1200 × 1000 mm)	10

Typical cargo

Very heavy, dense cargo: stone and marble blocks, ore and minerals, steel coils and ingots, scrap metal, heavy drums, and cable reels.

In plain words

Most half height containers are 20' long and have an open top with a tarpaulin, so they can be loaded from above by crane or excavator. Some have a removable steel roof instead. Because the box is low, the cargo sits lower, the container is easier to load and unload, and two half heights stacked together take the same space on a ship as one standard container.

A standard 20' container carrying 25 tonnes of steel or stone is mostly empty air. The half height uses that space better and has a lighter tare. These containers are not common outside mining and heavy-industry routes, so ask your forwarder about availability well before the shipment.

Example from real shipping

A quarry ships 26 tonnes of granite blocks. In a standard 20' container, the blocks would cover the floor and leave more than half of the height empty. Loaded into a 20' half height by crane through the open top, the same blocks travel at the same weight in a smaller, lighter box that is easier to handle at both ends.

Compare all container types