Container volume in m³ and cubic feet

A 20ft dry container holds about 33.2 m³ (1,172 cu ft), a 40ft 67.7 m³ and a 40ft high cube 76.4 m³. Pallets use far less of it than those figures suggest: one layer of 1.2 m EUR1 units fills 43% of a 40ft box, while the high cube's second layer lifts that to 75%.

By Oliver Bennett · Published 29 October 2026 · Data as of 27 October 2026, from spec sheets retrieved that day

Container volume is quoted in cubic metres in most of the world and in cubic feet in North America. One cubic metre is 35.31 cubic feet. The table gives both for every closed container type, with the published range where sources differ.

Volume of every closed type

Container	m³	cu ft	m³ per TEU	L × W × H
20ft container	33.2 m³33.1–33.2	1,172	33.2	33.2+0.1%
40ft container	67.7 m³66.7–67.7	2,391	33.9	67.6+0.1%
40ft high cube	76.4 m³76.2–76.4	2,698	38.2	76.3+0.2%
45ft high cube	86.0 m³	3,037	38.2	86.0±0.0%
45ft pallet-wide container	89.6 m³89.2–90.0	3,164	39.8	89.3+0.3%
20ft reefer container	28.3 m³28.2–28.4	999	28.3	28.4−0.2%
40ft high cube reefer	67.4 m³67.0–67.7	2,380	33.7	67.4±0.0%
20ft open top	32.5 m³32.5–32.8	1,148	32.5	32.7−0.6%
40ft open top	66.4 m³66.3–66.9	2,345	33.2	66.9−0.8%
40ft high cube open top	75.3 m³75.1–75.5	2,660	37.7	75.1+0.3%

Typical published volume with the range beneath, the same in cubic feet, volume per TEU and the volume worked out from the typical inside length, width and height, with the published figure's difference from it.

The published figures hold up. For every type the stated volume lies within 3% of length × width × height; the largest difference is −0.8% for the 40ft open top. A sheet that missed by more than that had the deviating figure dropped, as described in why container sizes differ.

Volume per TEU

Shipping lines price and count boxes in TEU, twenty-foot equivalent units. A 40ft box is two TEU and a 45ft box 2.25. Dividing volume by TEU shows how much space each slot on a ship actually holds.

20 ft40 and 45 ft

45ft pallet-wide container39.8
40ft high cube38.2
45ft high cube38.2
40ft high cube open top37.7
40ft container33.9
40ft high cube reefer33.7
20ft container33.2
40ft open top33.2
20ft open top32.5
20ft reefer container28.3

Typical volume ÷ TEU, m³. A 40ft box counts as two TEU and a 45ft box as 2.25.

The 45ft pallet-wide container leads at 39.8 m³ per TEU, thanks to its extra width and height. The high cubes follow, and the 20ft reefer container comes last at 28.3 m³ per TEU, the cost of its insulation. A standard 40ft gives 33.9 m³ per TEU against 33.2 m³ for a 20ft: two 20ft boxes and one 40ft hold almost the same space.

How much of the volume pallets actually use

Volume is a poor guide to palletised cargo. Pallets come in fixed sizes, they do not fill the floor exactly, and the gap above the top layer is lost. The table takes EUR1 pallets loaded to 1,200 mm, pallet included, so each unit occupies 1.152 m³, and counts how many fit on the floor and in how many layers.

Container	Floor × layers	Pallets	Pallet volume	Share of box
20ft container	11 × 1	11	12.7 m³	38%
40ft container	25 × 1	25	28.8 m³	43%
40ft high cube	25 × 2	50	57.6 m³	75%
45ft high cube	27 × 2	54	62.2 m³	72%
45ft pallet-wide container	33 × 2	66	76.0 m³	85%
20ft reefer container	10 × 1	10	11.5 m³	41%
40ft high cube reefer	23 × 2	46	53.0 m³	79%

EUR1 pallets at a 1,200 mm unit height. Pallet volume = pallets × 1.2 × 0.8 × 1.2 m. Share of box = pallet volume ÷ typical published volume.

The contrast is stark. A standard 40ft box has 67.7 m³ inside but takes one layer of 25 EUR1 units at that height, 28.8 m³ of cargo, so 43% of the volume is used. The high cube's extra 306 mm of height allows a second layer, and the share jumps to 75%. The 20ft box is in the same position as the 40ft at 38%. Of the boxes in the table the 45ft pallet-wide container uses its space best, at 85%.

For loose cartons stacked by hand the published volume is a fairer guide. For pallets, count positions and layers instead; the per-container counts are in how many pallets fit in a 40ft container and in a 20ft container.

Volume or weight?

A full box is not always the aim. With typical payloads, a 40ft standard box reaches its weight allowance once the cargo averages 408 kg per cubic metre of its volume; denser goods leave space empty however they are packed. The weight side is covered in container weights. To see the pallet side for your own unit height, open the load planner.

Sources

Ocean Network Express (ONE) – Container Information. Ocean Network Express Pte. Ltd.
Maersk – 'All the way: a handy guide to Maersk's fleet of containers' (equipment flyer PDF). A.P. Moller - Maersk.
Turkon Line – Container details pages. Turkon Container Transportation and Shipping Inc.
SeaCube Containers – product spec sheets (PDF). SeaCube Containers LLC (container lessor).
DSV – Shipping container dimensions / Trailer sizes pages. DSV A/S (freight forwarder).
DP World – 45 ft high cube pallet wide container (Europe equipment). DP World.
European Pallet Association (EPAL) – load carrier specification pages. European Pallet Association e.V.
Load calculations: PalletSpec, exact guillotine packing over the smallest published floor sizes (see sources and method).

More guides: 20ft vs 40ft vs 40ft high cube containers · Shipping container door dimensions · Container weights: tare, payload and max gross · Reefer vs dry container: what the insulation costs · Open top vs flat rack vs platform containers · 48 ft vs 53 ft trailer · Mega trailer vs standard trailer · All guides