Shipping container sizes

Here at Gap Containers, we’re committed to providing the best possible service for our customers, which includes helping you to identify the ideal size shipping container for your needs. To help with this, we’ve created a detailed conversion chart you can refer to for our standard shipping container dimensions.

These include both 20ft container dimensions and 40ft container dimensions – which tend to be the most popular – as well as dimensions for 10ft and 30ft intermodal containers.

We have given the external and internal measurements in both imperial and metric units and included both standard containers and high cube containers, which should allow you to make the correct decision whether you are looking to purchase or hire shipping containers of any size.

Please note, the container dimensions provided are as accurate as possible – but they are just an approximate indication. The exact shipping container dimensions can vary depending on the manufacturer, therefore, it’s important to use these measurements as a guide only.

If you’d like further guidance on which container size is best for you, please don’t hesitate to contact our team. You can either give us a call on 0870 240 9405 or send an email to sales@gapcontainers.co.uk. We’re always happy to help and will be able to point you in the right direction.

 

Why are shipping container dimensions different internally and externally?

While it can seem complicated at first, shipping container dimensions externally and internally are often different, with the volume of space inside being less than the external measurements would suggest.

This is because the sides of shipping containers are almost always made from corrugated steel, which has a depth of around 1 inch (25mm) therefore reducing the internal width and length dimensions of the structure.

Similarly, the door aperture and floor of the container also impact its interior measurements, thanks to the structure of the doorway, which can make loading and unloading more complex if you need to load very tall or wide goods.

Although these shipping container dimensions don’t necessarily make a huge difference, it’s still worth taking this into account when selecting the ideal container dimensions for your transportation or storage needs.

 

Standard external container dimensions

 

Do shipping containers need to be the same across the world?

Shipping container dimensions are standardised for shipping and transport purposes, which allows logistics companies to be sure that their fleet of ships, cranes, and trucks can accommodate and transport them without issue.

Shipping containers, of course, can be of different lengths and heights, especially if made to client-specific measurements. However, to conform with ISO regulations, they must be 8ft (2.44m) wide – allowing them to be stacked together safely onboard cargo vessels, cranes, and other modes of transport.

This also allows companies to transport full loads as often as they can, which maximises their profits and makes each journey more economical.

Standard external shipping container dimensions

The standard shipping container dimensions for the external length, width, and height of the four most popular container sizes includes:

 

Imperial measurements

Container Length	10ft	20ft	30ft	40ft
Container Width	8ft	8ft	8ft	8ft
Container Height:
» Standard	8ft 6ins	8ft 6ins	8ft 6ins	8ft 6ins
» High cube	9ft 6ins	9ft 6ins	9ft 6ins	9ft 6ins

Metric measurements

Container Length	3.05m	6.06m	9.12m	12.19m
Container Width	2.44m	2.44m	2.44m	2.44m
Container Height:
» Standard	2.59m	2.59m	2.59m	2.59m
» High cube	2.89m	2.89m	2.89m	2.89m

Standard internal container dimensions

Here we list the internal container dimensions for the length, width, height, end door aperture width and height, floor area, cubic capacity, and weight of the four most popular container sizes – including 10ft, 20ft, 30ft, and 40ft shipping containers.

Imperial measurements

Internal Length	9ft 2ins	19ft 3ins	29ft 4ins	39ft 4ins
Internal Width	7ft 7ins	7ft 7ins	7ft 7ins	7ft 7ins
Internal Height:
» Standard	7ft 9ins	7ft 9ins	7ft 9ins	7ft 9ins
» High cube	8ft 9ins	8ft 9ins	8ft 9ins	8ft 9ins
End Door Aperture Width	as req.	7ft 6ins	7ft 6ins	7ft 6ins
End Door Aperture Height:
» Standard	as req.	7ft 5ins	7ft 5ins	7ft 5ins
» High cube	as req.	8ft 5ins	8ft 5ins	8ft 5ins
Floor area	72sq ft	150sq ft	227sq ft	305sq ft
Cubic capacity:
» Standard	560cu ft	1160cu ft	1760cu ft	2360cu ft
» High cube	630cu ft	1310cu ft	1985cu ft	2660cu ft
Weight	1.5 tons	2.4 tons	3.2 tons	4 tons

Metric measurements

Internal Length	2.80m	5.87m	8.93m	12.00m
Internal Width	2.33m	2.33m	2.33m	2.33m
Internal Height:
» Standard	2.35m	2.35m	2.35m	2.35m
» High cube	2.65m	2.65m	2.65m	2.65m
End Door Aperture Width:	as req.	2.28m	2.28m	2.28m
End Door Aperture Height:
» Standard	as req.	2.26m	2.26m	2.26m
» High cube	as req.	2.56m	2.56m	2.56m
Floor area	6.69m2	13.93m2	21.09m2	28.33m2
Cubic capacity:
» Standard	15.89m3	32.85m3	49.84m3	66.83m3
» High cube	17.84m3	37.09m3	56.21m3	75.32m3
Weight	1.52 tonnes	2.44 tonnes	3.25 tonnes	4.06 tonnes

Need bespoke shipping container dimensions?

The shipping container sizes outlined above are those we have in stock as standard, the most popular of which are the 20ft and 40ft shipping containers.

However, as a leading supplier, we appreciate that these standard container dimensions are not always suitable for everyone – so we also provide a bespoke shipping container service that offers custom container dimensions.

As part of this process, we can manufacture a shipping container to meet your exact size requirements, from 6ft to 40ft, and everything in between.

So, whether you’re looking for smaller shipping container dimensions for personal storage purposes or larger shipping containers for particularly bulky items, we can help.

Once you have placed your shipping container order, our in-house experts will build the perfect container size for your needs, bespoke to order, for a highly competitive price – and can even deliver it to you for a small fee.

To get started, why not call us on 0870 240 9405 to discuss your shipping container dimension requirements with a member of the team?