40ft container: dimensions and pallet capacity
Inside, a 40ft container is 12.03 m long, 2.35 m wide and 2.39 m high (39 ft 6 in × 7 ft 9 in × 7 ft 10 in), about 67.6 m³. The door opening is 2.34 m wide and 2.27 m high, and it carries up to 26.7 t of cargo.
The 40ft standard (2 TEU) has the same width and height as a 20ft and twice the floor. It is the usual choice for general cargo that fills space before it hits the weight limit.
Dimensions and weights
| 40ft | Metric | Imperial |
|---|---|---|
| Inside length | 12.03 m | 39 ft 6 in |
| Inside width | 2.35 m | 7 ft 9 in |
| Inside height | 2.39 m | 7 ft 10 in |
| Door width | 2.34 m | 7 ft 8 in |
| Door height | 2.27 m | 7 ft 6 in |
| Volume | 67.6 m³ | 2,387 ft³ |
| Payload (max cargo) | 26.7 t | 58,863 lb |
| Tare (empty) | 3.8 t | 8,333 lb |
| Max gross | 30.5 t | 67,197 lb |
| Size in TEU | 2 | 2 |
Conservative values: the smallest inside size and lowest payload among the major carriers' published spec sheets. Individual containers vary by about 1 cm, so check your carrier's sheet for a tight fit.
How many pallets fit in a 40ft?
| Pallet | On the floor | Two high | Floor used |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR pallet1200 × 800 mm | 2425 on paper | 48pallets up to 1.17 m | 81.5% |
| Standard pallet1200 × 1000 mm | 2122 on paper | 42pallets up to 1.17 m | 89.1% |
| US 48×40 pallet48 × 40 in (1219 × 1016 mm) | 21 | 42pallets up to 3 ft 10 in | 92% |
Stacked two high, each number doubles for pallets up to 1.17 m tall in a 40ft (height including the pallet). A loaded pallet must also pass under the door on the forks: at most 2.22 m tall here.
24 EUR pallets in a 40ft
11.60 m loaded from the front wall · 0.43 m free at the doors
- Pallet, long side along the container
- Pallet, long side across
21 Standard pallets in a 40ft
11.80 m loaded from the front wall · 0.23 m free at the doors
- Pallet, long side along the container
- Pallet, long side across
21 US 48×40 pallets in a 40ft
38 ft 8 in loaded from the front wall · 10 in free at the doors
- Pallet, long side along the container
- Pallet, long side across
The free container planner loads your carton loose or on pallets into every container type and shows the plan.
Other containers
- 20ft container (5.90 m × 2.35 m × 2.39 m inside)
- 40ft High Cube container (12.03 m × 2.35 m × 2.69 m inside)
- 45ft High Cube container (13.56 m × 2.35 m × 2.69 m inside)
- 45ft Pallet-wide container (13.56 m × 2.44 m × 2.69 m inside)
Computed by the PalletTool engine, the same deterministic solver behind the free calculator. Published by Eastwest Medico ApS, Copenhagen, a company that loads real pallets for humanitarian shipments. Not AI-written text, every number on this page comes from the computation above.
Last computed: November 10, 2026