40ft High Cube container: dimensions and pallet capacity
Inside, a 40ft High Cube container is 12.03 m long, 2.35 m wide and 2.69 m high (39 ft 6 in × 7 ft 9 in × 8 ft 10 in), about 76.2 m³. The door opening is 2.34 m wide and 2.58 m high, and it carries up to 28.2 t of cargo.
The 40ft High Cube has the 40ft floor with about 30 cm more height inside. For light, bulky cartons that extra height can mean another layer, and taller pallets can go two high.
Dimensions and weights
| 40ft High Cube | Metric | Imperial |
|---|---|---|
| Inside length | 12.03 m | 39 ft 6 in |
| Inside width | 2.35 m | 7 ft 9 in |
| Inside height | 2.69 m | 8 ft 10 in |
| Door width | 2.34 m | 7 ft 8 in |
| Door height | 2.58 m | 8 ft 5 in |
| Volume | 76.2 m³ | 2,691 ft³ |
| Payload (max cargo) | 28.2 t | 62,170 lb |
| Tare (empty) | 4.3 t | 9,480 lb |
| Max gross | 32.5 t | 71,650 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 High Cube?
| Pallet | On the floor | Two high | Floor used |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR pallet1200 × 800 mm | 2425 on paper | 48pallets up to 1.32 m | 81.5% |
| Standard pallet1200 × 1000 mm | 2122 on paper | 42pallets up to 1.32 m | 89.1% |
| US 48×40 pallet48 × 40 in (1219 × 1016 mm) | 21 | 42pallets up to 4 ft 4 in | 92% |
Stacked two high, each number doubles for pallets up to 1.32 m tall in a 40ft High Cube (height including the pallet). A loaded pallet must also pass under the door on the forks: at most 2.53 m tall here.
24 EUR pallets in a 40ft High Cube
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 High Cube
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 High Cube
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 container (12.03 m × 2.35 m × 2.39 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