20 ft, 40 ft or high cube? See what fits.
Inside sizes, doors and payloads of the dry containers, and a calculator that shows how many of your pallets or cartons fit, to scale. Then we pack the container at our depot in Germiston, weigh it for the VGM and move it on the N3.
- 33 · 67 · 76 m³20 ft, 40 ft and high cube
- 22 m weighbridgeVGM certificates at our depot
- Durban–GautengFull containers on the N3
Three sizes, drawn to scale.
- 01
20 ft
About 5.9 m inside and 33.2 m³: 11 euro pallets on the floor.
- 02
40 ft
Twice the floor and 67.7 m³: 23 euro pallets, for about the same payload.
- 03
High cube
A door 2.6 m high, so 1.2 m pallets go in two tiers: 46 in all.
- 04
On the road
Packed at our depot if you like, weighed for the VGM and moved on the N3.
Request a container quote
Your container
Step 1 of 7- Cargo
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- When
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- Load check
- Optional
20 ft, 40 ft and high cube
Inside sizes, doors and typical payloads of the dry containers, and what to use when your cargo won’t go in one. Figures are from Hapag-Lloyd’s container specification and Maersk’s published payloads. Containers vary by series, so check the plate on yours.
Dry containers
- 20 ft standard5.90 × 2.35 × 2.39 m inside · 33.2 m³ · about 28 t
- 40 ft standard12.03 × 2.35 × 2.39 m inside · 67.7 m³ · about 28.8 t
- 40 ft high cube2.70 m inside, door 2.60 m · 76.3 m³ · about 28.6 t
- The doors2.34 m wide; 2.29 m high, or 2.60 m on a high cube
When it won’t go in
- ReeferLess room inside: 28.3 m³ (20 ft), 67.5 m³ (40 ft high cube)
- Open topLoaded from above by crane, for cargo taller than the door
- Flat rackNo roof or side walls, for wide and heavy cargo
- Heavy piecesFloors take 4.8 t per metre (20 ft), 3 t (40 ft)
Read the door
Every container’s door and CSC plate show its own maximum gross mass and tare. The difference is what it can carry.
Weighed for the VGM
We weigh packed export containers on our 22 m SOLAS weighbridge and issue the VGM certificate the shipping line needs.
Packed and moved
We pack and unpack containers at our customs-licensed depot in Germiston, and move full containers on the N3 between Durban and Gauteng.
Where we operate
We pack and unpack containers at our customs-licensed depot at 69–71 Barlow Road, Jupiter, Germiston, about 5 km from City Deep, and move full containers between it, City Deep and Durban’s port on the N3.
- Germiston depot69–71 Barlow Road, Jupiter, Germiston 011 873 4786
- Durban · Greyville81 Berea Road, Greyville, Durban 031 305 0438
Part of Shipping & General Transport
Shipping & General Transport is a privately owned South African logistics company built on trustworthiness, perseverance and reliability. Containerised Cargo is one of its specialist services: a guide to container sizes, with the packing, weighing and transport of your containers from one company.
Visit shippingandgeneral.co.zaContainer questions
Can’t find your answer? Our team is a phone call away.
Call 011 873 4786How much fits in a 20 ft container?
Inside, a 20 ft standard container is about 5.90 m long, 2.35 m wide and 2.39 m high: 33.2 m³. On the floor that’s 11 euro pallets (1,200 × 800 mm) or 9 pallets of 1,200 × 1,000 mm, by our calculator’s plan with a little play around each. It carries about 28 t of cargo, depending on the container.
Do I need a 20 ft or a 40 ft?
A 40 ft has twice the floor and twice the volume (67.7 m³), but carries about the same weight, around 28 to 29 t. Dense, heavy cargo often reaches a 20 ft’s payload before it fills the space; light, bulky cargo suits a 40 ft or a high cube. The load calculator works it out for your load.
What is a high cube?
A 40 ft container one foot taller than standard: about 2.70 m inside and 76.3 m³, with a door 2.60 m high instead of 2.29 m. That taller door is what lets two tiers of 1.2 m pallets go in.
How heavy can my container be?
Each container’s door and CSC plate give its maximum gross mass and its tare; the difference is what it can carry. Typical figures are about 28 t for a 20 ft and 28.6 to 28.8 t for a 40 ft. Spread heavy pieces along the floor: standard floors take 4.8 t per running metre in a 20 ft and 3 t in a 40 ft. Tell us the gross weight when you ask for a quote.
Do you pack containers?
Yes. We pack and unpack containers at our customs-licensed depot in Germiston: standard and complex loads, and breakbulk, abnormal and out-of-gauge cargo too.
What is the VGM?
The verified gross mass: the weight of the packed container, cargo and all, which the shipping line needs before an export container is loaded. We weigh packed containers on our 22 m SOLAS weighbridge and issue the VGM certificate.
What about refrigerated containers?
A reefer has less room inside than a dry container: Maersk lists 28.3 m³ for a 20 ft reefer and 67.5 m³ for a 40 ft high cube reefer. We move reefer containers between the coastal ports and the main centres, with our own underslung gensets.
My cargo won’t fit through the door. What now?
For cargo taller than the door, an open-top container is loaded from above by crane. For wide or very heavy cargo, a flat rack has no roof or side walls. Anything bigger than the rack is out of gauge, and we handle out-of-gauge and abnormal loads.
Where do you move containers?
Full containers on the N3 between Durban and Gauteng, imports and exports, and locally to and from City Deep and the Durban port. Where your site has no handling equipment, a side loader lifts the container on and off the ground.
How much does it cost?
Every load is different, so we don’t publish prices. Answer the seven short questions in the quote form, add the load check if you like, and we come back with a quote on your actual containers.
Tell us what needs to move.
Seven short questions, plus the load check if you like. No prices online, just a quote on your actual containers.
