A lot of people are curious how much a container weighs and just how long/high/wide they are. Simple box sells a wide variety of shipping container sizes – 20 foot and 40 foot containers are the most common sizes and typically offer the best price per square foot of storage space.
ISO Shipping Containers used in North America are typically made in the standard sizes of 8’ wide, 8’6” high, and either 20’ or 40’ long.
40 foot containers are the most common size for people who want to buy a container. Many times when you see a stack of Containers on cargo ships in port, container depots, or being transported on a semi-truck chassis, it is a 40 footer.
20 foot containers are the most popular for renting. A 20 foot Shipping Container is most popular because it is easy to deliver and fits in a wide variety of locations.
Some custom-sized shipping containers are manufactured in lengths as short as 8 feet or as long as 45’, 48’ and even 53’ long. High-cube (Hi Cube) containers are one foot taller in height at 9 feet, 6 inches tall.
Here is a handy chart that shows the standard weights and dimensions of shipping containers. Because there are a variety of container sizes and manufacturers around the world, keep in mind that the exact dimensions of your container may vary from this list. Visit us at any one of our Simple Box locations and we can get more precise measurements for the container you choose.
| SHIPPING CONTAINER SIZES AND DIMENSIONS | ||||||||
| DIMENSIONS | 10 foot Standard Container | 20 foot Standard Container | 20 foot Double-Door Container | 20 foot High Cube Container | 40 foot Standard Container | 40 foot Double-Door Container | 40 foot High Cube Container | 45 foot High Cube Container |
| External Length | 10′ | 20′ | 20′ | 20′ | 40′ | 40′ | 40′ | 45′ |
| External Width | 8’ | 8’ | 8’ | 8’ | 8’ | 8’ | 8’ | 8’ |
| External Height | 8’-6” | 8’-6” | 8’-6” | 9’-6” | 8’-6” | 8’-6” | 9’-6” | 9’-6” |
| Door Opening Width | 7’-7” | 7’-7” | 7’-7” | 7’-7” | 7’-7” | 7’-7” | 7’-7” | 7’-7” |
| Door Opening Height | 7’-4” | 7’-4” | 7’-4” | 8’-4” | 7’-4” | 7’-4” | 8’-4” | 8’-4” |
| Interior Length | 19’-5” | 19’-5” | 19’-5” | 19’-5” | 39’-5” | 39’-5” | 39’-5” | 44’-5” |
| Interior Width | 7’-8” | 7’-8” | 7’-8” | 7’-8” | 7’-8” | 7’-8” | 7’-8” | 7’-8” |
| Interior Height | 7’-10” | 7’-10” | 7’-10” | 8’-10” | 7’-10” | 7’-10” | 8’-10” | 8’-10” |
| Weight | 2,900 lbs. | 4,900 lbs. | 5,200 lbs. | 5,300 lbs. | 8,200 lbs. | 8,500 lbs. | 8,750 lbs. | 10,500 lbs. |
| *Container Dimensions and Weights may vary depending on several factors such as age, manufacturer, and components used. Check CSC plate to confirm exact details. | ||||||||
External Length: 10′
External width: 8′
External Height: 8′ 6″
Door Opening Width: 7′ 7″
Door Opening Height: 7′ 4″
Interior Length: 9′ 5″
Interior Width: 7′ 8″
Interior Height: 7′ 10″
Weight: 2,900 lbs
More About 10′ Containers
*Container Dimensions and Weights may vary depending on several factors such as age, manufacturer, and components used. Check CSC plate to confirm exact details.
External Length: 20′
External width: 8′
External Height: 8′ 6″
Door Opening Width: 7′ 7″
Door Opening Height: 7′ 4″
Interior Length: 19′ 5″
Interior Width: 7′ 8″
Interior Height: 7′ 10″
Weight: 4,900 lbs
More About 20′ Containers
*Container Dimensions and Weights may vary depending on several factors such as age, manufacturer, and components used. Check CSC plate to confirm exact details.
External Length: 20′
External width: 8′
External Height: 8′ 6″
Door Opening Width: 7′ 7″
Door Opening Height: 7′ 4″
Interior Length: 19′ 5″
Interior Width: 7′ 8″
Interior Height: 7′ 10″
Weight: 5,200 lbs
More About 20′ Double Door Containers
*Container Dimensions and Weights may vary depending on several factors such as age, manufacturer, and components used. Check CSC plate to confirm exact details.
External Length: 20′
External width: 8′
External Height: 9′ 6″
Door Opening Width: 7′ 7″
Door Opening Height: 7′ 4″
Interior Length: 19′ 5″
Interior Width: 7′ 8″
Interior Height: 8′ 10″
Weight: 5,300 lbs
More About 20′ High Cube Containers
*Container Dimensions and Weights may vary depending on several factors such as age, manufacturer, and components used. Check CSC plate to confirm exact details.
External Length: 40′
External width: 8′
External Height: 8′ 6″
Door Opening Width: 7′ 7″
Door Opening Height: 7′ 4″
Interior Length: 39′ 5″
Interior Width: 7′ 8″
Interior Height: 7′ 10″
Weight: 8,200 lbs
More About 40′ Standard Containers
*Container Dimensions and Weights may vary depending on several factors such as age, manufacturer, and components used. Check CSC plate to confirm exact details.
External Length: 40′
External width: 8′
External Height: 8′ 6″
Door Opening Width: 7′ 7″
Door Opening Height: 7′ 4″
Interior Length: 39′ 5″
Interior Width: 7′ 8″
Interior Height: 7′ 10″
Weight: 8,500 lbs
More About 40′ Double Door Containers
*Container Dimensions and Weights may vary depending on several factors such as age, manufacturer, and components used. Check CSC plate to confirm exact details.
External Length: 40′
External width: 8′
External Height: 9′ 6″
Door Opening Width: 7′ 7″
Door Opening Height: 8′ 4″
Interior Length: 39′ 5″
Interior Width: 7′ 8″
Interior Height: 8′ 10″
Weight: 8,750 lbs
More About 40′ High Cube Containers
*Container Dimensions and Weights may vary depending on several factors such as age, manufacturer, and components used. Check CSC plate to confirm exact details.
External Length: 45′
External width: 8′
External Height: 9′ 6″
Door Opening Width: 7′ 7″
Door Opening Height: 8′ 4″
Interior Length: 44′ 5″
Interior Width: 7′ 8″
Interior Height: 8′ 10″
Weight: 10,500 lbs
*Container Dimensions and Weights may vary depending on several factors such as age, manufacturer, and components used. Check CSC plate to confirm exact details.
Most Intermodal Containers are made of Corten Steel (or weathering steel) which is designed to help scrapes, dings and dents better withstand the weather by forming a “protective” layer of hard rust (which is possibly the first time rust has ever been described as a good thing!).
The reason shipping container walls are corrugated is to make them stronger. The corrugation in the 14-gauge steel walls give the container stacking strength. Some containers can be stacked and fully-loaded up to 8 stories high.
Shipping Container floors vary somewhat, although most new Simple Box containers feature an inch and a quarter plywood or bamboo floor. Many of our newer containers are built with Eco-friendly or environmentally friendly flooring using quickly renewable and sustainable resources. Older containers may have a combination of marine-grade plywood and steel flooring.
Two full-width cargo doors provide a large opening on one end of the container. A thick rubber gasket that goes around both cargo doors, sealing the opening tightly and keeping the elements out. For containers being used for storage at a home or job site, the thick rubber door seal also means your Shipping Container is rodent-proof and much more secure from critters than a shed would be.
CSC refers to the International Convention for Safe Containers. This is the international agreement for maintaining containers in safe condition. The CSC plate is a stamp of approval signifying that after examination and witnessing of tests, the CSC Administration is satisfied that the container meets current requirements. The CSC Plate is usually on the left-hand cargo door of the container. A cargo-worthy container that has been surveyed and re-certified will receive a stamp or label to place on the CSC plate, signifying the time the certification will be valid for.
If your Container will be shipped overseas or may be used for Ocean cargo, we can arrange to have a Box re-surveyed and certified for a fee. All re-surveying must happen in the port or depot, so it is most cost-effective for a customer to get a Box surveyed in advance, rather than choosing one in our yard and having us haul it back to the port for surveying.
This measurement as well as other specifications can be found on the doors of the container or on the CSC plate.
Containers go by many names. ISO, cargo container and shipping container are the terms generally used. Connex or conex is a military term meaning the same.
An example of the Steel Corrugated Panels of a 40 foot High Cube Shipping Container
A one-trip container is a container that was manufactured overseas (typically in China), filled with goods and then shipped to North America with the intent of being sold right away as a “new” container. By having a shipper use the container for a single load (it has just made “one-trip” across the ocean), the cost to get a new container in North America is reduced significantly. We pass these savings along to our customers.
Because they have not had much use, they are usually free from rust and large dents, however because they have made one trip here on a ship and then have been handled by a forklift, truck, and trailer, they may have some minor blemishes like scrapes or small dings. In our industry, we typically consider a one-trip container to be in “New” or “Like-new” condition for the first 5 years of its life.
Refers to the Institute of International Container Leasers. The IICL maintains a Guide for Container Equipment Inspection which determines a high standard for containers that are in a Leasing Company fleet. The high standard ensures quality and consistency which makes it easier to maintain, certify, and insure the fleet.
This identifies a used container as being in the condition of dry and suitable for storage (no leaks). In port, this classification is actually a lower grade than Cargo-worthy and may actually be in As-Is condition. Unfortunately, many sellers promote “wind and water-tight” as being great condition, when in fact it should be the minimum standard. At Simple Box we do not offer Wind and Water Tight.
This condition should alert the buyer that there might be minor to major damage to the container that could be expensive to repair. We do not stock As-is containers because we don’t want our customers to get a damaged Box.
This container has either a hard plastic or softer tarp covering the roof of the container, making it more like a dump-truck body. These specialty containers are often in limited supply and cost several thousand dollars more than a standard container.
