40ft Container Load Calculator
Work out how many 1200 x 1000 mm pallets or boxes fit on the floor of a standard 40ft dry container, with floor utilisation and a load diagram.
How the 40ft fit is calculated
A standard 40ft dry container has a usable interior of 12032 x 2352 x 2393 mm and a maximum payload near 26,700 kg. The length is almost exactly double the 20ft, but width and height are identical, so most footprints simply double their floor count. The calculator divides the floor into whole footprints in one orientation:
`` along length = floor(12032 / item length) across width = floor(2352 / item width) floor count = along length x across width ``
It repeats the division with the footprint rotated and keeps the higher result. Floor utilisation is the covered area over the full floor (12032 x 2352 mm = 28.30 m2).
Worked example (page defaults)
The defaults are a 1200 x 1000 mm industrial pallet, 1150 mm tall when loaded.
- Along length:
floor(12032 / 1200) = 10 - Across width:
floor(2352 / 1000) = 2 - Floor count: 10 x 2 = 20 pallets
- Floor utilisation:
20 x 1.20 x 1.00 / 28.30 = 84.8% - Height layers:
floor(2393 / 1150) = 2, so up to 40 pallets if goods are stackable
That 84.8% is notably tighter than the 20ft's 69.2% for the same pallet, because the 12032 mm length absorbs the 1200 mm footprint with almost no end gap (12000 mm used of 12032 mm). Doubling the 20ft floor count of 8 would give 16, but the cleaner length fit yields 20.
40ft interior reference
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Usable length | 12032 mm |
| Usable width | 2352 mm |
| Usable height | 2393 mm |
| Floor area | 28.30 m2 |
| Internal volume | ~67.7 CBM |
| Max payload | ~26,700 kg |
Common footprints in a 40ft, single orientation, floor only:
| Pallet | Footprint | Floor count |
|---|---|---|
| Industrial / EUR 2 | 1200 x 1000 mm | 20 |
| Euro / EPAL 1 | 1200 x 800 mm | 20 |
| GMA | 1219 x 1016 mm | 18 |
The 40ft shares its 2393 mm height with the 20ft. When goods are tall and you need extra clearance, the 40ft High Cube adds 305 mm, compare it with the 40ft High Cube container calculator. To size your cargo volume first, use the CBM calculator, and to start from a generic box use the container load calculator. For a pallet cross-check see pallets in a 40ft container.