Container fill calculator
Enter your carton dimensions and weight to see how many fit a 20' GP, 40' GP and 40' high cube. More importantly, whether your cargo weighs out or cubes out. That single answer decides which container you should be quoting.
Your carton
Carton volume: 0.0300 m³
| Container | Cartons | Units | Volume used | Weight used | Limited by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20' general purpose | 950 | 22,800 | 28.5 m³(100%) | 11,875 kg(46%) | Cubes out |
| 40' general purpose | 1,933 | 46,392 | 58.0 m³(100%) | 24,163 kg(91%) | Cubes out |
| 40' high cube | 2,120 | 50,880 | 63.6 m³(97%) | 26,500 kg(100%) | Weighs out |
Usable volume is set below nominal, 28.5 m³ for a 20' GP against a nominal 33.2, because cartons do not tessellate perfectly and you cannot stack to the ceiling everywhere. Palletising removes a further 12%. Payload assumes roughly 26 tonnes; your destination's road legal limit may be lower than what the box itself can carry, and that is the figure that will stop the truck.
How to read the result
Every container has two limits: internal volume and payload. Your cargo will hit one before the other, and which one it hits decides your freight cost per unit.
Cubes outmeans volume ran out first. The container is full but light. Move to a 40' high cube and you get more than double the volume for a similar weight allowance, which is usually much better economics per unit.
Weighs outmeans the payload limit was reached while space remained. A larger container will not help; you are buying air. A 20' GP is usually the right box.
If you are shipping a dense product and a light one together, pairing them lets you approach both limits at once, which is the most freight-efficient thing you can do. See the full guide to weighing out versus cubing out for worked examples, and note that tea, coffee and spices must never travel with soap, detergent or perfumed products regardless of how well the numbers work.
Common questions
- How many cartons fit in a 20-foot container?
- It depends on carton dimensions and weight. A 20' GP offers roughly 33 m³ nominal, of which about 28.5 m³ is realistically usable, against a payload of roughly 26 tonnes. Divide usable volume by carton volume and payload by carton gross weight. The lower of the two answers is how many cartons you can actually load.
- What does it mean when cargo weighs out?
- The cargo reaches the container's weight limit while space is still available. Dense products such as sugar, rice, canned food and detergent powder weigh out. For these a 20-foot container is usually correct, because a 40-foot gives you space you cannot legally fill.
- What does it mean when cargo cubes out?
- The cargo fills the container's volume while it is still light. Tissue, biscuits, empty packaging and sachets cube out. For these a 40-foot high cube is almost always correct, because volume is what you are buying.
- Why is a 40-foot high cube better for light products?
- It offers roughly 76 m³ against a 20-foot container's 33, more than double the volume, against a broadly similar payload limit. That asymmetry means light cargo gets far more value from the larger box, while dense cargo gets none.
- How much volume does palletising cost?
- About 12 per cent, which is what the calculator above applies. The pallet takes height and its footprint rarely matches the container width exactly. In exchange you get faster loading and discharge and less handling damage, which is usually worth it where the destination has mechanised handling.