Tare weight
The weight of the empty container on its own, with nothing inside it. This is the figure your haulier and your crane operator care about, because it is what has to be picked up before you add anything.
Technical reference
The numbers, before the crane.
Every dimension you need to plan a lift, a foundation or a fit-out. If a figure is not here, call us — we would rather check a tape measure than guess on your behalf.
01 — Dimensions
Standard sizes at a glance
All figures in metres unless stated. Internal figures already account for the corrugation and the door thickness, so they are the numbers you can actually load to.
| Type | Ext L | Ext W | Ext H | Int L | Int W | Int H | Door W | Door H | Tare kg | Payload kg | m³ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10ft Standard | 2.99 | 2.44 | 2.59 | 2.77 | 2.35 | 2.39 | 2.34 | 2.28 | 1,300 | 8,000 | 15.6 |
| 10ft High Cube | 2.99 | 2.44 | 2.90 | 2.77 | 2.35 | 2.70 | 2.34 | 2.59 | 1,404 | 8,000 | 17.6 |
| 16ft Standard | 4.88 | 2.44 | 2.59 | 4.66 | 2.35 | 2.39 | 2.34 | 2.28 | 1,900 | 18,000 | 26.2 |
| 20ft Standard | 6.06 | 2.44 | 2.59 | 5.84 | 2.35 | 2.39 | 2.34 | 2.28 | 2,180 | 28,000 | 32.8 |
| 20ft High Cube | 6.06 | 2.44 | 2.90 | 5.84 | 2.35 | 2.70 | 2.34 | 2.59 | 2,354 | 28,000 | 37.1 |
| 30ft Standard | 9.12 | 2.44 | 2.59 | 8.90 | 2.35 | 2.39 | 2.34 | 2.28 | 3,100 | 28,000 | 50.0 |
| 40ft Standard | 12.19 | 2.44 | 2.59 | 11.97 | 2.35 | 2.39 | 2.34 | 2.28 | 3,750 | 26,500 | 67.2 |
| 40ft High Cube | 12.19 | 2.44 | 2.90 | 11.97 | 2.35 | 2.70 | 2.34 | 2.59 | 4,050 | 26,500 | 75.9 |
Nominal figures. Individual units vary slightly by manufacturer and age, and these do not apply to cabins, flat pack units or modular buildings — those are listed on their own product pages.
02 — Reading a spec
What the three weights actually mean.
Payload
The maximum weight of cargo the unit is rated to carry. Exceeding it is a structural and legal problem, not a rule of thumb — the rating is what the CSC plate certifies.
Gross weight
Tare plus payload: the total permissible loaded weight. Road limits usually bite before this number does, so check axle weights as well as container rating.
Why internal is smaller than you expect
The corrugated side panels take roughly 25 mm off each side, so about 50 mm off the internal width. The doors are around 50 mm thick, which costs you roughly 75 mm of internal length. And the steel top rail across the door aperture is about 100 mm deep, which is why a standard container with an 8ft 6in external height only gives you a door opening a little over 7ft 6in.
None of that matters until the day you try to drive a pallet truck through a door that is 40 mm too short. Measure against the internal and door figures, never the external ones.
Standard height or high cube?
A standard container is 8ft 6in externally. A high cube is 9ft 6in — a full extra foot of headroom for the same footprint, and typically only a modest premium on price.
If the unit is going to be occupied, insulated or lined, take the high cube. Insulation and a finished ceiling will eat 75–100 mm of that headroom, and a standard box lined out gets low very quickly. If it is pure storage on pallets, standard height is usually the better value.
03 — Construction
What a container is made of.
Cor-Ten steel
A weathering steel that forms a stable oxide layer instead of flaking. It is what lets a container sit outside for decades without a paint programme.
Marine plywood floor
28 mm treated plywood on steel cross members, rated for a loaded forklift. Replaceable in sections if it ever gets damaged.
Corner castings
The eight ISO-standard steel blocks that take every lift, twist-lock and stack load. If these are sound, the container is liftable.
CSC plate
The safety-approval plate carrying the unit's ratings and inspection dates. Required for international shipping, useful proof of condition for everything else.
Still not sure which size fits?
Send us the footprint and what is going inside. We will tell you the size that works — including when the answer is a smaller one.