Container Loading Calculator

See how many cartons fit in a 20ft, 40ft or 40ft High Cube container, by floor space and by weight.

Your numbers

Carton

Units

Carton length

Carton width

Carton height

Weight per carton

Container

Max cargo weight (payload)

A container's real payload depends on its tare weight and your carrier's road/rail limits. About 28,200 kg (20ft), 26,600 kg (40ft) and 28,600 kg (40ft HC) are typical figures: check your booking confirmation for the exact number.

Your result · updates as you type

Cartons per 40ft standard container

720

120 cartons per layer (as entered) × 6 layers, floor-stacked.

Container fill (by volume): 74.4%
Total weight: 8,640 kg
Nominal capacity: 67.7 m³

A good fill by floor-stacking alone. Pallets cost some of this space, so palletized cartons will load a few percent fewer than this per container.

What limits the load

By floor space + height

720

By weight limit

2,216

Breakdown

Carton volume: 0.07 m³
Cartons per layer, straight: 120
Layers to the container height: 6
Cartons by floor-stacking (volume + height): 720
Cartons by the weight limit: 2,216
Cartons that fit: 720
Total weight loaded: 8,640 kg
Container fill (by volume): 74.4%

Two ways a container fills up: cube-out and weigh-out

A container stops loading for one of two reasons: it runs out of floor space and height (cubes out) or it hits its maximum payload before the space is full (weighs out). The calculator checks both and shows which one limits your load.

Cartons that fit = min(cartons per layer × layers to the container height, max payload ÷ carton weight)

Example: the default numbers (40ft standard, 50 × 40 × 35 cm carton, 12 kg)

Cartons per layer: 24 × 5 = 120
Layers to the container height (239 cm): 239 ÷ 35 = 6
By floor space and height: 120 × 6 = 720 cartons
By the 26,600 kg payload limit: 26,600 ÷ 12 = 2,216 cartons

Floor space runs out first: 720 cartons, weighing 8,640 kg, using 74.4% of the container's 67.7 m³ nominal volume.

Standard container capacities used here

Container	Internal (approx.)	Nominal volume	Typical payload
20ft standard	590 × 235 × 239 cm	33.2 m³	≈ 28,200 kg
40ft standard	1,203 × 235 × 239 cm	67.7 m³	≈ 26,600 kg
40ft High Cube	1,203 × 235 × 270 cm	76.4 m³	≈ 28,600 kg

Real internal dimensions and payload vary a little by container manufacturer and its own tare weight. Use your carrier's booking confirmation for an exact figure once you're close to a decision.

Cube-out vs weigh-out

Weighed out? A lighter product, or splitting the container with a denser SKU, uses the leftover space without going over the payload.
Cubed out with room on the scale? Palletizing costs some floor space (pallets aren't 100% efficient), so a floor-stacked estimate like this one is usually a few percent higher than a palletized load. Check the pallet calculator for the palletized version.
Booking LCL instead? Below about half a container's volume, ocean LCL is often cheaper than paying for a part-used FCL container. See the CBM calculator for LCL's W/M pricing.

Questions people ask

How many boxes fit in a 40ft container?

It depends entirely on the box size. Enter your carton's dimensions and weight above to get an estimate for a 40ft standard or High Cube container.

What does it mean for a container to 'weigh out'?

It means the cargo hits the container's maximum payload weight before the space is physically full, so you're paying to ship air. It's common with dense, heavy products like metal parts or liquids.

How much bigger is a 40ft High Cube than a standard 40ft?

About 13% more volume (76.4 m³ against 67.7 m³), from an extra 30 cm of height, at a similar payload limit. It's worth it for bulky, light cargo, less so for heavy cargo that weighs out anyway.

Does floor-stacking use the container better than pallets?

Usually yes, by volume, because pallets themselves take up space and leave small gaps. But floor-stacked cartons are slower to load and unload than palletized ones, which usually matters more for the total cost.

Should I trust the 82% or 85% load factor?

Treat it as a planning estimate. Real loads vary with how carefully they're packed, whether cartons are uniform, and whether they're floor-stacked or palletized. Confirm with your freight forwarder before booking.

Last reviewed 30 September 2026.

Sources: iContainers: 40-foot container dimensions and capacity