Container loading calculator — free space and weight check

A 40ft Standard container has an internal volume of 67.6 cubic metres (2,387 cubic feet) and a maximum payload of 26,580 kg. In practice, most shipments achieve 70–85% space utilisation due to irregular cargo shapes and loading constraints — meaning you can typically pack around 47–57 m³ of cargo efficiently. Use the free calculator above to get a precise estimate for your specific cargo dimensions.

A 40ft container is almost exactly twice the length of a 20ft container and has double the internal volume (67.6 m³ vs 33.1 m³). However, the 40ft container has a slightly lower max payload (26,580 kg) than the 20ft (28,080 kg) due to the heavier container structure. For most cargo the 40ft is cheaper to ship on a per-volume basis.

Container space utilisation is the percentage of a container’s internal volume occupied by cargo. It matters because shipping a container costs the same whether it is 50% full or 95% full. Improving utilisation from 70% to 90% on a $3,000 container saves approximately $600 per shipment. Calculate it as: (Total cargo volume ÷ Container internal volume) × 100.

The number of boxes depends entirely on box dimensions. As a rough guide: standard 60×40×40 cm cartons — approximately 700–750 boxes; 1.2×1.0×1.0 m pallets — approximately 22–24 pallets. Use the free calculator above for an accurate count for your specific box dimensions and quantities.

A 40ft High Cube container is 30 cm taller than a standard 40ft container — 269 cm internal height vs 239 cm. This gives it a larger internal volume of 76 m³ vs 67.6 m³, approximately 12% more space. Use a High Cube for tall cargo, or for lightweight but bulky goods such as textiles or foam.

Yes — the calculator on this page is completely free and requires no account or signup. Enter your cargo dimensions and quantities above to get instant space utilisation, weight check, and fit analysis. For a full 3D load plan with drag-and-drop placement and team sharing, Teuvia offers a free trial.

Standard EUR pallets (120×80 cm) fit approximately 11 in a 20ft and 23–24 in a 40ft in a single-height configuration. Standard US pallets (120×100 cm): about 10 in a 20ft and 20–21 in a 40ft. If pallets can be double-stacked and container height allows, you can roughly double these figures.

Freight forwarders typically use specialist load planning software that generates 3D plans and shares them with clients and warehouse teams. For basic space utilisation estimates, free calculators like this one work well. For complex multi-stop loads, team collaboration, and dock worker guidance, dedicated software such as Teuvia is recommended.