Overview: container types & sizes

Types and sizes of shipping containers

Goods are often shipped in sea containers aboard large container ships. These containers are ideal for transporting substantial cargo loads. The more containers you need, the higher the transportation costs will be. However, determining the number of containers required can be challenging because there are various container sizes and types. Additionally, these containers are filled with pallets. But how many pallets actually fit into a container? And what are the exact dimensions of a sea container?

Every day, cargo ships transport hundreds of thousands of sea containers filled with a wide range of goods. If you plan to ship goods by cargo vessel and need to place your products in sea containers, it’s essential to know the different types of containers and their precise dimensions. The standard size for a shipping container is expressed in TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit). One TEU is 20 feet, or approximately 6 meters long. The majority of sea containers are either 1 TEU (20 feet) or 2 TEU (40 feet) in length. Below, you’ll find a table with the exact dimensions of various types of sea containers and their pallet capacity, helping you plan your shipment efficiently.

How many pallets fit in a shipping container?

When shipping goods, it’s often done by pallet. Every day, millions of pallets are shipped, loaded into (sea) containers, and transported around the world. But how many pallets can fit in a shipping container?

There isn’t a straightforward answer to this question. It’s important to note that pallets come in all shapes and sizes. The most commonly used types of pallets are:

The Europallet (80 x 120 cm)
The Block Pallet (100 x 120 cm)
CP pallets, also known as chemical pallets. These are nine standardized pallets commonly used in the chemical industry.

In a 20-foot container, you can fit 11 Europallets and 9 or 10 Block Pallets, while a 40-foot container can hold 23 or 24 Europallets and 20 or 21 Block Pallets.