Shipping Container Dimensions
Shipping Container Dimensions:
PLEASE NOTE: Dimensions may vary slightly, based on manufacturer. But these numbers should be very close.
Shipping Container Dimensions & Specifications
The exterior dimensions of ISO Shipping Containers are 8'0" (2.438m) wide, and 8'6" (2.591m) tall. The most common lengths are 20' (6.058m) and 40' (12.192m). There are also "High Cube" containers, which are most common in 40' lengths, and are a foot taller at 9'6" (2.896m) tall.
Shipping container dimensions are held to very specific standards. The International Standard for Organization (ISO) requires that all containers are built to within a few millimeters of one another so they can be stacked on container ships without issue.
Containers are normally quantified in terms of twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU's) and are most commonly built in 20' and 40' lengths. Standard containers have an outside height of 8'6" tall, and "High Cube" containers have an outside height of 9'6".
SAFE HANDLING INSTRUCTIONS
A sticker or plate to identify such things as High Cube containers, hazardous cargo, or other such labels. High Cube containers will also have yellow decals at the top of the frame on each end, to make the extended height more noticable.
CSC PLATE
The Convention for Safe Containers (CSC) Plate includes information on the date and location of manufacture, as well as other specifications. Learn more about the Convention for Safe Containers on the International Maritime Organization's website.
LOCKING RODS & HANDLES
Metal rods, bolted to the exterior of the container door and frame, that seal the door tightly when twisted closed and clasped. A broken or bent locking rod can mean that a door won't seal properly. We guarantee doors will seal on every container we sell.
CONTAINER ID NUMBER
Each container has a unique ID, with the first three letters representing the owner (registered with the Bureau International des Containers "BIC"), followed by a "U" and then six more digits. The 7th number is a "check digit" used by calculating the value of each letter and number in the ID. Check your check digit with BIC.
SIZE & CAPACITY SPECS
To ensure safe handling, and stacking on ships, containers should not be loaded heavier than the weight specifications listed on the door and CSC plate. Please note, however, that local shipping weight regulations may be much lower than the maximum payload of the container.
DOOR GASKET
Each of the cargo doors is fully surrounded by a rubber gasket. The gasket allows the steel doors to be shut tightly to prevent both weather getting into the the container and cargo from spilling out if the freight shifts or pallets fail during transport. Good gaskets are essential to a container being wind/water tight.