What are the internal dimensions of a 40HQ container?

A 40HQ (40ft high cube) measures roughly 12,032 mm long × 2,352 mm wide × 2,698 mm high internally, giving a nominal capacity of 76.3 m³ (2,694 cu ft). The door opening is about 2,340 mm wide and 2,585 mm high. It shares exactly the same floor area as a 40GP and differs only in height — about 30 cm taller.

How much smaller is the container door than the internal space, and why does it matter?

On a 20GP the internal width is 2,352 mm but the clear door width is only about 2,340 mm; the internal height is 2,393 mm while the door height is about 2,280 mm. Any single item wider than 2,340 mm or taller than 2,280 mm simply cannot pass through the door — even if it would fit inside. Oversized machinery, large equipment and unboxed furniture run into this most often.

How many standard pallets fit in a 40HQ container?

With the most common 1,200 × 1,000 mm pallets laid in a single tier, a 40GP or 40HQ takes about 20 pallets (10 rows along the length, 2 across the width). Using 1,200 × 800 mm Euro pallets with a pinwheel pattern fits more. Heavy palletised cargo usually cannot be double-stacked, which reduces loading efficiency considerably.

Is the container's theoretical payload the same as the weight I can actually book?

No. Every container has a maximum gross weight (30.48 tonnes for most standard boxes); subtracting the tare weight gives the theoretical payload. But carriers apply lower limits based on trade lane, port, season and inland transport capability — Europe and North America are particularly strict. Always confirm the actual limit for that sailing with the shipping line rather than planning around the theoretical figure.

Container Internal Dimensions Chart: 20GP, 40GP, 40HQ, 45HQ

Two sets of numbers to check before you plan a load: internal dimensions (which decide how much fits) and door opening (which decides whether it goes in at all). Most "it fits on paper but won't go in" incidents happen because someone checked the internal dimensions and forgot the door. This page collects the full specifications for the four common container types in one place.

1. Full specification table

Type	Internal L (mm)	Internal W (mm)	Internal H (mm)	Door W (mm)	Door H (mm)	CBM
20GP	5898	2352	2393	2340	2280	33.2
40GP	12032	2352	2393	2340	2280	67.7
40HQ	12032	2352	2698	2340	2585	76.3
45HQ	13556	2352	2698	2340	2585	86.1

Imperial equivalent

Type	Internal L	Internal W	Internal H	Door W	Door H	CBM
20GP	19' 4"	7' 8.5"	7' 10"	92.1"	89.8"	1,172 cu ft
40GP	39' 5.5"	7' 8.5"	7' 10"	92.1"	89.8"	2,391 cu ft
40HQ	39' 5.5"	7' 8.5"	8' 10"	92.1"	101.8"	2,694 cu ft
45HQ	44' 5.5"	7' 8.5"	8' 10"	92.1"	101.8"	3,041 cu ft

Weight and payload (reference values)

Type	Tare weight (kg)	Max gross (kg)	Theoretical payload (kg)	Density break-even
20GP	≈ 2,200	30,480	≈ 28,280	849 kg/m³ (53 lb/ft³)
40GP	≈ 3,700	30,480	≈ 26,780	425 kg/m³ (26.5 lb/ft³)
40HQ	≈ 3,900	30,480	≈ 26,580	375 kg/m³ (23.4 lb/ft³)
45HQ	≈ 4,800	32,500	≈ 27,700	320 kg/m³ (20.0 lb/ft³)

⚠️ "Theoretical payload" is not "the weight you can load". The figures above are derived from the container's maximum gross weight on the nameplate. Carriers routinely apply lower limits — especially on Europe and North America lanes, for inland destinations, and during peak-season weight restrictions. Confirm the actual allowed weight for the specific sailing with your carrier or forwarder, and plan against that number.

2. Door opening: the most overlooked and most expensive number

Look at this comparison:

Item	Usable inside	Clear at door	Difference
20GP width	2352 mm (92.6")	2340 mm (92.1")	−12 mm
20GP height	2393 mm (94.2")	2280 mm (89.8")	−113 mm (4.4")
40HQ height	2698 mm (106.2")	2585 mm (101.8")	−113 mm (4.4")

The conclusion is blunt: any single item that is wider than 2,340 mm or taller than 2,280 mm (2,585 mm for a high cube) cannot pass through the door — no matter how comfortably it would sit inside.
The cargo that gets caught out most often: large machinery, unboxed furniture, oversized wooden crates, coiled steel and anything with an over-height timber cradle. Measure the smallest face of every oversized item before you plan the load.

Two practical factors shrink usable space even further:

Corrugated reinforcement ribs protrude from both side walls by a few centimetres, so real usable width is often below the nominal figure.
The floor is not perfectly flat — height varies slightly between the door end and the far end, which is where over-height items tend to jam.

3. Fitting common cargo types to a container

Cargo type	Recommendation
Standard cartons / e-commerce parcels	Any of the four types works. Choose by volume and density: light bulky cargo favours 40HQ or 45HQ, heavy cargo favours 20GP.
Standard pallets	A 1,200 × 1,000 mm pallet loads about 20 to a single tier in a 40GP or 40HQ. When pallets cannot be stacked, choose the largest floor area — not a high cube.
Furniture / unboxed large items	Check the door height of 2,280 mm (2,585 mm for high cube) without fail. Tall cabinets and wardrobes fail on this measurement all the time.
Machinery and equipment	First check whether each item clears the door, then check the weight against the payload limit. Over-width equipment needs an open-top or flat-rack container — it will not go into a standard box.
Very light bulky cargo (foam, textiles, plastic parts)	Go straight to a 45HQ. Its 86.1 m³ capacity is the largest of the standard types, and its density break-even is the lowest (320 kg/m³), which suits extremely light cargo.

4. Using these numbers to plan a load

Once you have the internal dimensions, loading becomes a three-dimensional problem: how to arrange the cargo so that wasted space is minimised without exceeding the weight limit or the door opening. Manual estimation usually only considers one or two orientations, while the optimal answer often requires trying combinations of many.

Take a container internal length of 5,898 mm and a carton 600 mm long:

Placed at 600 mm: 5,898 ÷ 600 = 9 rows, leaving 498 mm — a tenth row will not fit.
Rotate the carton and place it at 400 mm: 5,898 ÷ 400 = 14 rows, leaving 298 mm.
Two orientations, same direction, five rows of difference in capacity.

And that is only the length. Add width and height and the number of possible combinations quickly climbs into the dozens — which is exactly why hand calculation so often misses, and where a 3D loading algorithm earns its place.

5. Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a 40HQ and a 40GP, and which should I pick?: Identical floor area, different height only (internal height 2,698 mm versus 2,393 mm), giving the 40HQ about 8.6 m³ or 12.7% more volume. If your cargo can be stacked, the 40HQ is usually cheaper per cubic metre; but if it cannot be stacked (heavy pallets, equipment that must stay in layers), you are paying for 30 cm you will never use.
What are the limitations of a 45HQ?: Inland transport is the main constraint — many countries and inland destinations do not accept 45ft containers because of trailer length and road restrictions. Its payload ceiling is also slightly lower than a 40GP because of the heavier tare weight. A 45HQ only pays off for genuinely light cargo.
Are these dimensions the same across all carriers?: Not exactly. Internal dimensions vary by a few centimetres between manufacturers, production batches and the age of the box, and reefer, open-top and flat-rack containers have completely different specifications. The table above is an industry-standard reference; for a firm loading plan, use the container data for your actual booking.
How do I confirm whether my cargo clears the door?: Measure the smallest of the three faces of each item — the face you intend to push through first — and check that its width is ≤ 2,340 mm and its height is ≤ 2,280 mm (2,585 mm for a high cube). If either exceeds the limit, consider an open-top or flat-rack container, or ship the item disassembled.
Can I just calculate how much my cargo will fit?: Use the Container Loading Calculator at the top of this page: choose the container type, enter the dimensions and quantity of each cargo item, and it returns the number of units that fit, the loading efficiency, the weight used, and a loading plan you can print.

Skip the tables and the manual maths — enter your cargo and see the result

Open the Container Loading Calculator →