Scale Explorer

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How big is a 40 ft shipping container?

Shipping container (40 ft) · Standard 40 ft general-purpose container (8 ft 6 in high)

External length
12,192 mm 40 ft
External width
2,438 mm 8 ft
External height
2,591 mm 8 ft 6 in
Empty (tare) weight
3,700–3,780 kg 4.08–4.17 US tons range
Show
Human, Ostrich, Great white shark, Shipping container (40 ft) drawn to the same scaleHuman: height 1.61–1.75 m. Ostrich: height (adult male) 2.1–2.7 m. Great white shark: length (average adult) 3.4–4.9 m. Shipping container (40 ft): external length 12,192 mm.Human: 1.61–1.75 mOstrich: 2.1–2.7 mGreat white shark: 3.4–4.9 mShipping container (40 ft): 12,192 mmOstrich2.1–2.7 mShipping container (40 ft)12,192 mmHuman1.61–1.75 mGreat white shark3.4–4.9 m
Everything is drawn to the same scale, standing on the same ground line. Silhouettes are simplified outlines scaled to the measured dimension. A faded outline shows the top of a size range.

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Dimensions

MeasurementMetricImperialNotesSource
External length 12,192 mm 40 ft 40 ft, as standardised in ISO 668 [1]
External width 2,438 mm 8 ft 8 ft, as standardised in ISO 668 [1]
External height 2,591 mm 8 ft 6 in 8 ft 6 in standard container; high-cube containers are 9 ft 6 in (2,896 mm) [1]
Empty (tare) weight 3,700–3,780 kg 4.08–4.17 US tons Tare weights of Hapag-Lloyd's 40 ft general-purpose container series. Range: varies [1]
Maximum gross weight 30,480–32,500 kg 33.6–35.8 US tons Container plus cargo, depending on the container series. Range: varies [1]
Cargo capacity 67.7 m³ 2,390 cu ft Internal capacity listed for Hapag-Lloyd's 40 ft general-purpose containers (2,391 cubic feet) [1]

About the 40 ft shipping container

Standard steel shipping containers are built to external sizes set by the international standard ISO 668, so they stack and lock together on ships, trains and trucks. A 40 ft general-purpose container measures 12,192 mm long, 2,438 mm wide and 2,591 mm (8 ft 6 in) high on the outside. Shipping line Hapag-Lloyd lists its 40 ft boxes at about 3.7 tonnes empty with 67.7 cubic metres of cargo space.

  • ISO 668 sets a minimum internal size for a 40 ft container of 12,029 mm long, 2,350 mm wide and 2,350 mm high. [1]
  • A standard 20 ft container is 6,058 mm long, a little under half the length of a 40 ft container. [1]
  • Some of Hapag-Lloyd's 40 ft general-purpose container series can carry up to 28,800 kg of cargo. [1]

How many fit?

  • ≈ 7.3 × Human · height lined up end to end match the Shipping container (40 ft) · external length
  • ≈ 45 × Human · body mass on the scales weigh as much as Shipping container (40 ft) · empty (tare) weight
  • ≈ 2.5 × Car · length lined up end to end match the Shipping container (40 ft) · external length
  • ≈ 2.3 × Car · curb weight on the scales weigh as much as Shipping container (40 ft) · empty (tare) weight

Counts divide one sourced figure by another. "End to end" uses each object's main measurement; weight and volume rows appear only when both figures are sourced.

How it compares

  • 7.3× A 40 ft shipping container is about 7.3 times as long as an average adult is tall. See side by side
  • 2.5× A 40 ft shipping container is about 2.5 times as long as a mid-size car. See side by side
  • 1× A 40 ft shipping container is about as long as a typical new house is wide. See side by side
  • 1× A 40 ft shipping container is about as long as a Brachiosaurus is tall. See side by side
  • 1/2 A tennis court is about 2 times as long as a 40 ft shipping container. See side by side
  • 1/3.2 A Boeing 737 is about 3.2 times as long as a 40 ft shipping container. See side by side

Factors compare the external length of a 40 ft shipping container with each object’s own main measurement (height for a human). Where a size varies, the factor is given as a range.

Notes on these figures

  • The ISO 668 standard itself is sold, not published free; the dimensions are taken from Hapag-Lloyd's specification, which reproduces the ISO 668 table.
  • Weights and capacity are for Hapag-Lloyd's fleet and vary slightly by manufacturer.

Sources

  1. Hapag-Lloyd, Container Specification (external and minimum internal dimensions according to ISO 668; 40' general purpose container). Accessed 25 September 2026.

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