How many boxes fit in a 20ft container?
It depends on the carton size. A standard 20ft container holds about 262 cartons of 60 × 40 × 40 cm, 472 cartons of 50 × 40 × 30 cm or 931 cartons of 30 × 30 × 30 cm. That uses about 25–28 m³ of the container's 33.1 m³, because boxes rarely divide the container dimensions exactly.
Cartons per 20ft container by size
| Carton size | CBM each | 20GP |
|---|---|---|
| 30 × 30 × 30 cm 11.8 × 11.8 × 11.8 in | 0.027 m³ | 931 76% full |
| 40 × 30 × 30 cm 15.7 × 11.8 × 11.8 in | 0.036 m³ | 781 85% full |
| 40 × 40 × 40 cm 15.7 × 15.7 × 15.7 in | 0.064 m³ | 350 68% full |
| 50 × 40 × 30 cm 19.7 × 15.7 × 11.8 in | 0.060 m³ | 472 85% full |
| 50 × 50 × 50 cm 19.7 × 19.7 × 19.7 in | 0.125 m³ | 176 66% full |
| 60 × 40 × 40 cm 23.6 × 15.7 × 15.7 in | 0.096 m³ | 262 76% full |
| 60 × 40 × 50 cm 23.6 × 15.7 × 19.7 in | 0.120 m³ | 223 81% full |
| 70 × 50 × 50 cm 27.6 × 19.7 × 19.7 in | 0.175 m³ | 149 79% full |
| 80 × 60 × 60 cm 31.5 × 23.6 × 23.6 in | 0.288 m³ | 75 65% full |
Each number is the result of a full 3D loading plan for a 20ft dry container (590 × 235 × 239 cm inside). Cartons may be turned in any direction to fill the space. If your cartons must stay upright, the count can be a few percent lower. The calculator handles that with the “This side up” option.
How to estimate it yourself
Divide each inside dimension by the matching carton dimension, round down, and multiply: for 60 × 40 × 40 cm cartons that is ⌊590 ÷ 60⌋ × ⌊235 ÷ 40⌋ × ⌊239 ÷ 40⌋ = 9 × 5 × 5 = 225. Turning some rows to use the gaps raises it to 262. That is why a loading calculator usually beats hand math by 5–15%.
Weight check
A 20ft container carries about 28,200 kg. 262 cartons at 20 kg each is 5,240 kg, well within the limit. Heavy goods such as tiles, fasteners or liquids can reach the weight limit long before the container is full; see container weight limits.
Frequently asked questions
How many 60 × 40 × 40 cm boxes fit in a 20ft container?
About 262 boxes, using 76% of the container volume.
How many cubic meters of cartons fit in a 20ft container?
The container is 33.1 m³ inside; typical carton loads use 25–28 m³.
How many 18 × 18 × 24 inch boxes fit in a 20ft container?
About 236 boxes of 18 × 18 × 24 in when they can be turned on their side.