Most international trade in bulk goods moves in shipping containers. When you ask for a quotation, one of the first questions is: how many containers, and which size? The answer changes your freight cost, your price per kilo and even which supplier can serve you. This guide compares the common container sizes in simple terms.
The Three Most Common Containers
| Type | Inside length (approx.) | Cubic capacity (approx.) | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20ft standard | 5.9 m | about 33 cbm | Heavy cargo: rice, grains, spices, many food products |
| 40ft standard | 12.0 m | about 67 cbm | Lighter, bulky cargo: garments, textiles, mixed goods |
| 40ft high cube | 12.0 m (about 30 cm taller) | about 76 cbm | Very light, bulky cargo such as garments in cartons |
Exact sizes and limits vary by shipping line and container. Always confirm with your carrier or forwarder before planning a load.
Weight Limits Matter as Much as Space
Each container has a maximum gross weight, and the cargo you can load (the payload) is that maximum minus the container’s own weight. A 20ft container can carry a heavy payload for its size, often well over 20 tons on paper. But the real limit is often lower, because road weight rules in the loading and destination countries, and the shipping line’s own rules, decide what is allowed on the truck and the ship.
This is why heavy goods like rice usually go in 20ft containers. A 40ft container does not carry double the weight of a 20ft, so filling a 40ft with rice would leave a lot of empty space while still hitting the weight limit.
How Much of Your Product Fits?
It depends on how dense the product is and how it is packed:
- Rice in 25 kg or 50 kg bags: usually loaded close to the weight limit of a 20ft container. Ask your supplier for the exact tonnage per container.
- Whole spices: depends a lot on the spice. Dense spices like black pepper fill by weight, while light, bulky spices like cinnamon sticks fill by space, so fewer tons fit. See our guides on pepper and cinnamon.
- Garments in cartons: light for their size, so they usually fill a 40ft or 40ft high cube by volume long before reaching the weight limit. See sourcing clothing from Pakistan.
A good supplier will tell you the normal load per container for their product and packing. Use that figure when you compare prices.
FCL and LCL: Full or Shared Container?
- FCL (Full Container Load): you book the whole container. Best value for bulk orders, and your goods are not handled with other people’s cargo.
- LCL (Less than Container Load): your goods share a container with others, and you pay for the space you use. Good for samples and small trial orders, but transit can take longer and the cost per cbm is higher.
Tips for Planning Your Shipment
- Ask for the price per container load, not only per ton, so you can see the full picture.
- Check the weight rules in your own country before choosing the container size.
- For mixed orders, ask the supplier to plan the load so heavy and light goods share the space well.
- Agree the Incoterm in writing, so you know who books the container. See Incoterms 2020 Explained.
- Make sure the documents show the right container and seal numbers. See our export documents checklist.
Get a Quote by Container Load
Tell Rawaani Global your product, packing and destination, and we will quote by container load with a clear breakdown. Request a quote here.
Figures are approximate industry averages. For one example of published specifications, see Ship4wd, and always confirm with your own shipping line.