Buying guide
Container sizes and capacity
Nominal dimensions for the four sizes we stock, plus the practical trade-offs in transport, placement and conversion. Figures are typical for ISO dry units and vary slightly by manufacturer.
Size comparison
| Size | Internal L × W × H | Door opening | Floor area | Tare | Payload |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10ft | 2.83 × 2.35 × 2.39 m | 2.34 × 2.28 m | ≈ 6.6 m² | ≈ 1 300 kg | ≈ 8 000 kg |
| 20ft | 5.90 × 2.35 × 2.39 m | 2.34 × 2.28 m | ≈ 13.8 m² | ≈ 2 200 kg | ≈ 28 000 kg |
| 40ft | 12.03 × 2.35 × 2.39 m | 2.34 × 2.28 m | ≈ 28.3 m² | ≈ 3 800 kg | ≈ 26 700 kg |
| 40ft high-cube | 12.03 × 2.35 × 2.70 m | 2.34 × 2.58 m | ≈ 28.3 m² | ≈ 3 900 kg | ≈ 26 600 kg |
Which size suits which job
- 10ft: Tight urban sites, guardhouses, tool stores, small spaza conversions.
- 20ft: The default site store and the easiest size to transport and place.
- 40ft: Bulk volume storage, two-room office conversions, workshop layouts.
- 40ft high-cube: Occupied conversions needing ceiling height after insulation, palletised light freight.
High-cube or standard?
A high-cube adds about 300 mm of internal height for the same footprint. That margin matters once you insulate and fit a ceiling: a standard 40ft conversion can end up under 2.2 m of headroom, while a high-cube stays comfortable. For plain storage, standard height is cheaper and easier to source.
Placement footprint
- Allow the container length plus 1 m at each end for door swing and maintenance access.
- Tilt-bed delivery needs roughly 30 m of straight-line run behind the placement point.
- Support the unit on its four corner castings — level blocks, plinths or sleepers — not on the middle of the floor rails.
- 40ft units need a longer, straighter approach than 20ft; on constrained sites two 20ft units are often the practical answer.
Weight planning
Tare is the empty weight and matters for lifting and transport; payload is the maximum cargo the unit is rated to carry. When you specify offloading equipment, rate it for tare plus whatever is inside — a loaded 20ft unit can exceed 30 tonnes.
Next: read preparing your site for delivery or browse available inventory.