What are the common shipping container types and sizes?
Most ocean freight moves in a handful of standard container types. The two you will see most are the 20-foot and 40-foot dry containers, both 8 feet wide and 8 feet 6 inches tall. From there, containers branch into specialty builds for refrigerated goods, oversized cargo, vehicles, and bulk loads. Here is what each one is for and the sizes they come in.
Standard sizes at a glance
Container | Length | Width | Height |
|---|---|---|---|
10 ft dry | 10 ft | 8 ft | 8 ft 6 in |
20 ft dry | 20 ft | 8 ft | 8 ft 6 in |
40 ft dry | 40 ft | 8 ft | 8 ft 6 in |
40 ft high-cube | 40 ft | 8 ft | 9 ft 6 in |
Dimensions follow the ISO 668 standard. Exact internal capacity varies slightly by manufacturer.
The container types and what they carry
Dry containers. The default for most freight. Fully enclosed, weatherproof, and stackable. Available in 10, 20, and 40 foot lengths, so they cover everything from small shipments to full pallet loads.
High-cube containers. A dry container with an extra foot of height (9 ft 6 in). Use them for light, bulky cargo that fills space before it hits weight limits.
Open-top containers. A removable top instead of a fixed roof. You load over-height cargo from above with a crane. Good for machinery or anything taller than a standard door opening.
Tunnel containers. Doors on both ends. You load from one side and unload from the other, which speeds up handling for long or awkward loads.
Open-side containers. Doors along the full side. Used when forklift access from the side matters or items are too wide to load through the end.
Flat-rack containers. Collapsible sides and ends. Built for oversized loads that do not fit a standard box: construction equipment, heavy machinery, building materials.
Car-carrier containers. Designed to move vehicles over long distances. Collapsible sides hold cars in place and limit transit damage.
Refrigerated (reefer) containers. Temperature-controlled for perishables like seafood, produce, and frozen goods. Built to the ISO reefer standard.
Insulated containers. Hold a set temperature without active refrigeration. Used for goods that need protection from temperature swings on long hauls.
Half-height containers. Half the height of a standard container. Built for dense bulk cargo like ore or stone that hits weight limits before it fills a full-height box.
Storage/roll containers. Strong mesh, foldable, and mounted on rollers. Used to move and store stacked or heavy goods within a facility.
Which container fits your shipment?
Match the container to the cargo, not the other way around. Dry containers handle most packaged goods. Reach for a specialty type when cargo is oversized (flat-rack, open-top), temperature-sensitive (reefer, insulated), or needs side access (open-side).
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