Reference Library

Sea Freight Container Library

A professional reference for shipping container specifications, dimensions, cargo suitability, and industry usage — covering 20 container types across every major category.

Standard

20ft Standard Container

20GP

The most widely used dry general-purpose container in global trade.

Capacity

33.2 m³

Payload

28,200 kg

Tare

2,200 kg

External

6.06 × 2.44 × 2.59 m

Standard

40ft Standard Container

40GP

Workhorse dry container for medium-density palletized cargo.

Capacity

67.7 m³

Payload

28,800 kg

Tare

3,800 kg

External

12.19 × 2.44 × 2.59 m

Standard

40ft High Cube Container

40HC

Adds 30 cm of internal height for bulky, lightweight cargo.

Capacity

76.4 m³

Payload

28,600 kg

Tare

3,900 kg

External

12.19 × 2.44 × 2.90 m

Standard

45ft High Cube Container

45HC

Extra length plus high-cube height for maximum capacity.

Capacity

86.0 m³

Payload

27,600 kg

Tare

4,800 kg

External

13.72 × 2.44 × 2.90 m

Temperature Controlled

Reefer Container

40RF

Insulated, refrigerated container for temperature-sensitive cargo.

Capacity

67.3 m³

Payload

29,000 kg

Tare

4,800 kg

External

12.19 × 2.44 × 2.90 m

Temperature Controlled

Super Freezer Container

SF40

Ultra-low temperature reefer for deep-frozen cargo.

Capacity

65.0 m³

Payload

27,500 kg

Tare

5,300 kg

External

12.19 × 2.44 × 2.90 m

Open Container

Open Top Container

20OT/40OT

Standard container with removable tarpaulin roof for over-height cargo.

Capacity

66.0 m³

Payload

26,500 kg

Tare

3,900 kg

External

12.19 × 2.44 × 2.59 m

Open Container

Hard Top Container

HT40

Open-top container with removable steel roof for heavy top loading.

Capacity

65.7 m³

Payload

26,200 kg

Tare

4,500 kg

External

12.19 × 2.44 × 2.59 m

Project Cargo

Flat Rack Container

20FR/40FR

Flat platform with collapsible end walls for oversized or heavy cargo.

Capacity

—

Payload

40,000 kg

Tare

5,000 kg

External

12.19 × 2.44 × 2.59 m

Project Cargo

Collapsible Flat Rack

20CF/40CF

Flat rack with folding end walls to save space when empty.

Capacity

—

Payload

39,500 kg

Tare

5,200 kg

External

12.19 × 2.44 × 2.59 m

Project Cargo

Platform Container

20PL/40PL

Flatbed with no walls — pure platform for ultra-oversized cargo.

Capacity

—

Payload

40,000 kg

Tare

5,700 kg

External

12.19 × 2.44 × 0.65 m

Tank Container

ISO Tank Container

20T11

Cylindrical stainless steel tank inside a 20ft frame for liquids.

Capacity

21–26 m³

Payload

26,000 kg

Tare

3,800 kg

External

6.06 × 2.44 × 2.59 m

Tank Container

Food Grade Tank Container

FGT20

Stainless steel tank dedicated to food-grade liquids only.

Capacity

24–26 m³

Payload

25,500 kg

Tare

3,900 kg

External

6.06 × 2.44 × 2.59 m

Tank Container

Gas Tank Container

T50

High-pressure tank container for liquefied gases (LPG, ammonia).

Capacity

18–24 m³

Payload

23,000 kg

Tare

5,400 kg

External

6.06 × 2.44 × 2.59 m

Specialized

Side Open Container

SO40

Container with full side opening for easy long cargo loading.

Capacity

67.5 m³

Payload

28,000 kg

Tare

4,200 kg

External

12.19 × 2.44 × 2.59 m

Specialized

Double Door Container

DD40

Doors at both ends for drive-through or two-way access loading.

Capacity

67.7 m³

Payload

28,500 kg

Tare

4,000 kg

External

12.19 × 2.44 × 2.59 m

Specialized

Half Height Container

HH20

Reduced-height open-top container for dense, heavy bulk cargo.

Capacity

15.0 m³

Payload

26,500 kg

Tare

2,500 kg

External

6.06 × 2.44 × 1.30 m

Specialized

Ventilated Container

VC20

Standard container with passive ventilation openings.

Capacity

33.0 m³

Payload

28,000 kg

Tare

2,400 kg

External

6.06 × 2.44 × 2.59 m

Specialized

Bulk Container

BU20

Dry container with top loading hatches and bottom discharge ports.

Capacity

32.0 m³

Payload

27,800 kg

Tare

2,400 kg

External

6.06 × 2.44 × 2.59 m

Specialized

Car Carrier Container

CCC40

40ft container with folding ramps to load multiple vehicles.

Capacity

67.5 m³

Payload

26,500 kg

Tare

4,500 kg

External

12.19 × 2.44 × 2.59 m

Comparison Table

Side-by-side specifications across every container in the library.

Container Comparison Table

Search, sort, and compare every container at a glance.

	External Dimensions	Internal Dimensions				Main Usage
20ft Standard Container 20GP	6.06 × 2.44 × 2.59 m	5.90 × 2.35 × 2.39 m	33.2 m³	28,200 kg	2,200 kg	FCL ocean freight for heavy or dense shipments.
40ft High Cube Container 40HC	12.19 × 2.44 × 2.90 m	12.03 × 2.35 × 2.70 m	76.4 m³	28,600 kg	3,900 kg	Dominant container for export of volumetric goods.
40ft Standard Container 40GP	12.19 × 2.44 × 2.59 m	12.03 × 2.35 × 2.39 m	67.7 m³	28,800 kg	3,800 kg	FCL ocean freight for high-volume shipments.
45ft High Cube Container 45HC	13.72 × 2.44 × 2.90 m	13.56 × 2.35 × 2.70 m	86.0 m³	27,600 kg	4,800 kg	Intermodal Europe & North America; not accepted at all ports.
Bulk Container BU20	6.06 × 2.44 × 2.59 m	5.90 × 2.35 × 2.39 m	32.0 m³	27,800 kg	2,400 kg	Bulk dry intermodal transport.
Car Carrier Container CCC40	12.19 × 2.44 × 2.59 m	12.03 × 2.35 × 2.39 m	67.5 m³	26,500 kg	4,500 kg	Vehicle export where RoRo capacity is limited.
Collapsible Flat Rack 20CF/40CF	12.19 × 2.44 × 2.59 m	12.06 × 2.40 × 2.14 m	—	39,500 kg	5,200 kg	Project cargo with empty-leg repositioning efficiency.
Double Door Container DD40	12.19 × 2.44 × 2.59 m	12.03 × 2.35 × 2.39 m	67.7 m³	28,500 kg	4,000 kg	Drive-through loading; faster turnaround.
Flat Rack Container 20FR/40FR	12.19 × 2.44 × 2.59 m	12.06 × 2.40 × 2.14 m	—	40,000 kg	5,000 kg	Out-of-gauge (OOG) ocean shipping.
Food Grade Tank Container FGT20	6.06 × 2.44 × 2.59 m	Tank capacity 24,000–26,000 L	24–26 m³	25,500 kg	3,900 kg	Food-grade bulk liquid logistics.
Gas Tank Container T50	6.06 × 2.44 × 2.59 m	Tank capacity 18,000–24,000 L	18–24 m³	23,000 kg	5,400 kg	Bulk liquefied gas transport.
Half Height Container HH20	6.06 × 2.44 × 1.30 m	5.91 × 2.34 × 1.10 m	15.0 m³	26,500 kg	2,500 kg	Mining and bulk dense cargo movement.
Hard Top Container HT40	12.19 × 2.44 × 2.59 m	12.03 × 2.34 × 2.35 m	65.7 m³	26,200 kg	4,500 kg	Project freight needing weather-tight roof after loading.
ISO Tank Container 20T11	6.06 × 2.44 × 2.59 m	Tank capacity 21,000–26,000 L	21–26 m³	26,000 kg	3,800 kg	Bulk liquid intermodal transport.
Open Top Container 20OT/40OT	12.19 × 2.44 × 2.59 m	12.03 × 2.35 × 2.35 m	66.0 m³	26,500 kg	3,900 kg	Project cargo and over-height ocean shipments.
Platform Container 20PL/40PL	12.19 × 2.44 × 0.65 m	12.19 × 2.44 m (deck)	—	40,000 kg	5,700 kg	Heavy lift and breakbulk ocean transport.
Reefer Container 40RF	12.19 × 2.44 × 2.90 m	11.59 × 2.29 × 2.51 m	67.3 m³	29,000 kg	4,800 kg	Global cold-chain ocean freight.
Side Open Container SO40	12.19 × 2.44 × 2.59 m	12.03 × 2.35 × 2.39 m	67.5 m³	28,000 kg	4,200 kg	Cargo too long for end-door loading.
Super Freezer Container SF40	12.19 × 2.44 × 2.90 m	11.56 × 2.28 × 2.50 m	65.0 m³	27,500 kg	5,300 kg	Specialized cold-chain for high-value perishables.
Ventilated Container VC20	6.06 × 2.44 × 2.59 m	5.90 × 2.35 × 2.39 m	33.0 m³	28,000 kg	2,400 kg	Tropical agricultural exports.

Visual Container Diagrams

Side, top, and door views for the most common container types.

20ft Standard

20GP

Side View

Top View

Door View

40ft Standard

40GP

Side View

Top View

Door View

40ft High Cube

40HC

Side View

Top View

Door View

Reefer

40RF

Side View

Top View

Door View

Flat Rack

40FR

Side View

Top View

Door View

Container Knowledge Center

Industry standards, definitions, and reference notes.

Sea Freight Container Library

Comparison Table

Visual Container Diagrams

Container Knowledge Center

What is a Shipping Container?

Difference Between 20GP, 40GP, and 40HC

What is Payload?

What is Tare Weight?

Reefer Container Usage

Project Cargo Containers

ISO Tank Containers

Container Safety Standards

CSC Plate Explanation

How Containers are Measured