How Many Cartons Fit in a 40ft Container? Loading Calculation

Short answer: the number of cartons that fit in a container depends on the carton size, not on the container type. The practical formula is container volume × 0.88 ÷ carton volume (m³). For example, a 0.091 m³ carton fits about 740 times in a 40 HC container and about 320 times in a 20 DC container.

First, we list container and truck dimensions in tables. Next, we walk through the quick estimate and the exact calculation step by step, then work out fill rates from real carton data on Dipack product pages. The last section gives a practical checklist for mixed loads and export documents.

Container dimensions: how many m³ are 20 DC, 40 DC and 40 HC?

A 20 ft dry container (20 DC) offers about 33.2 m³ of internal volume, a 40 DC 67.7 m³ and a 40 ft high cube (40 HC) 76.3 m³. The 40 HC has the same floor as the 40 DC. However, it is about 30 cm taller.

These values vary by a few millimeters between container manufacturers. The maximum payload also depends on whether the container is rated for 30480 kg or 32500 kg gross weight. Read the exact figures from the plate on the container door.

Truck dimensions: how many m³ is a 13.6 m curtainsider trailer?

A standard truck (13.6 m curtainsider trailer) holds about 90 m³. A mega trailer, with 3 m of internal height, takes about 100 m³. Both fit 33 Euro pallets or 26 standard pallets on the floor.

For light, bulky loads of plastic containers, the mega trailer has the advantage. However, carriers use different trailers. Ask your freight forwarder for the trailer dimensions in writing before loading.

How many cartons fit in a container? The quick estimate

For a quick estimate, multiply the container volume by a fill rate and divide the result by the carton volume. This gives you a fast figure at the quotation stage.

1. Carton volume (m³): length × width × height, in meters.
2. Usable volume: container volume × 0.85-0.90 (fill rate).
3. Number of cartons: usable volume ÷ carton volume, rounded down.

For a 487 × 477 × 390 mm carton, 0.487 × 0.477 × 0.390 = 0.091 m³. Then 76.3 × 0.88 = 67.1 m³, and 67.1 ÷ 0.091 = 737 cartons. The Dipack 16 oz PET cup page lists 740 for the same carton, so the two results match.

The fill rate is never 100%. Gaps remain between cartons, you need clearance to close the doors, and cardboard bulges slightly.

Container loading calculation: internal dimensions, full layers and carton orientation

For an exact calculation, divide each internal dimension by the matching carton dimension and round down. Then try the carton in different orientations and pick the highest product.

Let us place the carton of the 100 cc sauce cup (395 × 370 × 320 mm) in a 40 HC container (12032 × 2352 × 2698 mm):

• 395 along the length, 320 across, 370 upright: 30 × 7 × 7 = 1470 cartons
• 395 along the length, 370 across, 320 upright: 30 × 6 × 8 = 1440 cartons
• 370 along the length, 320 across, 395 upright: 32 × 7 × 6 = 1344 cartons

The best orientation gives 1470 cartons, while the quick estimate gives 1428. The product page lists 1433, so the difference is under 3%. The gap grows when the carton does not divide the container evenly; in that case, fill the leftover space by turning cartons.

For light products, volume is the limit, not weight

With empty plastic food containers, a shipping container fills up by volume long before it reaches its weight limit. The containers are light, and air takes up most of each carton.

Even at 15 kg per carton, 740 cartons weigh 11100 kg. That is not even half of the 40 HC payload limit of about 26-28 t. Plan freight for plastic container orders on carton volume (m³).

Weight declaration is still mandatory for every sea shipment. The shipper reports the container's verified gross mass (VGM) to the shipping line before it is loaded on the vessel.

Palletized vs. floor-loaded containers

Floor loading (no pallets) fits more cartons into the same container; palletized loading speeds up unloading. With light plastic containers, the gap between the two is especially large.

Take the 487 × 477 × 390 mm cup carton on a 120 × 100 cm standard pallet. Each layer holds 4 cartons; 6 layers including the pallet come to about 2.49 m and pass through the 40 HC door. That gives 24 cartons per pallet and 504 cartons on 21 pallets.

Floor loaded, the same carton fits 740 times, so pallets cost about 32% of capacity. On a Euro pallet, only 2 of these cartons fit per layer. If you choose wooden pallets for export, also check for the ISPM 15 heat treatment stamp.

Fill rates for Dipack products in a 40 HC container and a truck

Every Dipack product page lists the carton dimensions, carton volume (m³), cartons per 40' HC container and cartons per truck. The table below sets out these values for five products, along with the fill rate we calculated.

Formula: fill rate = (cartons per 40 HC × carton m³) ÷ 76.3 m³. For example, 740 × 0.091 = 67.34 m³, and 67.34 ÷ 76.3 = 88.3%.

For all five products, the 40 HC fill rate falls between 87.5% and 88.3%. You can use the figure on the product page as a consistent planning value. The last column multiplies the cartons by the pieces per carton to give the total number of pieces in the container.

How to read the truck quantity on a product page

The truck quantity on the product page corresponds to about 88 m³ of load for all five products. For example, 971 × 0.091 = 88.4 m³. That is 88% of a 100 m³ mega trailer but 98% of a 90 m³ standard trailer, so confirm the trailer type with your carrier.

Mixed container loads: shipping different products in one container

For a mixed load, divide the ordered cartons of each product by that product's 40 HC quantity and add up the ratios. If the total does not exceed 1, the order fits in one container.

Say you plan 300 cartons of cups, 150 cartons of leak-proof containers and 120 cartons of deli containers. The ratios are 0.405 + 0.337 + 0.255 = 0.997, which stays below 1. A volume check gives the same result: 27.3 + 22.5 + 17.2 = 67.0 m³, which fits within the 67.1 m³ usable volume.

• Load in blocks: stack each product together to make counting and unloading easier.
• Put strong cartons at the bottom: heavy, sturdy cartons go below and light cartons, such as lids, go on top.
• Match containers and lids: ship containers and lids sold separately in the same container, in equal quantities.
• Plan the door end: place the product the buyer needs first close to the door.

Before you order: samples and export documents from Turkey

Before your first import order, get samples and confirm the carton dimensions and pieces per carton in writing. Then agree on the delivery terms (Incoterms), because they decide who handles the documents and pays the freight.

If you have not chosen a material yet, see our PP vs. PET container comparison. For all product families, browse the Dipack catalog (PDF). If you need containers in your own dimensions, follow the process on our custom packaging page.

The basic export documents for a shipment from Turkey are usually:

• Proforma invoice, followed by the commercial invoice
• Packing list: number of cartons and weights
• Bill of lading for sea freight, CMR consignment note for road freight
• Turkish export declaration (filed in Turkey by the exporter's customs broker)
• Origin or movement certificate, depending on the destination country: A.TR for industrial goods shipped to the EU under the EU-Turkey Customs Union, EUR.1 for countries that have a free trade agreement with Turkey, or a standard certificate of origin elsewhere; these documents can reduce or remove import duty at your end
• Declaration of compliance for plastic food-contact containers (in the EU, under Regulation (EU) No 10/2011)

The destination country and the applicable trade agreement decide which documents you need, so confirm the list with your customs broker. Dipack exports to more than 30 countries from its BRCGS-certified plant in Dursunbey, Balıkesir. For container loading, quotes in English and document requests, use the international sales channel on our contact page.

Container and carton calculation: frequently asked questions