How much does a shipping container weigh?
An empty 20ft shipping container weighs roughly 5,000 pounds and an empty 40ft roughly 8,000 to 8,500 pounds, with high cubes a few hundred pounds heavier. Both are rated to carry far more than you will ever put in them for storage — a 20ft's maximum gross is about 67,000 pounds — so capacity is never the limit; what matters is that the weight sits on four corners and on the ground you chose.
Container weights at a glance
| Empty (tare) | Max gross | Max cargo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20ft standard | 4,850 lb (2,200 kg) | 67,200 lb (30,482 kg) | about 62,350 lb |
| 20ft high cube | 5,200 lb (2,359 kg) | 67,200 lb (30,482 kg) | about 62,000 lb |
| 40ft standard | 8,250 lb (3,742 kg) | 67,200 lb (30,482 kg) | about 58,950 lb |
| 40ft high cube | 8,600 lb (3,901 kg) | 67,200 lb (30,482 kg) | about 58,600 lb |
Typical modern ratings; older boxes are often plated at 52,910 lb max gross. The CSC plate on the door is the authority. For storage, the floor, the door and your pad are the real limits, never the rating.
Empty weights
20ft standard: about 5,000 lb (roughly 2,300 kg). 20ft high cube: a little more. 40ft standard: about 8,000 lb. 40ft high cube: about 8,500 lb. The exact tare is stamped on the door of every container along with its maximum gross weight — look for the CSC plate on the right-hand door.
That empty weight is why a container is not moved with a pickup and a chain, and why it does not blow away in a storm. It is also why the ground under it matters: four corner castings carrying 5,000 pounds will sink into soft ground over a season. See putting a container on grass.
What you can actually put in one
A 20ft is rated to carry around 62,000 pounds of cargo and a 40ft around 59,000. Nobody storing furniture, tools or feed gets anywhere close; a full 20ft of household goods is usually a couple of tons. The practical limits are the door opening (about 7'8" wide by 7'5" high on a standard box), the floor — treated marine plywood rated for forklift traffic in shipping service — and the strength of your pad.
Point loads matter more than totals. A pallet of shingles or a machine on small feet can mark the floor; a sheet of plywood under it spreads the load. Heavy things go against the walls and over the floor cross-members, not in the middle of a span.
If what you are storing is genuinely heavy — a shop full of iron, pallets of product — buy a cargo-worthy or one-trip box with a sound floor rather than the cheapest used one, and put it on a gravel pad or piers. The grades are explained in one-trip vs used. See containers for sale — delivered price by ZIP
Buying a container?
Longleaf sells used and one-trip 20ft and 40ft shipping containers, delivered by tilt-bed across the Pine Belt. Enter your ZIP for the delivered price — it comes straight from the supplier feed and already includes the haul. Locks, vents, shelving and lights are on the accessories page. We sell; we do not rent.
- 20ft Standard Cargo Worthy (used) — from $2,885 delivered
- 20ft Standard One Trip (new) — from $3,635 delivered
- 20ft Standard Wind & Watertight (used) — from $2,470 delivered
- 40ft High Cube Cargo Worthy (used) — from $3,525 delivered
- 40ft High Cube One Trip (new) — from $4,925 delivered
- 40ft High Cube Wind & Watertight (used) — from $3,210 delivered
- 40ft Standard Cargo Worthy (used) — from $3,525 delivered
- 40ft Standard One Trip (new) — from $6,355 delivered
- 40ft Standard Wind & Watertight (used) — from $3,160 delivered
Keep reading
- Will a shipping container damage my driveway? — Will a shipping container damage a driveway: why the truck, the slide-off and four loaded corners are the risk, and how to protect concrete or asphalt.
- Can you put a shipping container on grass? — Shipping container on grass or dirt: why the truck is the first problem, why a box you own should never sit flat on turf, and the cheap pad that fixes it.
- Are shipping containers really watertight? — Are shipping containers watertight: what wind-and-watertight, cargo worthy and one-trip guarantee against rain, and why condensation still needs vents.
- How much weight can a shipping container floor hold? — How much weight a container can hold: the cargo rating of a 20ft and 40ft shipping container floor, why point loads matter more, and why the pad fails first.
- How to get ready for delivery day — Prepare for a shipping container delivery: mark the spot, clear the straight run, firm up the ground, set corner blocks, and have someone there on the day.
Across the Pine Belt
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