20DC vs 40HC Size Guide

Compare 20ft standard and 40ft High Cube containers on dimensions, volume, payload and cost to choose the right size.

20DC, 20ft Standard

33.2 m³ volume, 28,280 kg payload. Compact, versatile, ideal for heavy cargo. Lower per-unit cost.

40HC, 40ft High Cube

76.3 m³ volume, 26,540 kg payload. Maximum space for voluminous cargo. The preferred SOC leasing format.

How to Choose

Choose 20DC for heavy, dense cargo or limited space. Choose 40HC for volume-driven shipments or when maximising container utilisation.

What is the actual difference between a 20DC and a 40HC?

The two formats sit at opposite ends of dry container demand and serve very different jobs. A 20DC (20-foot Dry Container, also called 20'GP) is the workhorse for heavy or dense cargo, short, manageable, easy to spot on a chassis or a small site. A 40HC (40-foot High Cube) is the same length class as a 40DC but one foot taller (9'6" external versus 8'6"), giving roughly 13% more internal cubic capacity than a standard 40DC for the same footprint. The headline trade-off: a 20DC carries more weight per cubic metre because cargo is denser to its volume, while a 40HC carries more volume per dollar of equipment and per slot on the vessel. If you fill containers by weight, the 20DC wins; if you fill them by volume, which is the case for the majority of dry cargo today, the 40HC wins, and the extra foot of height is the practical reason the format has overtaken the standard 40DC in most lanes.

Which should I choose for my cargo: 20DC or 40HC?

The decision is driven by your cargo's stowage factor, the ratio of volume to weight. Three rules cover most cases. (1) Dense, heavy cargo (machinery, metal stock, bottled liquids, tiles, dense agri-products): 20DC, because you'll hit the weight limit long before the volume limit, and shipping two 20DCs is often cheaper than one half-empty 40HC on a per-tonne basis. (2) Light, voluminous cargo (furniture, clothing, packaging, foam, light electronics): 40HC, because you'll fill the cube and the extra foot of height matters, pallets stacked two-high in a standard 40DC often have to go single-stacked, while a 40HC accommodates a second tier. (3) Mixed loads or unsure: 40HC by default, because the marginal cost of unused volume is lower than the marginal cost of needing a second container. One pragmatic check: calculate your cargo's total weight and volume, divide one by the other, under roughly 750 kg per cubic metre use 40HC; over that, 20DC starts to win on cost-per-tonne.

What are the exact dimensions of a 20DC vs a 40HC?

Both formats are ISO-standardised, so the numbers below are consistent across manufacturers within tolerances of a few millimetres. A 20DC measures 6.058 m external length, 2.438 m external width and 2.591 m external height (8'6"); internally it gives 5.898 m length, 2.352 m width and 2.385 m height, with a door opening of 2.343 m wide by 2.280 m high, for roughly 33.2 m³ of internal cube (1,172 ft³). A 40HC doubles the length at 12.192 m, keeps the same 2.438 m external width but stands one foot taller at 2.896 m external (9'6"); internally it measures 12.032 m long, 2.352 m wide and 2.690 m high, with a door opening of 2.343 m × 2.585 m, for 76.4 m³ of internal cube (2,700 ft³) about 13% more volume than a standard 40DC for the same vessel slot. On weight, a 20DC has a tare of around 2,200-2,300 kg with a max payload near 28,000-28,200 kg, while a 40HC has a heavier tare of 3,900-4,000 kg and a max payload near 26,500-26,700 kg. Two practical notes. First, the max gross weight is identical for both formats at 30,480 kg under standard ISO ratings, so a 40HC's higher tare means its payload is slightly lower than a 20DC's, counterintuitive but important when shipping heavy. Second, road weight limits in most countries cap the loaded container well below the 30,480 kg ISO maximum: a typical road-legal payload sits closer to 21,000-24,000 kg in the EU, and lower in some emerging markets, so always check the local road rule before loading to the theoretical maximum.

Why does the 40HC outsell the standard 40DC today?

The extra foot of height (9'6" versus 8'6") gives the 40HC about 13% more internal volume than a 40DC for the same external length and the same vessel slot, and at virtually the same shipping cost. For the majority of cargo, that extra cube is free upside: more units per container, fewer containers per shipment, lower per-unit transport cost. The standard 40DC still has its place for cargo that hits weight limits early (where the extra cube wouldn't be used anyway) and for routes with road-height restrictions where 9'6" containers can't be trucked legally, but those constraints are increasingly rare. In most global trade lanes today, the 40HC has become the default 40-foot dry container, and 40DC stock is shrinking accordingly.

How do handling, delivery, and site logistics differ between the two sizes?

The size difference plays out in three operational dimensions beyond the cargo itself. (1) Site access: a 20DC delivered on a tilt-bed truck needs roughly 18-20 metres of straight access; a 40HC needs about 25-30 metres because of the longer chassis. Side-loader delivery, which lifts and places the box from the side of the truck, is more flexible for a 20DC than a 40HC on tight sites. (2) Ground bearing: empty, a 20DC puts roughly 0.5 t on each of its four corners, with similar per-corner loads for an empty 40HC. Loaded near max payload, those corner loads scale up significantly, your site preparation (concrete pads, compacted gravel, level bearing) needs to take total loaded weight, not empty. (3) Stacking and re-handling: 20DCs nest two-to-one with 40HCs on chassis and on the vessel, which is part of why dual-container shipments often combine the two. On site, a 20DC is much easier to relocate after placement than a 40HC; if you're not sure where the box will end up sitting permanently, that flexibility argues for 20DC.

Are 20DC and 40HC available in all condition grades?

Yes, both sizes come in every canonical grade, and the pairing you'll see in the market reflects buyer demand. Brand New / One-Trip is dominant in 40HC (roughly 80% of new manufacturing output today) with 20DC more limited. IICL is available in both sizes but concentrated on 40HC due to international liner fleet demand. Cargo Worthy (CW) is the deepest inventory pool in both sizes and the most common grade for one-way (SOC) leasing, site storage or freight forwarding. WWT sits below CW and is fine for static storage in both sizes; if you plan any sea voyage, upgrade to CW so the CSC plate is valid. As-Is is available in both but overweighted in 20DC (older units retired from service). Practical rule: pick the SIZE by your cargo density (see Q1), then pick the GRADE by your use case, international shipping needs CW or IICL, static storage accepts WWT or As-Is, prestige presentation needs Brand New.