Loaded Euro pallet
1.20 × 0.80 × 1.20 m
1.15 m³ · 400 kg/units
11 / 20DC · 50 / 40HC
Loading tool
Container Loading Calculator
Add your items and quantities. The calculator totals their volume and weight, checks floor space and door clearance, then indicates the suitable container size: 20DC or 40HC.
Usable volume accounted for
Payload checked
Floor space checked
Loading tool
What do you want to load?
Enter your items and quantities. The results account for volume, weight, floor space, stackability and door clearance.
Concrete mixer
160 L model
0.9 m³ · 130 kg/units
31 / 20DC · 71 / 40HC
Scaffolding bay
frames and platforms
0.6 m³ · 60 kg/units
46 / 20DC · 107 / 40HC
Wheelbarrow
≈ 0.7 × 0.7 × 0.7 m
0.35 m³ · 25 kg/units
80 / 20DC · 184 / 40HC
Toolbox
large carrying case
0.2 m³ · 15 kg/units
140 / 20DC · 322 / 40HC
Construction air compressor
wheeled
0.6 m³ · 90 kg/units
46 / 20DC · 107 / 40HC
Generator set
≈ 0.89 × 0.89 × 0.89 m
0.7 m³ · 90 kg/units
40 / 20DC · 92 / 40HC
Extension ladder
foldable
0.2 m³ · 12 kg/units
140 / 20DC · 322 / 40HC
1.5 t mini excavator
3.6 × 1.0 × 2.3 m
8.3 m³ · 1,600 kg/units
0 / 20DC · 3 / 40HC
Bulk bag of gravel
0.90 × 0.90 × 0.90 m, 1 m³
0.73 m³ · 1,600 kg/units
12 / 20DC · 17 / 40HC
Pallet of concrete blocks
1.20 × 0.80 × 1.00 m, non-stackable
0.96 m³ · 1,200 kg/units
11 / 20DC · 23 / 40HC
Formwork panel
metal
0.2 m³ · 25 kg/units
140 / 20DC · 322 / 40HC
What We Do
Container Solutions for Global Trade
Usable internal dimensions
Compare container sizes
Compare the usable internal dimensions and external footprint of the two container sizes used by the calculator.
ISOUsable internal dimensionsUsable volumeExternal dimensionsGround footprint
20DC
- Usable internal dimensions
- 5.898 × 2.352 × 2.393 m
- Usable volume
- 28.1 m³ · 28,200 kg
- External dimensions
- 6.058 × 2.438 × 2.591 m
- Ground footprint
- 14.8 m²
40HC
- Usable internal dimensions
- 12.032 × 2.352 × 2.698 m
- Usable volume
- 64.6 m³ · 28,600 kg
- External dimensions
- 12.192 × 2.438 × 2.896 m
- Ground footprint
- 29.7 m²
Usable volume is calculated from internal dimensions. External dimensions are used to plan the footprint and access.
Understanding the results
Volume alone is not enough to validate a load. An item may fit within the total volume but fail to pass through the door, occupy too much floor space or exceed the payload capacity.
The calculator assesses these constraints separately. It provides a planning estimate; a final loading plan must use the actual dimensions and weight of each item.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
It checks 85% of usable volume, payload capacity, floor space, stackability and door clearance. The first container size that meets all constraints is recommended.
Actual loads leave gaps between items and require some allowance for arranging them. The calculation therefore uses 85% of usable volume as a conservative assumption.
No. They are indicative averages intended for project planning. Measure and weigh the actual items before confirming a load.
Yes, for items with known dimensions. The calculation compares their height and width with the door openings of the 20DC and 40HC.
Yes. Items marked as stackable can be loaded in multiple tiers when their height allows. Vehicles and non-stackable items remain limited to floor space.
Send MG-Atlantic the actual item list, dimensions, weights and handling constraints so we can prepare a suitable solution.
Explore
Guides and resources
Buying vs Leasing a Container
Full cost-of-ownership analysis and a decision framework to guide your procurement strategy.
Read the guide20DC vs 40HC: Which Format to Choose?
Dimensions, payload capacity, and cost-per-CBM comparison to select the right container format.
Read the guideSOC vs COC Leasing Explained
Understand the core difference between Shipper-Owned and Carrier-Owned container programs.
Read the guideNew vs Used Containers
Grade-by-grade analysis, price differentials, and practical fit criteria for equipment condition.
Read the guideCW vs WWT Containers
Compare Cargo Worthy (CW) and Wind & Watertight (WWT) shipping containers, inspection criteria, transport eligibility, storage suitability, US pricing and how to choose.
Read the guideOne Trip vs Cargo Worthy
One Trip vs Cargo Worthy shipping containers, lifespan, corrosion risk, appearance, ROI, US pricing and use cases to decide which grade fits your purchase.
Read the guideContainer Grades Explained
Understand the difference between New, IICL, CW, WWT and As-Is grades. Choose the right condition for your needs.
Read the guideContainer Size Guide
Compare 20ft, 40ft and 40HC dimensions, capacities and use cases. Find the right size for your cargo.
Read the guideCSC Plate Explained
What is a CSC plate, why it matters, and what to check before accepting a container for sea transport.
Read the guideOne-Way Leasing Explained
How SOC one-way leasing works, who it's for, and how it compares to round-trip leasing.
Read the guideContainer Buying Guide
Step-by-step guide to buying a shipping container: grades, inspection, delivery and pricing.
Read the guideContainer Types Explained
Overview of standard container formats including dry, high cube, reefer, flat rack, and open top containers.
Read the guideWhat a Container's Colour Tells You
Colour records who owned the box, not its condition — and what you must not paint over.
Read the guideShipping Container Delivery Guide
Step-by-step shipping container delivery guide for US buyers, truck access requirements, tilt-bed vs crane offload, common delivery issues and a pre-delivery site checklist.
Read the guideShipping Container Foundation and Site Preparation
How to prepare the ground for a shipping container: gravel pad, concrete piers or slab foundation, leveling, drainage and delivery-vehicle access.
Read the guideContainer Scams: How to Verify a Seller Before You Pay
The seven fraud patterns in container trading, the signals that give them away, and a twenty-minute verification procedure.
Read the guideInland Container Depots: How They Work
What an inland depot does, how it differs from a port terminal, what it charges for, and how to choose one for pickup or drop-off.
Read the guideShipping Container Ventilation and Condensation
Why containers sweat and how vents, desiccant and insulation keep stored goods dry.
Read the guideShipping Container Carports: Two Containers and a Roof
Spans, roof kits, clearance, anchoring and permits for a covered bay between two containers.
Read the guideCSC Certificate vs Seaworthy Certificate: What Each One Proves
CSC approval and seaworthy (cargo worthy) certificates answer different questions: who issues each, what they cover, how long they last, which you need.
Read the guideShipping Container Prices in the USA
Indicative ex-depot ranges by size, grade and city, reviewed monthly, and what a quote should include.
Read the guide
Explore
More market notes
MarketOne record from release to invoice: how MG-Atlantic runs its operations on Krak Stack
Leasing, trading, releases, returns and invoicing on one container record: why MG-Atlantic runs all of its container operations on Krak Stack.
Read the note
MarketWhy an international trader is opening a container shop in Switzerland
MG-Atlantic launches MG Container, its Swiss shop: new and used containers, to buy or to rent, delivered customs-cleared anywhere in Switzerland.
Read the note
MarketSeptember's Import Peak, and What It Leaves Inland
US imports were forecast to peak in September 2026. Where those boxes are emptied, why the inland pool of empties follows weeks later, and what it means for buyers.
Read the note
MarketPanama Rations Transits, and Equipment Follows
The canal cut daily transits to 32 and lowered Neopanamax draft. What a water-driven restriction does to container repositioning, and where empties accumulate.
Read the note
MarketWhat a Depot Actually Charges For
Gate fees, lifts, per-day storage, survey, cleaning, repair — what a container depot invoices, and why the same box costs more to keep in one port than another.
Read the note
MarketCape Routing and Container Availability
When vessels route around the Cape instead of through Suez, the equipment consequences outlast the schedule ones. What longer rotations do to container availability, and how to plan around them.
Read the note
MarketWhy Container Availability Differs by Port
Containers accumulate where cargo arrives and disappear where it departs. How trade imbalance shapes what you can actually collect, port by port.
Read the note
MarketThe Container Availability Calendar
Container supply moves on a predictable annual rhythm — pre-holiday export rushes, factory shutdowns, and the quiet weeks that follow. What to plan around.
Read the note
Explore
Container use cases by industry
Use caseConstruction & Civil Works
Secure tool storage, site offices, modular workshops, and temporary infrastructure for BTP and civil engineering projects.
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Use caseSolar Energy & Off-Grid Installations
Containerized battery storage systems, remote site equipment housing, and renewable energy project logistics.
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Use caseEvents & Brand Activations
Pop-up venues, hospitality units, and modular retail spaces for temporary brand experiences and events.
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Use caseE-Commerce & Last-Mile Logistics
Overflow inventory management, temporary fulfilment hubs, and seasonal storage capacity for e-commerce operations.
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Use caseExport & Import Freight Operations
One-way leasing strategy for freight forwarders and NVOCCs. Reduce repositioning costs while maintaining fleet flexibility.
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Use caseIndustrial Storage & Depots
Long-term container deployments for industrial sites. Modular, scalable storage without permanent construction costs.
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Use caseHumanitarian & Emergency Response
Rapid deployment container solutions for crisis zones, NGOs, and emergency logistics operations.
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Use caseMilitary & Defense Logistics
Secure and reliable container solutions for defense operations and sensitive equipment transport.
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Use caseMining, Oil & Gas Operations
Robust container solutions for remote industrial sites and harsh environment deployments.
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Use caseAgriculture, Farms & Ranches
Lockable storage for feed, seed and tools, container barns and farm workshops.
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Use caseWorkshops, Garages & Sheds
Lockable steel space for tools and trades, motorbike and equipment garages, garden sheds and hobby workshops.
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Use caseCafés, Restaurants, Shops & Gyms
Container shells for coffee kiosks, small restaurants and bars, retail and pop-up stores and fitness studios.
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