How much does a shipping container weigh? An empty 20ft weighs about 4,800 to 5,100 lb (2,180 to 2,310 kg). An empty 40ft weighs about 8,000 to 8,400 lb (3,630 to 3,810 kg), and a 40ft high cube about 8,600 to 8,900 lb (3,900 to 4,040 kg). Loaded to the limit on its plate, a 20ft or 40ft can weigh 67,200 lb or more, though nothing you store at home will come close.
Those figures matter in a few practical places: the truck or forklift the weight calls for, what your pad has to carry, and whether the tractor in the barn can shift one.
Weight chart: 10ft, 20ft, 40ft and 40ft high cube
| Size | Tare (empty) | Max payload | Max gross |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10ft | about 2,500 to 3,000 lb (1,130 to 1,360 kg) | about 19,400 to 19,900 lb (8,800 to 9,030 kg) | 22,400 lb (10,160 kg) |
| 20ft standard | about 4,800 to 5,100 lb (2,180 to 2,310 kg) | about 62,000 lb (28,100 kg) | 67,200 lb (30,480 kg) |
| 40ft standard | about 8,000 to 8,400 lb (3,630 to 3,810 kg) | about 59,000 lb (26,760 kg) | 67,200 lb (30,480 kg) |
| 40ft high cube | about 8,600 to 8,900 lb (3,900 to 4,040 kg) | about 58,500 lb (26,540 kg) | 67,200 lb (30,480 kg) |
Typical manufacturer figures, with max gross and payload at the long-standing 30,480 kg rating. Units vary by maker, floor type and age, so the plate on your container is the final word. Ten-foot boxes vary most, since many are cut-downs or storage builds.
The dimension chart has the same four sizes inside and out, and the one-page specs table puts weights and dimensions side by side.
Tare, payload and max gross explained
There are three numbers to know, and simple subtraction links them.
Tare is the weight of the empty container: steel frame, corrugated panels, doors and the plywood floor. A 40 doesn't weigh twice what a 20 does, because the two end frames, with their corner posts, doors and front wall, are the same on any length.
Max gross is the most the container may weigh fully loaded, and it's printed on the plate. The long-standing ISO rating for 20s, 40s and high cubes is 67,200 lb (30,480 kg). Many newer boxes are plated at 71,650 lb (32,500 kg), and ISO 668 now allows up to 79,370 lb (36,000 kg). Older 20ft plates may show 52,910 lb (24,000 kg), the rating before 2005.
Payload is max gross minus tare, the number stenciled on the door as NET or PAYLOAD. A 20ft rated to carry 62,000 lb can hold more than twelve times its own weight. A one-car garage's worth of belongings is a few thousand pounds and a full-size pickup weighs around 5,000 lb, so payload only matters if the box goes back on a ship or travels loaded on a truck.
Reading the weight on the CSC plate and the door
Every container that has been in international shipping service carries a CSC safety approval plate, a small metal plate usually fixed to the left-hand door as you face the doors. It shows the country of approval, the month and year of manufacture, the manufacturer's identification number, the maximum gross weight, and the stacking and racking test values. Tare and payload are also stenciled on the doors, usually in both kilograms and pounds.
On a used box, trust the stenciled tare over any chart. On a 10ft cut-down the plate may belong to the donor box or be missing altogether.
What the weight means for delivery
A tilt-bed truck is built for this weight and does the work. The bed tilts, the container slides off the back, and the truck drives out from under it. What the weight does demand is ground that holds a loaded truck, and wet lawns, fresh fill and thin paving are where that shows. The delivery guide covers the approach the truck needs, roughly 60 to 100 ft of straight run for a 20ft and 100 to 150 ft for a 40ft.
Flatbed delivery is where the weight becomes your job, because the driver doesn't unload. For a 20ft you need a forklift rated for at least 15,000 lb with 6 ft or longer forks, or a crane. That sounds like a lot for a 5,000 lb box, but the load sits far out on the forks, and capacity drops quickly the farther it is from the mast. A 40ft or high cube needs a crane. Have it running before the truck arrives, since waiting past the first free hour is billed by the hour.
What it means for your foundation
A container carries its entire weight on four steel corner castings. Each one's bottom face is about 7 in by 6.4 in, roughly 45 sq in, or about a third of a square foot.
Take an empty 20ft at 5,000 lb, and each corner carries 1,250 lb. Load it with 10,000 lb of belongings, more than most households will ever put in one, and the total is 15,000 lb, or 3,750 lb per corner. Set directly on soil, that corner presses down at around 12,000 lb per square foot. The International Building Code presumes clay can carry about 1,500 lb per square foot, sand 2,000 and gravel 3,000, and soft or wet ground carries much less. So the casting sinks, the box twists, and the doors stop closing.
Put a solid 16 in by 16 in concrete block under each corner and the same 3,750 lb spreads over about 1.8 sq ft, around 2,100 lb per square foot. Gravel carries that easily, sand is right at its limit, and on clay you'd want a wider footing or a compacted gravel base. That arithmetic is the reason for blocks, timbers or a pad, and the foundation options guide compares them by cost and site. Doors binding on a 20ft container usually mean a corner has settled.
Can you move it with a tractor or skid steer?
For the most part, no. A compact tractor's front loader typically lifts around 600 to 2,500 lb, and skid steers are rated from under 1,700 lb on small machines to about 4,000 lb on the largest. Lifting one end of an empty 20ft means picking up about half its tare, 2,400 to 2,550 lb, so a large skid steer with forks can raise one end enough to slide a block under it. It can't carry the box, or safely lift either end of a 40.
Dragging is the other thing people try, with chains on the bottom corner castings, skids underneath and a tractor pulling an empty 20 a short distance across firm ground. It can work, but it can also rack the frame and leave you with doors that won't seal. Never drag a loaded box.
The reliable options are a tilt-bed truck, a 15,000 lb forklift with 6 ft forks for a 20, or a crane for a 40. The how to move a container guide covers each with typical costs. None of them is cheap, which is the best reason to get the spot right the first time.
Why one-trip and used boxes weigh about the same
A used container has the same steel, corner posts and floor it had when new. Weathering steel loses very little to surface rust, and faded paint weighs next to nothing. Repairs can add a little. So a used 20ft and a new 20ft from the same maker usually weigh close to the same.
The bigger differences are between manufacturers and floor types. That's why the chart gives a range for each size, and why the plate beats the chart.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a 20ft shipping container weigh?
Empty, it's about 4,800 to 5,100 lb, or 2,180 to 2,310 kg. With a maximum gross weight of 67,200 lb on most plates, and more on some newer ones, it can carry about 62,000 lb of cargo, far more than any storage use will put in it.
How much does a 40ft shipping container weigh?
About 8,000 to 8,400 lb empty for a standard-height box and 8,600 to 8,900 lb for a high cube, with the extra coming from the taller side panels, corner posts and doors. Both are commonly plated for 67,200 lb gross, and many newer ones for 71,650 lb.
Does a shipping container need a concrete foundation because of its weight?
Not for storage. The weight sits on four corners, so what matters is solid, level support under those corners, such as concrete blocks, treated timbers or a compacted gravel pad. A slab makes sense if you're building something permanent or already have one.
Can I lift a shipping container with a regular forklift?
Usually not. Most warehouse forklifts are rated for 3,000 to 6,000 lb, and a 20ft needs one rated for at least 15,000 lb with 6 ft or longer forks. A 40ft needs a crane.
With the weight sorted, tell us your ZIP and we'll quote the size that fits your site, delivered.
