Container reference

45ft High Cube Container Dimensions

The 45ft high cube is the longest common dry container, offering the most volume where routes and carriers accept it.

Specifications are planning references. Actual dimensions and payload can vary by carrier, equipment and manufacturer.

45ft High Cube Container specifications

Specification	Metric	Imperial
Internal length	13.556 m (13,556 mm)	44 ft 6 in
Internal width	2.352 m (2,352 mm)	7 ft 9 in
Internal height	2.698 m (2,698 mm)	8 ft 10 in
Door opening width	2.340 m (2,340 mm)	7 ft 8 in
Door opening height	2.585 m (2,585 mm)	8 ft 6 in
External length	13.716 m (13,716 mm)	45 ft 0 in
External width	2.438 m (2,438 mm)	8 ft 0 in
External height	2.896 m (2,896 mm)	9 ft 6 in
Internal capacity	86.0 m³ (CBM)	3,038 ft³
Floor area	31.9 m²	343 ft²
Tare weight	4,800 kg	10,582 lb
Maximum payload	25,680 kg	56,615 lb
Maximum gross weight	30,480 kg	67,197 lb

Imperial lengths are rounded to the nearest inch. External dimensions are the ISO reference size; internal size, door, tare and payload are the planning references used by the calculators on this site.

How many pallets fit in a 45ft High Cube Container?

Pallet	45ft High Cube Container
Euro pallet (EUR 1) 1200 × 800 mm	27
Euro pallet (EUR 2) 1200 × 1000 mm	24
North American GMA 48 × 40 in	24
Asian standard 1100 × 1100 mm	24
Australian standard 1165 × 1165 mm	22

Floor positions for single-stacked pallets, as arranged by the packing engine with pallets kept upright and turned where that fits more. Stacking can add more where loaded pallets are low and strong enough; payload and handling space can reduce the count.

What a 45ft High Cube Container is used for

A 45HC suits very light, high-volume cargo where every extra cubic metre lowers the cost per unit. It is not offered on every trade lane, and road length rules in some regions restrict it, so confirm availability with your carrier.

Cartons rarely fill the full 86.0 m³. Fixed carton sizes leave gaps against the walls and ceiling, and stacking limits, fragile goods and the payload reduce what fits. That is why a carton-by-carton load plan is more reliable than dividing the container's CBM by the carton CBM.

Will your cargo fit?

Enter your cartons in the Container Loading Calculator to see how many fit in a 45ft High Cube Container, the utilization, payload and a 2D and 3D load plan.

Open Container Loading Calculator

Other container sizes

Related calculators

Related guides

Frequently asked questions

How many CBM is a 45ft high cube container?

About 86 CBM of internal space, roughly 10 CBM more than a 40ft high cube.

Is the 45ft container available everywhere?

No. It is used on some trade lanes and by some carriers, and road transport rules in some countries limit its use. Check availability before planning around it.

What are the external dimensions of a 45ft high cube?

45 ft long, 8 ft wide and 9 ft 6 in high (13.716 × 2.438 × 2.896 m).