Standard shipping containers have external dimensions of 20 ft or 40 ft in length and 8 ft in width. Standard containers have a height of 8 ft 6 in. High Cube (HC) containers are 9 ft 6 in tall — one foot taller than the standard height.
Internal dimensions are slightly smaller due to wall thickness. A standard 20 ft container has an internal length of approximately 19 ft 4 in, an internal width of approximately 7 ft 8 in, and an internal height of approximately 7 ft 10 in. A standard 40 ft container has an internal length of approximately 39 ft 5 in with similar width and height. Payload capacity typically ranges from 21,700 kg (20 ft) to 26,680 kg (40 ft).