Home / Logistics Knowledge / Container Types & Sizes / 40ft General Purpose Container (40GP)
The 40GP is the 20GP doubled in length but identical in width and height, with about twice the volume. It is the most cost-efficient box in FCL: freight is only 30–50% higher than a 20ft yet capacity is double.
The 40GP is the 20GP stretched to twice the length (about 12.19 m) with the same width and height, giving roughly double the volume and counting as 2 TEU (1 FEU). For a trading company, when the load sits in the 55–60 CBM range a single 40GP is usually the most cost-effective booking.
Its structure, doors, corner castings and timber floor match the 20GP — it is simply longer, so it needs more trailer length, yard depth and unloading room. Because it is longer and tares about 3.7 tonnes, it hits road weight limits sooner than a 20GP, which is why it suits bulky, light cargo rather than heavy cargo.
Full name: 40-foot General Purpose (Dry Cargo) Container
A single piece must be no longer than the 12,032 mm internal length, no wider than 2,352 mm and no higher than 2,393 mm; the door opening is 2,340 mm wide × 2,280 mm high. Long bars cannot angle through a 2.34 m door, so check the diagonal too.
| Dimension | mm | cm | m | ft & in | in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length | 12032 | 1203.2 | 12.032 | 39 ft 5.7 in | 473.7 |
| Width | 2352 | 235.2 | 2.352 | 7 ft 8.6 in | 92.6 |
| Height | 2393 | 239.3 | 2.393 | 7 ft 10.2 in | 94.2 |
| Door opening width | 2340 | 234.0 | 2.340 | 7 ft 8.1 in | 92.1 |
| Door opening height | 2280 | 228.0 | 2.280 | 7 ft 5.8 in | 89.8 |
| Dimension | mm | cm | m | ft & in | in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length | 12192 | 1219.2 | 12.192 | 40 ft 0.0 in | 480.0 |
| Width | 2438 | 243.8 | 2.438 | 7 ft 12.0 in | 96.0 |
| Height | 2591 | 259.1 | 2.591 | 8 ft 6.0 in | 102.0 |
| Door opening width | 2340 | 234.0 | 2.340 | 7 ft 8.1 in | 92.1 |
| Door opening height | 2280 | 228.0 | 2.280 | 7 ft 5.8 in | 89.8 |
| Item | Tonnes (t) | Kilograms (kg) | Pounds (lb) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tare weight (empty) | 3.65 – 3.85 | 3,650 – 3,850 | 8,047 – 8,488 |
| Maximum payload (net cargo) | 26.73 | 26,730 | 58,930 |
| Maximum gross weight (box + cargo) | 30.48 | 30,480 | 67,197 |
New (one-trip) 40GP containers have just left the factory or carried a single load: flat panels, tight door seals and no corrosion, which makes them the right choice for food, precision goods and long-term leasing. Used (multi-trip) 40GP boxes have years of ocean service behind them and may show dents, light rust and worn flooring, but a structurally sound unit that passes a cargo-worthy survey still ships perfectly normally.
What separates two apparently identical 20ft or 40ft boxes is the floor and the door gear. Check for a swollen or delaminating plywood floor, rusty door hinges and worn gaskets before you load food, paper, textiles or anything that reacts to moisture.
For a 40GP, most exporters simply take the carrier’s “cargo worthy” unit, because the shipping line is responsible for the box being fit for carriage at the moment it is picked up. If you buy your own container instead, pricing is graded by age and condition: CW (cargo worthy), WWT (wind and water tight) and AS-IS (sold as seen).
New / one-trip units run about USD 3,500–7,500 on the US resale market; in China, new boxes follow the carrier's contract rate.
Cargo-worthy used boxes about USD 1,650–4,500; wind & water tight about USD 2,500–4,200.
Maersk, MSC, CMA CGM, COSCO, OOCL, Hapag-Lloyd, ONE and Evergreen all build to the same ISO standards, so the external dimensions of a 40GP match the standard exactly and the box can be stacked and interchanged on board and on the chassis without adaptation.
Across carriers, the practical differences for a 40GP are in box age and condition (new units are assigned to the mainline services), the builder (CIMC, Singamas, CXIC, Maersk Container Industry and others), small variations in the tare and payload figures stamped on the plate, and the configuration of special equipment — reefer unit brand, tarpaulin type on an open-top, folding versus fixed end walls on a flat-rack. Mention heavy, over-height or specialised cargo at booking so the carrier allocates the right unit.
On dry boxes ask for the newest unit on the service if the cargo is food-grade or moisture-sensitive.
A 40GP takes about 24–26 EUR pallets or 400–500 standard cartons. Everyday bulky, light goods — furniture, toys, appliances, paper products, textiles and garments — fill its volume well before its weight.
A 40GP is rarely used for heavy cargo because its higher tare makes road overweight easier than with a 20GP. For tiles or stone, work back from the destination country's road limit to decide the loadable tonnes, and split into two 20GP if needed.
When the box is not full, load back to front with heavy items against the floor and walls and lighter items on top; fill side gaps with dunnage bags, nail timber chocks for fore-and-aft stops, and add a net or door bar at the door.
The 40GP suits light and medium cargo: furniture, sanitaryware, lighting, toys, appliances, hardware, packaging, daily necessities and textiles. It fits full loads of roughly 40–58 CBM and 18–26 tonnes.
Flat-pack furniture with edge protectors and interleaving to prevent scuffs; fragile goods such as lighting and glassware need shock-proof packing and marked stacking limits. Timber packaging must meet ISPM 15 with an IPPC mark.
A Shunde flat-pack furniture order to Europe at about 56 CBM and 9 tonnes gross fills a 40GP on volume — a classic bulky load. Another small-appliance order at 70 CBM exceeds the 40GP and books a 40HC instead.
External dimensions are 12,192 x 2,438 x 2,591 mm (40 ft x 8 ft x 8 ft 6 in). Internal dimensions are about 12,032 x 2,352 x 2,393 mm and the door opening is 2,340 mm wide by 2,280 mm high - the same door as a 20ft.
The tare weight is about 3,650-3,850 kg. Maximum payload is roughly 26,730 kg and maximum gross mass 30,480 kg, which is the same gross limit as a 20ft box.
"40ft" is the length; "40GP" is the 40-foot general purpose dry container specifically. For standard dry cargo the two refer to the same unit, and a quote written as 40GP is simply being precise about the box type.
The 40HC is about 30 cm taller and carries roughly 8.7 CBM more, about 76.4 CBM against 67.7 CBM. Payload is almost identical, so the high cube only earns its premium when the cargo is light and bulky.
Single-stacked, about 24-26 Euro pallets (1,200 x 800 mm) or 20 standard 48 x 40 in (GMA) pallets. Mixed pallet sizes usually land between 18 and 22. The internal height of 2,393 mm allows a second layer of pallets up to about 1.1 m tall if the cargo is light and stackable.
Nominal internal volume is 67.7 CBM, and 60-63 CBM is a realistic usable figure after allowing for packaging and loading gaps.
No. The internal length is about 12.03 m (39 ft 5.6 in), so 40 ft is the nominal external length. Cargo has to pass the 2.34 m x 2.28 m door opening, which is the same as on a 20ft box.
No. It offers twice the volume at almost the same maximum gross mass, 30,480 kg. That is exactly why dense cargo such as tiles, steel or chemicals is quoted in 20ft boxes and light cargo is quoted in 40ft.
About 26.7 tonnes of cargo on a 30,480 kg gross mass. On the road the practical ceiling is lower, roughly 24-26 tonnes in most of Europe and North America, because axle weights and tractor limits apply before the container rating does.
VGM is the Verified Gross Mass declared under SOLAS. The shipper must submit it before the loading cut-off, and it has to be accurate: terminals re-weigh containers, and a mismatch in either direction can mean a rolled booking or an extra charge.
New and one-trip units run about USD 3,500-7,500 on the US resale market. Cargo-worthy used boxes are roughly USD 1,650-4,500 and wind-and-water-tight units about USD 2,500-4,200. Condition and depot location move the price more than anything else.
The 40ft. Ocean freight, terminal handling and inland drayage are spread across twice the volume, and on most lanes a 40ft costs only about 30-60% more than a 20ft. For light cargo the 40ft is therefore markedly cheaper per cubic metre.
Voluminous general cargo: furniture, appliances, cartons, textiles, plastic goods and packaged consumer goods. It suits shipments of 45-65 CBM, and the 20ft remains the better choice once the cargo is heavy rather than bulky.
A new or one-trip box has carried at most one load, so it looks and seals like new. A used (multi-trip) box has years of service and may show dents, light rust and worn flooring, but a structurally sound unit that passes a cargo-worthy survey ships normally. Used boxes are graded CW, WWT and AS-IS.
42 identifies a 40-foot container, G a general purpose dry box and 1 a door opening at one end. The code is printed on the plate and quoted on bookings, so it is worth checking that a special container really was allocated when the booking was placed.
Volume is almost the same, roughly 67.7 CBM against 66 CBM for two 20ft boxes, but two 20ft units can legally carry more than twice as much weight. Choose two 20ft for dense cargo and a single 40ft for light, bulky shipments or destinations that are easier to serve with one delivery.
Our team ships batteries, chemicals, and general cargo worldwide. Get a tailored rate within 24 hours.
