How many cars fit in a shipping container? That sounds like something you’d see in an article titled, “10 Things You Need To Know But Never Thought To Ask”!
Obviously, the number of cars that can fit in a shipping container depends on the size of the container, the size of the cars, and the type of vehicles. But we can make some educated guesses to figure it out.
Shall we?
Shipping Container Dimensions
If you look through the Container Stop FAQs, you’ll notice the following questions: What length do shipping containers come in? Other dimensions?
Our answer: The most frequently requested sizes are 10 feet, 20 feet, and 40 feet, although we’re able to customize them so they’re as short as 5 feet or as long as 45 feet.
Just tell us what you need, and we’ll get to work.
While the lengths can be customized, all our containers are 8 feet wide. They’re available in two heights: standard 8.5 feet or a high-cube 9.5 feet.
Since we’re discussing shipping container dimensions, we thought we’d mention that the width and height of our containers cannot be altered. So please keep that in mind when considering your own trailer.
Of course, when trying to determine how many cars will fit in a shipping container, height is only of slight importance. After all, we’re not going to try and stack cars atop one another, are we?
(Quick side note: It’s possible — indeed it’s mandatory when cost-effective shippers are seeking efficiencies and are looking to maximize the use of space — to arrange vehicles in a shipping container with one end elevated. You can see what that looks like here.)
Shipping Containers and Cars
Keeping the shipping container dimensions above in mind, we can get an idea of the number of vehicles that can fit inside a shipping container.
A 20-foot container can accommodate two standard-sized vehicles placed end to end. A 40-foot container can fit about four standard-sized vehicles inside.
If we add a few wrinkles, we can say that a 40-foot container can hold five or six small cars. A container can probably accommodate three big cars or SUV-style vehicles.
But remember: YMMV! (Your mileage may vary!)
Happy shipping!
Contact Container Stop with any questions.