---
title: "40 ft container: Definition and Meaning | NPSA"
description: "A 40 ft container is a long ISO shipping container, 40 feet long and 8 feet wide. Standard height is 8 feet 6 inches."
url: https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/40-ft-container
publisher: National Portable Storage Association (NPSA)
phone: "(816) 960-6552"
email: info@npsa.org
---

Dimensions and weight

# 40 ft container

A 40 ft container is a long ISO shipping container, 40 feet long and 8 feet wide. Standard height is 8 feet 6 inches. A high cube version is about 9 feet 6 inches tall. It holds roughly twice the length of a 20 ft box.

## Why it matters

Operators use 40 ft containers for large storage jobs, long items and mobile offices. One 40 ft box often costs less per square foot than two 20 footers. The trade-off is delivery. A long box needs more straight-line space, wider turns and often a bigger truck or a crane. Many sites cannot take one, even if they have enough room to store it. A common mistake is to focus on the yard and forget the road to it. Measure the route, gates, overhead wires and ground surface before you order. Confirm whether a standard or high cube unit will pass any height limits.

[Read: Shipping container sizes and dimensions for rental fleets](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/guides/container-sizes-and-dimensions)

Definition source: [en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intermodal_container)

## Related terms

[### 20 ft container A 20 ft container is the standard short ISO shipping container. It is about 19 feet 10 1/2 inches long, 8 feet wide and 8 feet 6 inches tall on the outside. It is the most common size in portable storage and counts as one twenty-foot equivalent unit.](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/20-ft-container)[### 45 ft container A 45 ft container is a shipping container 45 feet long and 8 feet wide. Most are high cube, about 9 feet 6 inches tall. It is less common than 20 ft and 40 ft boxes and is built mainly for volume freight.](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/45-ft-container)[### high cube container A high cube container is a container that is taller than standard, usually 9 feet 6 inches tall outside, compared with 8 feet 6 inches for a standard unit. It is often written HC or HQ. The extra height adds inside room.](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/high-cube-container)[### forty-foot equivalent unit (FEU) A forty-foot equivalent unit is a unit of cargo capacity based on a 40-foot-long intermodal container. One FEU equals two TEU. Shipping lines, ports and freight forwarders use it, often next to TEU, to count containers of different lengths in one clear number.](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/forty-foot-equivalent-unit-feu)[### turning radius Turning radius is the minimum space a vehicle needs to make a turn. A long delivery truck with a trailer needs wide, open space to turn without hitting fences, curbs or buildings. It is often given as a radius or a diameter.](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/turning-radius)[### overhead clearance Overhead clearance is the free vertical space above a road or drop site. Trees, power lines, bridges and roof edges limit it. A delivery truck and container need enough clear height to travel and tilt without contact. Check it along the full route.](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/overhead-clearance)

[All 220 terms](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary)

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