---
title: "45 ft container: Definition and Meaning | NPSA"
description: "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."
url: https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/45-ft-container
publisher: National Portable Storage Association (NPSA)
phone: "(816) 960-6552"
email: info@npsa.org
---

Dimensions and weight

# 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.

## Why it matters

A 45 ft container gives extra volume over a 40 footer. Ocean carriers and some freight shippers use it for light, bulky cargo. For portable storage, it is rare. Few operators stock it, and fewer delivery trucks can place one on the ground. Used 45 ft units can also be hard to resell. The most common mistake is to assume any 40 ft chassis or trailer can carry it. It needs equipment rated for that length. Ask your supplier whether they can deliver and set it, and check the route, gates and turning room. For most storage jobs, a 40 ft box is the simpler choice.

[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

[### 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.](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/40-ft-container)[### 53 ft container A 53 ft container is a very long container used for domestic freight in North America. It is about 53 feet long, matching the 53 ft trailer length allowed on U.S. roads from 1990. It is not a standard ISO ocean size.](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/53-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)[### chassis A chassis is a skeletal semi-trailer built to carry a container. It has twistlocks at the corners that lock into the container's corner castings. Chassis are used with tractors to move containers on roads between ports, rail yards and depots.](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/chassis)[### reach stacker A reach stacker is a vehicle that handles intermodal cargo containers in terminals and ports. It has a telescopic boom that lifts, carries and stacks loaded containers several high. It grips them by the corner castings. It is built for heavy, high-volume yards.](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/reach-stacker)[### 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)

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

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