Supply execution
Container loading: what actually fits
Two products can occupy the same shelf space and load completely differently. Whether a container fills by weight or by volume decides the equipment, the cost per unit and sometimes the pack format itself.
Last reviewed: September 22, 2026
01
Weigh out or cube out
Every loaded container reaches one of two limits first, and which one decides everything downstream.
| Weighs out | The payload limit is reached while space remains. Dense goods - rice, salt, canned products in liquid, oils. A larger container may leave unused volume; compare its permitted payload and total transport cost before choosing it. |
|---|---|
| Cubes out | The container fills while payload remains. Light or bulky goods - snacks, cartoned cereals, some frozen and packaging-heavy formats. Here the larger container earns its cost. |
Dense products such as rice may suit a 20 ft container, but the final choice depends on the cargo, packaging, permitted payload and route. Confirm the equipment and loading plan for each shipment.
02
The equipment
| Container | Typically used for | Limiting factor |
|---|---|---|
| 20 ft standard | Dense goods: rice, salt, canned products, oils in drums | Payload, almost always |
| 40 ft standard | Mixed and moderate density cargo | Either, depending on the product |
| 40 ft high cube | Light or bulky goods, cartoned and palletized cargo | Volume, usually |
| 40 ft reefer | Frozen and chilled programs | Volume - insulation and the unit reduce internal space |
A reefer holds noticeably less than a dry box of the same nominal length. The refrigeration unit and the insulated walls take real internal volume, and the floor is ribbed for airflow, which affects how cartons sit.
03
Floor loaded or palletized
Palletizing costs volume. Pallets occupy height and footprint, and the gaps between pallet stacks cannot be filled. Floor loading uses the space but costs handling time at both ends, and exposes cartons to more damage.
- Floor loaded - more units per container, slower to load and discharge, more handling of individual cartons.
- Palletized - fewer units, faster turnaround, better protection, and often a requirement of the receiving warehouse rather than a choice.
Ask the receiving warehouse before fixing the pack format. A program designed around floor loading that arrives at a palletized-only facility loses its advantage at the door.
04
Why our figures say approximately
Loading figures published on this site are approximate, and deliberately so.
- Carton dimensions vary within tolerance, and a few millimeters per carton compounds across a container
- Product density varies by crop, season and moisture
- Pallet specification, wrapping and slip sheets change the usable height
- Payload limits differ by country, by road regulation on each leg, and by the tare weight of the actual container supplied
Actual loading is confirmed at the time of loading. Treat published figures as planning numbers for comparing formats and estimating landed cost - not as a quantity to write into a purchase order.
05
How we handle it
- Where documented, indicative loading is published with the product program, so formats can be compared before a specification is fixed
- Where a category weighs out, that is stated rather than leaving a buyer to discover it when quoting freight
- Pack format, case configuration and pallet pattern are agreed together, because changing one changes the others
- The loaded quantity is confirmed at loading, against the documents that travel with the goods
Product programs this guide applies to
Next step
Planning a program that has to meet these requirements?
Send the product, target market, pack format and expected volume. We review the commercial fit and come back with the questions that matter before a quotation.
Source and scope
Source. General container and payload practice for food cargo. Equipment capacities vary by carrier and by the specific container supplied.
Scope. All loading figures published by ALPHATRADE are indicative planning figures. Actual loaded quantity is confirmed at the time of loading and is stated on the shipping documents for the consignment.
Inquiries: sales@alphatradecorp.com