Reference

Container weight explained:
tare, max gross and payload

How many tonnes can a 20ft take? Why the same box has two answers, and why the weight has to be verified before it goes on the ship.

"Container weight" is three different numbers

Ask for a container's weight and you get three figures. The answer depends on which one you mean.

Term	Meaning	Used for
Tare	Weight of the empty container itself	Gross weight calculation, vehicle weight on the road
Max gross	Tare + cargo must not exceed this	The limit the carrier, crane and chassis care about
Payload	Max gross − tare = cargo you can load	The figure you actually plan against

All three are printed on the CSC plate on the container door. Even two 20ft boxes can differ by build year and spec, so the table below gives typical values; for an actual shipment, use the plate on the box you were assigned.

Weights by container type (typical)

Container	Tare	Max gross	Payload
20ft (older / light spec)	≈ 2,300 kg	24,000 kg	≈ 21,700 kg
20ft (current standard spec)	≈ 2,300 kg	30,480 kg	≈ 28,180 kg
40ft	≈ 3,750 kg	30,480 kg	≈ 26,700 kg
40ft HC	≈ 3,900 kg	30,480 kg	≈ 26,500 kg
20ft reefer	≈ 3,000 kg	30,480 kg	≈ 27,400 kg
40ft HC reefer	≈ 4,500 kg	34,000 kg	≈ 29,500 kg

Why two rows for 20ft — 20ft boxes exist with a 24,000 kg max gross and with 30,480 kg. Most in circulation today are the 30,480 kg type, but only the plate tells you which one you got. The MyNore simulator conservatively defaults a 20ft to 21.7 t and lets you change it after checking the plate.

The key point: a 40ft has twice the volume of a 20ft but almost the same payload. Heavy cargo ships more in two 20ft boxes than in one 40ft — see the density-based rule in the 20ft vs 40ft guide.

VGM — no verified weight, no loading

Since July 2016, under SOLAS, every export container needs a Verified Gross Mass (VGM) submitted to the carrier before loading. It is the shipper's responsibility, and without it the terminal will refuse to load the box.

Method 1 — weigh the packed container as a whole.
Method 2 — add cargo weight + packaging, pallets and dunnage + the container tare from the plate.

The common mistake with Method 2 is leaving out pallets, dunnage and lashing materials. One pallet is 20–30 kg; ten of them are 300 kg. Tolerances are set nationally (Korea is understood to allow ±5%), so check the current rule where you ship.

On the road there is another limit

A container within its own spec still has to obey road rules on a truck. In Korea the limits are 40 t gross vehicle weight and 10 t per axle. A 40ft with 26 t of cargo is about 30 t for the box alone; add tractor and chassis (roughly 12–15 t depending on the vehicle) and you can exceed 40 t.

For cargo near the payload limit, the inland road limit often bites before the container limit does. Check with the haulier first or split into two 20ft boxes.

Accidents that start with weight

Wrong weight figures cause trouble in two places. Inside the box, heavy cargo stacked on light cargo crushes what is underneath — MyNore's multi-layer mode prevents that with the (max tiers − 1) × own weight rule. Outside the box, a gap between documented and actual weight pushes a crane or strap past its working load limit. A real case of the second kind is in DDP and unloading accidents.

How many fit within the weight limit?

Enter cargo dimensions and weight to get piece count and gross weight per container. No sign-up.

Open the container loading simulator

Container weight explained:tare, max gross and payload