How Heavy Is a 20-Foot Shipping Container?
a 20-Foot Shipping Container weighs about
30.5 t (33.6 US tons)
Typical range: 2,100 kg – 30,500 kg.
- a blue whale150,000 kg
adult; females larger than males; Antarctic subspecies up to 330,000 lb (149,685 kg), North Atlantic/North Pacific over 100,000 lb (45,359 kg)
- a 20 ft shipping container30,500 kg
20 ft ISO dry container (size type 22 G1) loaded to the ISO 668 maximum gross weight; empty tare 2,100-2,350 kg
- an African elephant4,500 kg
adult male 4,500–6,100 kg; adult female 2,000–3,500 kg
- an average new car1,980 kg
model year 2024 US fleet average curb weight
- You
Open full comparison → to add more objects on one scale.
Put it in perspective
- About 4.9× a blue whale
- About 6.8× an African elephant
- About 15× an average new car
Why weights differ
The 30,480 kg maximum gross weight is the ISO 668 ceiling for this size box; the empty box weighs only about 2,100-2,350 kg, so a container on the road can weigh anything between those figures depending on cargo.
Sources
[1] Hapag-Lloyd AG
20' Standard Container - Hapag-Lloyd cargo fleet specificationsManufacturer
“Max Gross ... Tare (Weight) ... Max Payload ... Kilograms ... 30,480 ... 2,350 ... 28,130 ... Pounds ... 67,197 ... 5,181 ... 62,016”
Value as published: Max gross 30,480 kg (67,197 lb), tare 2,350 kg (5,181 lb), max payload 28,130 kg (62,016 lb) · accessed 2026-11-11.
[2] Triton Container
20ft Dry Containers - specificationsManufacturer
“Max Gross ... 30,480 kg ... 67,200 lbs ... Payload ... 28,380 kg ... 62,570 lbs ... Tare ... 2,100 kg ... 4,630 lbs”
Value as published: Max gross 30,480 kg (67,200 lbs), tare 2,100 kg (4,630 lbs) · accessed 2026-11-11.
Last updated 2026-11-11.Report a correction (please include a source link).
Related objects
- a 40 ft shipping container32.5 t (35.8 US tons)
- a semi-truck at maximum gross weight40 US tons (36,290 kg)
- a school bus14.97 t (16.5 US tons)
- a Space Shuttle orbiter68.6 t (75.7 US tons)
- the International Space Station420 t (463 US tons)
- an average new car4,350 lb (1,980 kg)
Frequently asked questions
How much does a 20 ft shipping container weigh?
a 20-Foot Shipping Container weighs about 30.5 t (33.6 US tons) — 20 ft ISO dry container (size type 22 G1) loaded to the ISO 668 maximum gross weight; empty tare 2,100-2,350 kg.
How much is a 20 ft shipping container in pounds and ounces?
67,200 lb, which is 1,080,000 oz. In metric terms: 30,500 kg.
Is a 20 ft shipping container heavier than a blue whale?
No. a 20-Foot Shipping Container weighs about 30.5 t (33.6 US tons), while a blue whale is about 150 t (165 US tons) — roughly 1/4.91.
Why do sources give different weights?
The 30,480 kg maximum gross weight is the ISO 668 ceiling for this size box; the empty box weighs only about 2,100-2,350 kg, so a container on the road can weigh anything between those figures depending on cargo.
Where does this number come from?
Every source is listed at the bottom of this page with publisher, link, access date and a verbatim quote. Numbers are only published when a qualifying source can be verified.