How Heavy Is a 40-Foot Shipping Container?
a 40-Foot Shipping Container weighs about
32.5 t (35.8 US tons)
Typical range: 3,540 kg – 32,500 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 40 ft shipping container32,500 kg
40 ft ISO dry container (size type 42 G1) loaded to the maximum gross weight of 32,500 kg; empty tare 3,540-3,750 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 4.6× a blue whale
- About 7.2× an African elephant
- About 16× an average new car
Why weights differ
A 40 ft box may be rated for up to 32,500 kg gross in the carrier and manufacturer specifications used here, while the smaller 20 ft box is rated for 30,480 kg; empty tare is around 3,540-3,750 kg.
Sources
[1] Hapag-Lloyd AG
40' Standard Container - Hapag-Lloyd cargo fleet specificationsManufacturer
“Max Gross ... Tare (Weight) ... Max Payload ... Kilograms ... 32,500 ... 3.750 ... 28,750 ... Pounds ... 71,650 ... 8,267 ... 63,383”
Value as published: Max gross 32,500 kg (71,650 lb), tare 3.750 kg (8,267 lb), max payload 28,750 kg (63,383 lb) · accessed 2026-11-11.
[2] Triton Container
40ft Dry Containers - specificationsManufacturer
“Max Gross ... 32,500 kg ... 71,650 lbs ... Payload ... 28,960 kg ... 63,850 lbs ... Tare ... 3,540 kg ... 7,800 lbs”
Value as published: Max gross 32,500 kg (71,650 lbs), tare 3,540 kg (7,800 lbs) · accessed 2026-11-11.
Last updated 2026-11-11.Report a correction (please include a source link).
Related objects
- a 20 ft shipping container30.5 t (33.6 US tons)
- a semi-truck at maximum gross weight40 US tons (36,290 kg)
- a Space Shuttle orbiter68.6 t (75.7 US tons)
- a school bus14.97 t (16.5 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 40 ft shipping container weigh?
a 40-Foot Shipping Container weighs about 32.5 t (35.8 US tons) — 40 ft ISO dry container (size type 42 G1) loaded to the maximum gross weight of 32,500 kg; empty tare 3,540-3,750 kg.
How much is a 40 ft shipping container in pounds and ounces?
71,700 lb, which is 1,150,000 oz. In metric terms: 32,500 kg.
Is a 40 ft shipping container heavier than a blue whale?
No. a 40-Foot Shipping Container weighs about 32.5 t (35.8 US tons), while a blue whale is about 150 t (165 US tons) — roughly 1/4.61.
Why do sources give different weights?
A 40 ft box may be rated for up to 32,500 kg gross in the carrier and manufacturer specifications used here, while the smaller 20 ft box is rated for 30,480 kg; empty tare is around 3,540-3,750 kg.
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.