Buyer ToolsFurniture Container Load Calculator
Plan your order by the container
Start CalculatingPick the furniture you want to import and how many of each. See the total CBM and weight, how full each container gets, and whether a 20ft, 40ft or 40ft High Cube is the cheapest way to ship it.
Sizes are standard industry dimensions with typical export packing. Your exact carton sizes and weights are confirmed with the quote.
How the container calculation is done
Each product has a standard size and an export carton size. The calculator multiplies the carton volume (length × width × height) by your quantity, adds it up, and compares the total with the usable space in each container: the container volume times the loading efficiency.
It checks weight too. Furniture usually fills a container by volume long before it reaches the weight limit, but heavy items such as fireproof doors and racks can tip the balance.
Then it tries every mix of 20ft, 40ft and 40ft High Cube containers and picks the lowest freight cost, using the usual rule that a 40ft costs roughly 1.4 to 1.5 times a 20ft. Rates vary by route and season, so treat the mix as a starting point.
Why we flat-pack steel furniture for export
A 9-door steel locker shipped assembled is mostly air inside. Knocked down into panels, the same locker takes less than half the space, so you ship more than twice as many per container and pay less freight per piece.
Lockers, racks, beds, shelving and tables are flat-packed with fixing kits and assembly drawings. Sofas, chairs, filing cabinets and safes ship assembled. Switch any product between the two in the calculator to see the difference.
20ft, 40ft and 40ft High Cube container dimensions
| Container | Inside L × W × H | Volume | Max payload |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20ft Standard (20GP) | 5.90 × 2.35 × 2.39 m · 19′4″ × 7′9″ × 7′10″ | 33.2 m³ | 28,130 kg |
| 40ft Standard (40GP) | 12.03 × 2.35 × 2.39 m · 39′6″ × 7′9″ × 7′10″ | 67.7 m³ | 28,750 kg |
| 40ft High Cube (40HC) | 12.03 × 2.35 × 2.70 m · 39′6″ × 7′8″ × 8′10″ | 76.3 m³ | 28,600 kg |
Representative figures from Hapag-Lloyd's container fleet. Exact sizes vary slightly by shipping line, and road weight limits in your country may be lower than the container's payload.
How many pieces of furniture fit in a container
Pieces of a single product per container at 85% loading efficiency, in our standard export packing.
| Product | Packing | m³ each | 20ft | 40ft | 40ft HC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slotted angle storage rack, 5 shelves 1830 H × 915 W × 457 D mm | Flat-packed | 0.14 | 198 | 405 | 456 |
| Deck panel rack, heavy duty (1 bay) 2000 H × 1500 W × 600 D mm | Flat-packed | 0.27 | 105 | 215 | 242 |
| Server rack, 42U 2000 H × 600 W × 1000 D mm | Assembled | 1.62 | 17 | 35 | 40 |
| Fireproof steel door / gate, single leaf 2100 × 1000 mm | Assembled | 0.52 | 54 | 111 | 125 |
| Heavy-gauge steel locker, 6 doors 1830 H × 915 W × 457 D mm | Flat-packed | 0.21 | 135 | 275 | 310 |
| Student locker, 3 columns × 3 tiers (9 doors) 1830 H × 915 W × 457 D mm | Flat-packed | 0.21 | 135 | 275 | 310 |
| Full-height campus locker, 4 doors 1830 H × 610 W × 457 D mm | Flat-packed | 0.15 | 185 | 378 | 426 |
| Hostel bunk bed with under-bunk drawers for 36 × 78 in (915 × 1980 mm) mattresses | Flat-packed | 0.25 | 111 | 228 | 257 |
| Campus steel wardrobe, 2 doors 78 × 36 × 19 in (1980 × 915 × 483 mm) | Flat-packed | 0.23 | 124 | 254 | 286 |
| Library shelving, double sided 2100 H × 900 W × 600 D mm | Flat-packed | 0.28 | 100 | 205 | 231 |
| Student desk & chair set (1 seat) desk 600 × 450 × 750 mm | Flat-packed | 0.15 | 193 | 394 | 444 |
| Classroom bench-desk, 2 seats 1200 × 750 × 760 mm | Flat-packed | 0.22 | 128 | 262 | 296 |
| Auditorium chair (per seat) 550 W × 650 D × 1000 H mm | Flat-packed | 0.19 | 149 | 304 | 343 |
| Ergonomic mesh office chair standard mid/high back | Flat-packed | 0.16 | 177 | 361 | 407 |
| Executive office desk 1800 × 900 × 750 mm | Flat-packed | 0.36 | 78 | 159 | 179 |
| Steel office cabinet, sliding glass doors 1830 H × 915 W × 457 D mm | Assembled | 0.92 | 30 | 62 | 70 |
| Steel filing cabinet, 4 drawers 1320 H × 470 W × 620 D mm | Assembled | 0.45 | 62 | 128 | 144 |
| Conference table, 8 seats 2400 × 1200 × 750 mm | Flat-packed | 0.62 | 45 | 92 | 103 |
| Steel almirah, 2 doors 78 × 36 × 19 in (1980 × 915 × 483 mm) | Flat-packed | 0.23 | 124 | 254 | 286 |
| HDMR sliding wardrobe, 2 doors 2000 H × 1500 W × 600 D mm | Flat-packed | 0.41 | 68 | 140 | 158 |
| King size bed for 72 × 78 in (1830 × 1980 mm) mattress | Flat-packed | 0.46 | 61 | 124 | 140 |
| Queen size bed for 60 × 78 in (1525 × 1980 mm) mattress | Flat-packed | 0.36 | 77 | 158 | 178 |
| Steel bed, single for 36 × 78 in (915 × 1980 mm) mattress | Flat-packed | 0.12 | 229 | 467 | 527 |
| 3-seater sofa 2100 L × 900 D × 850 H mm | Assembled | 1.84 | 15 | 31 | 35 |
| 2-seater sofa 1600 L × 900 D × 850 H mm | Assembled | 1.41 | 20 | 40 | 45 |
| Armchair 850 × 850 × 850 mm | Assembled | 0.73 | 38 | 78 | 88 |
| Dining table, 6 seats 1800 × 900 × 750 mm | Flat-packed | 0.27 | 104 | 212 | 239 |
| Dining chair 450 × 500 × 900 mm | Flat-packed | 0.14 | 204 | 416 | 469 |
| Hotel room furniture set (1 room) king bed, 2 bedside tables, wardrobe, desk & chair, luggage rack | Flat-packed | 2.80 | 10 | 20 | 23 |
| Restaurant dining chair 450 × 520 × 880 mm | Assembled | 0.25 | 111 | 227 | 256 |
| Restaurant table, 4 seats 750 × 750 × 750 mm | Flat-packed | 0.08 | 366 | 747 | 842 |
| Hotel room safe, 40 litre electronic keypad | Assembled | 0.08 | 335 | 685 | 772 |
Container loading — frequently asked questions
How many steel lockers fit in a 40ft container?
About 310 flat-packed 9-door student lockers (1830 × 915 × 457 mm) fit in a 40ft High Cube container, or about 275 in a 40ft standard. Shipped assembled, the figure drops to about 70 in a 40ft High Cube, which is why we flat-pack lockers for export.
How many sofas fit in a 40ft container?
About 35 three-seater sofas (2100 mm long, wrapped with legs off) fit in a 40ft High Cube container and about 15 in a 20ft container. Sofas ship assembled, so they use far more space than flat-packed steel furniture.
How many beds fit in a 20ft container?
About 61 flat-packed king size bed frames (for a 72 × 78 inch mattress) fit in a 20ft container, and about 140 in a 40ft High Cube. Mattresses are not included in these figures.
What is the usable volume of a 20ft and a 40ft container?
A 20ft standard container holds 33.2 m³, a 40ft standard 67.7 m³ and a 40ft High Cube 76.3 m³. Mixed furniture cargo rarely fills every corner, so this calculator plans on 85% of that volume by default. You can change the loading efficiency in the calculator.
Is 20ft or 40ft cheaper for a furniture order?
Per cubic metre, a 40ft container is usually cheaper because it carries about twice the volume of a 20ft for much less than twice the freight. A 20ft makes sense when your order is under about 28 m³. The calculator suggests the lowest-cost mix for your list.
What is the minimum export order?
The minimum export order with The Royal Safe Company is USD 3,000. Most buyers order by the container, and a mixed container of different products is fine.
Are these exact shipping figures?
No. They are planning estimates from standard product sizes and typical export packing. Final carton sizes, weights and the loading plan are confirmed with your quote, before production.
More tools for export buyers
Send this load plan to our export desk.
We reply with an FOB or CIF quote, confirmed carton sizes and a container loading plan, typically within 48 hours.