10ft vs 20ft vs 40ft Containers

Three sizes, one decision

Most buyers end up choosing between a 10ft, a 20ft and a 40ft. The 20ft is the default for a reason: it holds a household of goods, it fits most blocks and it arrives on a tilt tray. The 10ft is for sites where a 20ft will not go. The 40ft is for volume, and it changes how delivery works.

This guide compares the three on the things that matter on the ground. Dimensions, capacity, delivery vehicle, ground footprint and cost per cubic metre. AAD Logistics stocks all three new, plus used 20ft and 40ft, and smaller 6ft, 8ft and 12ft units.

Comparison at a glance

	10ft	20ft	40ft
External length	2,991 mm	6,058 mm	12,192 mm
External width	2,438 mm	2,438 mm	2,438 mm
External height (standard)	2,591 mm	2,591 mm	2,591 mm
External height (high cube)	2,896 mm	2,896 mm	2,896 mm
Internal length (approx.)	see product page	5,898 mm	12,032 mm
Volume (approx., standard)	15.5 m³	33 m³	67 m³
Volume (approx., high cube)	see product page	37 m³	76 m³
Tare (approx.)	see product page	2,200 kg	3,800 kg (HC 3,900 kg)
Typical delivery vehicle	Tilt tray	Tilt tray	Side loader, Hiab, crane truck or semi trailer
Straight run needed (typical tilt tray)	approx. 2.5 × length plus truck	approx. 2.5 × length plus truck	Clear space along one side
Available used at AAD	No	Yes	Yes (standard and HC)

The 10ft container

A 10ft is the smallest true ISO size. It shares the 2,438 mm width and 2,591 mm height of a 20ft but is just under 3 m long. Volume is approximately 15.5 m³, or a little under half a 20ft.

It suits townhouses, narrow side yards, small business premises and any spot where a 20ft would block a driveway. It arrives on a tilt tray and needs a shorter straight run than a 20ft. A 10ft high cube gives the same footprint with 305 mm more headroom.

The trade-off is cost per cubic metre. A 10ft is not half the price of a 20ft because the doors, corner castings and fabrication cost about the same. Buy a 10ft for the footprint, not to save money on volume.

The 20ft container

The 20ft is the workhorse. External length 6,058 mm, internal approximately 5,898 mm, volume approximately 33 m³. It fits a car, a three-bedroom house of packed goods or a farm’s worth of tools and chemicals with room to walk down the middle.

It is the most flexible size for delivery. A tilt tray carries it, the straight run is manageable on most suburban and rural blocks, and the tare of approximately 2,200 kg sits within reach of a Hiab if the tilt tray cannot get close enough.

AAD offers the widest choice in this size: standard and high cube, double door, open side, high cube versions of both, two container garages with sectional doors and a used 20ft. If you are unsure, start here.

The 40ft container

A 40ft is twice the length of a 20ft and just over twice the volume, approximately 67 m³ standard or 76 m³ high cube. It costs less per cubic metre than two 20ft units and takes up one delivery slot rather than two.

The catch is delivery. At 12,192 mm long and approximately 3,800 kg, a 40ft does not usually go on a tilt tray. It arrives on a side loader, which lifts the container off the side of the truck and needs clear space along one side. A Hiab, crane truck or semi trailer are the alternatives depending on site.

That means the site has to accept a truck of around 15 m or more, with room to swing. Rural blocks, industrial yards and large suburban lots handle it. Cul-de-sacs, steep driveways and narrow estates often do not. Read preparing your site before you commit.

AAD sells a new 40ft, a new 40ft high cube, 40ft high cube double door and open side versions, and used 40ft and 40ft high cube units.

Two 20ft containers or one 40ft?

This is the most common question we get on the larger sizes. Consider both sides.

• Choose one 40ft when the site has side loader access, you want one long uninterrupted space, and you prefer a lower cost per cubic metre.
• Choose two 20ft units when access suits a tilt tray only, you want to separate two uses or two users, or you may move one unit later.

Two 20ft units mean two delivery charges. Delivery is AUD 745 per unit within the standard service area, so the second unit adds that cost. Multi-unit deliveries can be quoted together, and it is worth asking.

Smaller than 10ft: 6ft, 8ft and 12ft

If even a 10ft is too long, AAD has two smaller storage sizes. The 6ft mini is approximately 1,980 × 2,100 × 2,260 mm and 7.5 m³. The 8ft is approximately 2,500 × 2,200 × 2,260 mm and 10.2 m³. Both are non-ISO sizes with a slightly narrower body, so they fit spaces a 10ft cannot.

Between the 10ft and 20ft sits the 12ft storage container, approximately 3,658 mm long. Instead of double cargo doors it has a personnel door and a window, so it works as a store room or small site shed you walk into.

Thinking in cost per cubic metre

Prices are on the product pages in AUD including 10% GST. Divide the price by the approximate volume and the pattern is clear. Cost per cubic metre falls as the container gets longer, because most of the cost is in the ends and doors rather than the wall panels.

A used container drops the price further. AAD’s used 20ft, 40ft and 40ft high cube are inspected and sold as Wind and Watertight. Expect dents, scratches, previous markings, patch repairs and surface rust. For storage that is usually fine. See new vs used containers.

Quick decision guide

1. Measure the longest straight, level space you can offer. Under 4 m: look at 6ft, 8ft or 10ft. Around 7 m: a 20ft. Over 13 m with side access: a 40ft is open to you.
2. Estimate the volume you need. A packed three-bedroom house is usually 20ft territory. A workshop plus vehicle, or a business archive, tends toward 40ft.
3. Decide on height. Anything tall, or any plan to line the ceiling, points to a high cube.
4. Check with your local council about placing a container on your property.

Browse the full shipping container range, or go straight to 20ft containers or 40ft containers. Every dimension in this guide is expanded in shipping container sizes and dimensions.