Standard vs High Cube Containers

The one difference: 305 mm of height

A standard shipping container is 2,591 mm high on the outside. A high cube is 2,896 mm. That 305 mm is the only change. Length and width are identical, the corner castings sit in the same place, and both stack on the same trucks and ships.

Inside, a standard 20ft gives you approximately 2,393 mm of headroom. A high cube gives you approximately 2,393 mm plus 305 mm, so a little under 2.7 m. That is more than a typical house ceiling and enough for tall racking, a mezzanine shelf or a lined ceiling with room to spare.

AAD Logistics stocks both heights in 10ft, 20ft and 40ft, plus high cube versions of the double door, open side and container garage. Prices are in AUD and include 10% GST.

Side by side

Measurement	20ft standard	20ft high cube	40ft standard	40ft high cube
External length	6,058 mm	6,058 mm	12,192 mm	12,192 mm
External width	2,438 mm	2,438 mm	2,438 mm	2,438 mm
External height	2,591 mm	2,896 mm	2,591 mm	2,896 mm
Internal height (approx.)	2,393 mm	2,393 plus 305 mm	2,393 mm	2,393 plus 305 mm
Volume (approx.)	33 m³	37 m³	67 m³	76 m³
Tare (approx.)	2,200 kg	see product page	3,800 kg	3,900 kg

The volume gain is about 12 to 13 per cent. On a 40ft that is close to 9 m³, or roughly the capacity of a 6ft mini container added on top for no extra footprint.

When a high cube is the right choice

Racking and shelving

Standard pallet racking bays are often taller than 2.4 m. In a standard container you lose the top level or cut the uprights. A high cube takes full-height bays with clearance for a forklift mast or a hand-stacked top shelf.

Vehicles and machinery

A ute with a canopy, a 4WD with roof racks or a ride-on mower on a trailer can exceed 2.3 m. The 20ft high cube container garage exists for exactly this case. The sectional door opening is taller too, so you are not scraping roof bars on the way in.

Offices, workshops and conversions

Once you add a floor covering, ceiling insulation and lighting, a standard container feels low. A high cube leaves a comfortable ceiling height after lining. If you plan any conversion, start with a high cube. See container modification planning.

Bulky, light goods

Furniture, packaging, insulation and retail stock fill a container by volume long before weight becomes an issue. The extra 4 m³ on a 20ft or 9 m³ on a 40ft is space you will use.

When standard height is the better buy

Overhead clearance on delivery

A tilt tray raises the container to slide it off. Add a high cube to a truck bed and the top of the unit passes high through the air on the way down. Low branches, eaves, awnings and overhead cables can rule out a high cube where a standard fits. Measure the lowest point on the delivery path and tell us before you order.

Placement under an existing roof

Containers often go under a carport, a farm shed awning or a lean-to. A standard unit at 2,591 mm leaves room to work above it. A high cube at 2,896 mm may not fit at all.

Lower purchase price

The high cube costs more than the same size at standard height. If you are storing tools, boxes and equipment that never get stacked above 2 m, the extra height is money spent on air.

Used stock

AAD’s used range includes a used 20ft, a used 40ft and a used 40ft high cube. There is no used 20ft high cube in the range, so a 20ft buyer who needs the height buys new. All used units are sold as inspected Wind and Watertight.

Does a high cube change delivery?

Not the vehicle. A 20ft high cube still goes on a tilt tray. A 40ft high cube still goes on a side loader, Hiab, crane truck or semi trailer. What changes is the clearance envelope. Allow the extra 305 mm at every overhead point along the route and at the final position.

Delivery is AUD 745 per unit within the standard service area and is shown at checkout. Remote, restricted and multi-unit deliveries are quoted. Processing takes 1 to 3 business days and delivery typically follows 4 to 7 business days after that. Read how container delivery works for the full sequence.

Stacking and mixing heights

High cubes and standards stack on each other without adaptors because the corner castings line up. Stacking on a private site is a separate question of footing, wind loading and access to the upper unit. If you plan to stack, ask us before delivery so the crane or Hiab is booked for the second lift.

Placing a high cube and a standard side by side is fine. The roof line will step by 305 mm, which matters only if you intend to roof over both.

How to tell a high cube from a standard

• Look at the CSC plate on the door. Height is stamped there in millimetres.
• High cubes usually carry a yellow and black hazard stripe on the top rails at each end.
• Measure. If the outside is close to 2.9 m rather than 2.6 m, it is a high cube.

The stripe is a convention rather than a rule, so trust the plate and the tape measure over the paint.

Which should I buy?

1. Measure the lowest overhead point on the delivery path. If it clears a high cube with the container raised on the truck, both options are open.
2. List what goes inside. Anything over 2.3 m tall, or any plan to line the ceiling, points to a high cube.
3. Compare the two prices on the product pages. If the height is not needed, buy standard and keep the difference.

Browse high cube containers or the full 20ft range. For the numbers behind every size, see shipping container sizes and dimensions.