How many CBM in a 45ft High Cube container?
A 45ft High Cube holds about 86 m³ (CBM) — the largest standard dry box, longer and taller than a 40ft. It is used when you need maximum volume for lightweight cargo on lanes that allow the extra length.
Internal volume
86 m³
3,037 ft³
GMA pallets
24
single layer
Euro pallets
27
single layer
Max payload
28 t
27,600 kg
45ft High Cube container dimensions
These are the typical internal dimensions — what actually fits inside. The door opening is slightly smaller, so measure tall or wide cargo against the doorway, not just the box.
| Internal length | 13.56 m | 44' 5" |
| Internal width | 2.35 m | 7' 8" |
| Internal height | 2.7 m | 8' 10" |
| Capacity (CBM) | 86 m³ | 3,037 ft³ |
| Max payload | 27,600 kg | 60,848 lb |
| Equivalent | 2 TEU | 45' HC |
How many pallets fit in a 45ft High Cube container?
Floor-loaded in a single layer, a 45ft High Cube container takes about 24 standard GMA pallets (48×40 in) or 27 Euro pallets (1200×800 mm). If your cargo stacks and you are under the weight limit, double-stacking can roughly double those numbers. Work out how many of your cartons fit per pallet first with the pallet calculator.
How many boxes fit in a 45ft High Cube container?
That depends on your box size — a 45ft High Cube container is 86 m³, but real packing efficiency is usually 80–90% once orientation and gaps are accounted for. Enter your carton dimensions in the container loading calculator to see how many fit this and other containers, or total your shipment volume with the CBM calculator.
The biggest standard dry box: 10 CBM over a 40ft HQ
A 45ft high cube adds about 1.5 m of internal length over a 40ft (roughly 13.56 vs 12.03 m) at the same high-cube height, which nets ~86 m³ — 10 CBM (about 13%) more than a 40ft HQ and nearly 19 CBM more than a standard 40ft. The extra length adds four GMA or three Euro pallet positions per floor layer (24 GMA / 27 Euro), so genuinely bulky, light freight gets one more container's worth of margin before splitting the shipment.
With ~27,600 kg of payload across 86 m³, the break-even density is about 321 kg/m³ — the lowest of the standard dry boxes. The 45ft is squarely a volume machine: garments, furniture, plastics, e-commerce cartons.
Availability and lane caveats before you book one
45-footers are a niche fleet compared with 40s, so availability varies by lane and carrier, and pricing is typically a premium over a 40ft HQ rather than the near-parity HQs enjoy over standard 40s. The economics work when your cargo genuinely uses the extra ~10 CBM; if you'd only fill 70 m³, a 40ft HQ is the cheaper slot.
The extra length also matters on the road: a 45ft on a chassis is a longer combination, and some countries and routes restrict it or require specific equipment. In Europe, 45ft 'pallet-wide' variants exist specifically to take 33 Euro pallets on intra-European moves — a different box from the standard 45ft covered here. Confirm door-delivery feasibility with the trucker before committing.
Frequently asked questions
How many CBM are in a 45ft High Cube container?
A 45ft High Cube container has an internal volume of about 86 m³ (3,037 ft³). In practice you can load roughly 80–90% of that once you account for pallet patterns, packaging and bracing.
How many pallets fit in a 45ft High Cube container?
Floor-loaded in a single layer, a 45ft High Cube container holds about 24 standard GMA (48×40 in) pallets or 27 Euro (1200×800 mm) pallets. Double-stacking can roughly double that if your cargo and weight limit allow.
What is the maximum payload of a 45ft High Cube container?
A 45ft High Cube container carries up to about 27,600 kg (60,848 lb) of cargo. Dense freight often hits this weight limit before it fills the volume — always check both.
How much more fits in a 45ft than a 40ft high cube?
About 10 CBM more (≈86 vs 76 m³) and four extra GMA pallet positions per floor layer (24 vs 20). Height and width are the same as a 40ft HQ — all of the gain comes from the extra ~1.5 m of length.
Is a 45ft container counted as 2 TEU?
For most practical and statistical purposes it's treated as 2 TEU (some ports rate it 2.25), but it needs a 45ft-compatible slot and chassis. That equipment constraint — more than the TEU math — is what limits where 45s are easy to book.