Most people who ask for a 20ft container don’t need one. They need storage, and the 20ft sounds like the safe, smaller choice. But a 40ft often fits the same budget better, and the 20ft is getting harder to find.
This post is the honest version. We’ll show why the 40ft usually wins on value. Then we’ll give you a checklist for the times it doesn’t.
The short answer
If you have the room and the truck can reach your spot, buy the 40ft. You get about twice the floor space for well under twice the price.
Buy the 20ft when something about your site, your delivery route, or your load says you must. That list is short, and it’s below.
Twice the floor space for well under twice the price
Here’s the size gap in plain numbers. These are the inside measurements, the ones that matter for what fits.
- 20ft: 19’4” long, 7’8” wide, 7’10” tall. About 148 square feet of floor and 1,172 cubic feet of room.
- 40ft: 39’5” long, 7’8” wide, 7’10” tall. About 302 square feet of floor and 2,390 cubic feet of room.
The width and height are the same. Only the length changes. So the 40ft is really two 20fts worth of floor, end to end.
Price doesn’t double the same way. Part of what you pay for any container is fixed: the steel doors, the corner posts, the end walls, the trip to your property. A longer box adds floor and side wall, not a second set of all that.
That’s why the price per square foot drops as you go up in size. For most buyers, the 40ft is the better deal on every foot of floor you actually use.
We don’t print prices in blog posts because they change with fuel, freight, and supply. For current average prices, see the 20ft, 40ft, and 40ft High Cube pages. Our cost guide explains what goes into the number.
One 40ft vs two 20ft
Some buyers plan to start with one 20ft and add a second later. Before you do, compare the two setups side by side.
| One 40ft | Two 20ft | |
|---|---|---|
| Floor space (inside) | About 302 sq ft | About 148 sq ft each |
| Total room | About 2,390 cu ft | About 1,172 cu ft each |
| Boxes to deliver | One | Two |
| Spots to level | One | Two |
| Doors to lock | One set | Two sets |
One 40ft holds a little more than two 20fts. It also means one delivery, one pad to prepare, and one set of doors to manage.
Two 20fts make sense in a few cases. Maybe you need storage in two places on a property. Maybe two crews or two uses each need their own door. If neither is true, the single 40ft is the simpler buy.
Why 20fts are getting harder to find
This part comes from our supplier, the company that fills our orders. In October 2026, they told us 20ft containers are getting tighter, and one-trip 20fts are harder to source.
A “one-trip” container is a nearly new box. It was built, loaded once for an ocean trip, and then sold off. It’s the top of the used market.
Our supplier gave two reasons. Shipping costs are up. And manufacturers are focusing on building 40ft High Cubes.
That matters even if you’re buying used. Our own reasoning: today’s new boxes are tomorrow’s used ones, so we expect fewer new 20fts now to mean fewer used 20fts coming to the yards later.
To be clear, 20ft containers are still out there, and we still sell them. You may just see fewer choices, or wait longer for the right one. The 40ft High Cube, on the other hand, is the size our supplier says manufacturers are focusing on.
When the 20ft is still the right call
The 40ft wins on value most of the time. Not all of the time. Here’s when you should stick with the 20ft.
Your site is small
Measure the spot where the box will sit, not just the yard. A 40ft needs a level, open strip about 40 feet long, plus room to swing the doors open at one end.
Our 20ft fits most suburban lots and standard driveways. If your spot is a side yard, the back of a small lot, or a corner of a shop yard, the 20ft may be the only box that fits.
If a local rule limits what you can place, like a setback or a size cap, that decides it for you. Permit and zoning rules vary by place and use. Checking them with your local office before you buy is the buyer’s job. We don’t determine or guarantee them.
Delivery access is tight
A container gets driven in, not carried in. On a tilt-bed truck, the box slides off the back as the truck pulls forward. The truck needs room for its own length plus the container’s, in a straight line.
A shorter box needs less of that line at the drop spot. The 40ft needs more clearance for delivery and placement. The 20ft also costs less to deliver.
Every delivery still needs the basics: a straight approach, enough width and overhead clearance, and ground that can hold the truck. Our delivery guide lists the exact numbers. If your route has a sharp turn, a fence line, or soft ground, a crane-set delivery may solve it, for either size.
The site needs the box out of the way
On a job site, a 40ft can block a lane, a staging area, or a turn for other trucks. The 20ft fits most job sites where a 40ft would get in the way.
If the container is a tool lockup, not a warehouse, the shorter box is often the smarter fit.
Your load is small and heavy
Floor space isn’t everything. Some loads are dense: tools, parts, metal stock, bagged material. They run out of weight before they run out of room.
A 20ft typically carries about 62,020 to 62,280 lbs. A 40ft typically carries about 59,000 to 63,490 lbs. So the 20ft carries about the same payload as a 40ft in half the floor. For a small, heavy load, it’s built for the job.
The 20ft is also lighter empty, typically about 4,920 to 5,180 lbs versus about 8,160 to 8,270 for a 40ft. That helps if you expect to move it again someday.
These are typical ranges, not your unit’s numbers. The CSC plate on the door is the authority for the exact ratings of your box.
Quick checklist
The 20ft is the right call if any of these are true:
- The spot can’t fit a 40-foot box plus room to open the doors.
- The delivery route can’t handle the longer container.
- A local rule limits size or placement (check this yourself first).
- The box would block traffic or work on a busy site.
- Your load is small, dense, and heavy.
If you checked none of them, size up. Storage has a way of filling whatever space you give it, and adding room later means a second box and a second delivery.
40ft or 40ft High Cube?
Once you’ve decided on 40 feet, there’s one more choice. The standard 40ft and the 40ft High Cube have the same footprint. The High Cube is one foot taller.
- 40ft standard: about 7’10” tall inside, 2,390 cubic feet.
- 40ft High Cube: about 8’10” tall inside, 2,694 cubic feet.
That extra foot can be the difference between one layer of pallets and two, depending on how tall each pallet load is. It also clears tall shelving, tall equipment, and the insulation and ceiling a conversion needs. The door opening grows by the same foot, from 7’5” tall on the standard to 8’5” tall on the High Cube.
The standard 40ft is fine when everything sits on the floor and nothing goes up high. If you plan to stack, shelve, or build, pick the High Cube.
There’s a supply angle here too. Our supplier says manufacturers are focusing on the High Cube. Our size guide and the full container size chart have every measurement if you want to check a specific item.
Ready to pick a size?
Tell us what you’re storing and where it’s going. We’ll help you land on the right box, and give you an honest delivery window before you commit. Almost all deliveries take about two weeks.