The Forty-Foot High Cube is the 40-foot ISO intermodal container with 2.896 m external height, about 30 cm taller than the standard 40’GP. Coded “40’HC,” “40HC,” or “40HQ” by carriers, the HC variant adds approximately 11 cubic metres of volume capacity at the same 28-30 MT payload limit. On most carriers’ Asia-Europe, trans-Pacific, and trans-Atlantic services the 40’HC is now the default 40-foot offering; the standard-height 40’GP is increasingly available only by specific request.
40’HC dimensions and capacity
| Dimension | External | Internal |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 12.192 m (40 feet) | 12.032 m |
| Width | 2.438 m (8 feet) | 2.352 m |
| Height | 2.896 m (9 feet 6 inches) | 2.698 m |
| Door height | n/a | 2.585 m |
| Door width | n/a | 2.343 m |
| Maximum gross mass | 32,500 kg | n/a |
| Tare mass | ~3,900-4,150 kg | n/a |
| Maximum payload | ~28,400-28,600 kg | n/a |
| Internal volume | n/a | ~76.4 m³ |
The headline difference is volume: 76 m³ versus 67 m³ for 40’GP. Payload weight is essentially unchanged because the additional steel and the tare mass net out. For weight-limited cargoes the HC adds nothing. For volume-limited cargoes the HC adds about 15 percent capacity.
When 40’HC pays back vs 40’GP
40’HC is the right call for:
- Cargoes that cube out before they weight out. Big bag shipments at 800-900 kg per bag, palletised paper-bag goods, and most low-density consumer chemicals fall here. The extra 11 m³ converts directly to additional revenue tonnage.
- Double-stackable drum cargo. Standard 200-220 kg drums on pallets fit 80 drums single-tier in either 40’GP or 40’HC. HC opens the option for partial double-stacking, typically 100-120 drums when the pallet structure and drum profile allow. The additional 20-40 drums add roughly 4-9 MT of cargo, often the difference between cubing out and weighting out.
- Trans-Pacific and trans-Atlantic lanes where carrier rate cards no longer differentiate 40’GP from 40’HC, so the buyer pays the same rate for the larger box.
40’HC is the wrong call for:
- High-density liquid cargo in IBCs. Twenty IBCs at 1 tonne each weight out a 40-foot container before any height is needed.
- Routes with destination height restrictions. Some inland US warehouses and most Australian rail-served terminals use 8’6” door heights that will not clear a 40’HC. Always confirm the destination dock door clearance before booking HC.
- Reefer cargo in some markets. Reefer HC versions exist but the genset clearance and the additional power draw can complicate plug-in availability at smaller terminals.
The double-stack drum example
A typical chemical cargo that benefits from 40’HC: 200-kg HDPE drums of liquid acid on Euro pallets (4 drums per 1.2 m × 1 m pallet, 5 pallets long × 4 wide = 20 pallets per tier).
| Container | Pallet tiers | Drums | Cargo mass | Volume utilisation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40’GP (2.39 m internal height) | 1 (drum height + pallet ~1.2 m) | 80 | 16 MT | ~30% (volume out before weight) |
| 40’HC (2.70 m internal height) | 2 (cleared 2.4 m double stack) | 160 | 32 MT | weight out at ~28 MT |
Switching from 40’GP to 40’HC for drum cargo can almost double the cargo per shipment when double-stack is structurally possible. Most chemical cargoes do not double-stack drums for safety reasons. Where they can, the per-MT freight cost drops by close to half.
The destination height clearance trap
The 40’HC fits the same crane and the same vessel cell as the 40’GP. The trap is at destination, on the road. US over-the-road clearance for 40’HC requires 13’6” trailer underclearance because the HC sits taller on the chassis. Most modern chassis have HC-compatible drop floors or the federal clearance allowance.
The clearance failure modes:
- Tunnel and overpass clearances on inland routings. Some US inland routes have 13’2” or 13’4” clearance points; a 40’HC strikes them.
- Buyer warehouse dock door height under 9’6”. The container clears the road but not the dock. The cargo cannot be unloaded until a different chassis or a side-load arrangement is found.
- Australian rail networks with 4.0 m clearance limits. 40’HC on standard wagons exceeds the loading gauge on parts of the NSW and Victorian network. Always confirm with the inland rail operator before booking HC into Australian destinations.
For US chemical buyers in Texas and the Gulf Coast, 40’HC is routine. For inland US distribution and most Australian destinations, the standard 40’GP is the safer book.
Hazmat surcharges on 40’HC
40’HC hazmat surcharges generally match the 40’GP rate cards. The extra volume does not add to the regulator’s risk calculation because the cargo limit by mass is unchanged. Confirm with the carrier on the specific IMDG class because some carrier-specific tariffs do treat HC at a small premium.
Always confirm the booking class
Carriers code 40’HC as 40HC, 40HQ, or 4HQ depending on the line. The booking confirmation should explicitly state HC if HC is what you want. Asking for “40-foot” without specifying the height is increasingly ambiguous as 40’GP becomes scarce on some lanes.
Related terms
Forty-foot container is the standard-height 40’GP for comparison. Twenty-foot container is the smaller standard size. Reefer container is the refrigerated variant, also available in HC. IBC, drum, and big bag are the dominant cargo formats inside 40’HC.