Reefer Container Weight and Capacity: Tare, Payload and What Really Fits

Quick answer: A 20ft reefer carries roughly 27,400 kg of cargo in about 28 m³; a 40ft reefer carries roughly 29,000 kg in about 59–67 m³ depending on height. Reefers are much heavier empty than dry containers — a 40ft reefer’s tare is around 4,800 kg against a dry 40ft’s ~3,700 kg — because the insulation and refrigeration unit have to go somewhere. That weight comes out of the box, not the payload.

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The numbers

Figures vary by manufacturer and build. The authoritative source for any individual box is the CSC plate on the door — always plan against that when the load is close to a limit.

	20ft reefer	40ft reefer (High Cube)
Max gross weight	~30,480 kg	~34,000 kg
Tare (empty box)	~3,000 kg	~4,800 kg
Max payload	~27,400 kg	~29,000 kg
Internal volume	~28 m³	~67 m³
Internal length	~5.44 m	~11.56 m
Internal width	~2.29 m	~2.29 m
Internal height	~2.27 m	~2.50 m

For a standard-height (non-HC) 40ft reefer, internal height drops to roughly 2.24 m and volume to about 59 m³. The High Cube is by far the more common build in the reefer fleet.

Full internal dimensions and the loading rules that govern them are in reefer container dimensions and loading.

Reefer vs dry: more weight, less room

This is the comparison that catches people out. Set a 40ft reefer against a dry 40ft:

	Dry 40ft	40ft reefer HC
Internal volume	~67.7 m³	~67 m³
Max payload	~26,680 kg	~29,000 kg
Internal width	~2.35 m	~2.29 m

Two things are going on:

• Payload is higher. Reefers are built to a higher max gross weight, so despite a heavier tare they carry more cargo weight, not less.
• Usable space is tighter than the volume figure suggests. The internal width is around 60 mm narrower, which matters more than it sounds — that’s often the difference between two pallets fitting side by side and not.

So a reefer is generally the weight-generous, space-tight option. Which is convenient, because refrigerated cargo — meat, dairy, produce, pharmaceuticals — tends to be dense.

The volume you can actually use is lower again

The internal volume figure is the empty box. A refrigerated load can’t use all of it:

• The red load line. A painted line near the ceiling marks maximum stack height. Load above it and you block the return-air path, so cargo at the far end never reaches temperature. It’s a hard limit, not guidance.
• Airflow gaps. Chilled produce needs air to circulate around the stow. Effective fill is often 70–85% of raw volume. Frozen cargo block-stowed tight does better, but still stops at the load line.
• The T-floor. The corrugated floor channels cold air under the cargo and must stay clear.

Net effect: plan a reefer against usable volume, not the catalogue figure.

Which limit binds first?

Work it out with cargo density — total weight divided by total volume:

density (kg/m³)  =  cargo weight (kg)  ÷  cargo volume (m³)

For a 40ft reefer HC at ~29,000 kg and ~67 m³, the break-even is about 433 kg/m³. Below that you run out of space first; above it you run out of weight.

Cargo	Rough density	Binds first
Frozen boxed meat	700–900 kg/m³	Weight
Cheese, butter	500–700 kg/m³	Weight
Fresh produce, cartoned	250–400 kg/m³	Space (and airflow)
Flowers, leafy greens	100–200 kg/m³	Space, by a wide margin
Pharmaceuticals, palletised	150–300 kg/m³	Space

Most frozen protein loads hit the payload wall with the container visibly not full. That’s normal and correct — it’s the same weight-limited behaviour as dense dry cargo like tiles or canned goods.

Don’t forget the genset

For road and rail legs, a reefer often travels with a clip-on or undermount generator set to keep it running off-grid. A genset adds roughly 400–900 kg depending on type, and it counts.

That weight doesn’t change the container’s own payload rating, but it absolutely counts toward the road limits — the gross combination weight and every axle group. A reefer loaded to its container payload can put a truck over its axle limits once the genset and fuel are added. See truck axle weight limits and truck load planning.

Reefer on the road

A refrigerated trailer is a different vehicle with different numbers:

	Reefer trailer
Internal	~13.30 × 2.45 × 2.50 m
Volume	~75 m³
Payload	~23,000 kg

Payload is noticeably lower than a sea reefer’s because the tractor-trailer combination is limited by road regulations, not by the box’s structural rating.

Reefers and the VGM

Because reefers are heavy empty, the tare matters more in the Verified Gross Mass declaration required under SOLAS. If you use Method 2 — summing cargo, dunnage, securing and the container’s tare — take the tare from the CSC plate, not from a table like this one. A 4,800 kg assumption against a 5,200 kg actual is a 400 kg error before you’ve weighed a single carton.

More on the VGM process in the container stuffing guide.

Plan the reefer, not a generic box

Refrigerated loads have their own payload, their own reduced width, their own height limit and their own airflow rules. Planning one as if it were a dry 40ft is how cargo arrives warm, short-shipped, or over an axle limit.

ContainerMath ships reefer presets carrying the correct reduced interior and payload, so a plan reflects the space and weight you actually have. Tag items with a reefer temperature range and the plan flags an incompatible set-point mix; the 3D view shows how the stow sits under the load line before anything is loaded; and centre-of-gravity comes with every plan, with per-axle weights on road vehicles for the trucking leg.

Plan a reefer load free →

Frequently asked questions

How much weight can a reefer container hold?

Roughly 27,400 kg in a 20ft reefer and 29,000 kg in a 40ft, based on max gross weights of about 30,480 kg and 34,000 kg less the container’s own tare. Confirm against the CSC plate on the door for the specific box — builds vary.

What is the tare weight of a reefer container?

About 3,000 kg for a 20ft and 4,800 kg for a 40ft. That’s considerably heavier than a dry container of the same size — a dry 40ft is around 3,700 kg — because of the insulation and the refrigeration unit.

Does a reefer container hold less than a dry container?

Less volume, more weight. A 40ft reefer High Cube offers roughly the same cubic capacity as a dry 40ft but is about 60 mm narrower inside, and its payload is higher at around 29,000 kg versus 26,680 kg. Usable volume is lower again once the red load line and airflow gaps are respected.

What are the sizes of reefer containers?

The two standard sizes are 20ft (internal roughly 5.44 × 2.29 × 2.27 m, ~28 m³) and 40ft, which is most commonly built as a High Cube (internal roughly 11.56 × 2.29 × 2.50 m, ~67 m³). A standard-height 40ft reefer is about 2.24 m internally and ~59 m³.

Will my reefer load run out of space or weight first?

Divide cargo weight by cargo volume. For a 40ft reefer High Cube the break-even is around 433 kg/m³: denser than that and you hit the payload limit first, lighter and you run out of space. Frozen protein is almost always weight-limited; fresh produce and flowers are space-limited.

Does a reefer genset count toward weight limits?

Not toward the container’s own payload rating, but yes toward road limits. A clip-on or undermount generator adds roughly 400–900 kg to the gross combination weight and to the axle groups carrying it, which can put an otherwise-legal load over the line on the trucking leg.