What’s the best way to weigh a loaded container?
As we’ve discussed, an empty 20ft shipping container will typically weigh under 5,000lbs or mostly hover between 3,970lbs and 4,850lbs or between 1.8 and 2.2 metric tonnes. Also, you should bear in mind that High Cube dry containers are also used, which have a height of 9′ 6″ compared to the standard 8′ 6″ – which inevitably weight more!
Shipping containers are typically weighed dry as weighing a loaded container can be quite challenging. There are multiple ways of determining “How much does a shipping container weigh”:
- Weighing the container on a truck’s chassis
- Lifting it into the air using specialised equipment used for weighing very heavy haulages
- Weighing it on the ground
- Loading the container on a truck and driving it over truck scales
Just to quickly reiterate what we’ve discussed in terms of “How much does a shipping container weigh”:
The tare weight of a dry 20ft container is around 5,000lbs, its maximum gross weight is just over 55,000lbs and its maximum payload weight is around 50,000lbs.
Want to know more about how a shipping container’s poundage could affect your shipping methods or operations? Cargostore is always here to assist. be sure to check out our full range of ISO certified Containers, and download the spec sheets.
