{"id":659,"date":"2026-10-30T22:29:49","date_gmt":"2026-10-30T22:29:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.expressgroup.ca\/blog\/?p=659"},"modified":"2026-10-31T02:29:50","modified_gmt":"2026-10-31T02:29:50","slug":"20-ft-vs-40-ft-shipping-container","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.expressgroup.ca\/blog\/storage-containers\/20-ft-vs-40-ft-shipping-container\/","title":{"rendered":"20 ft vs 40 ft Shipping Container: Which Should You Rent?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The <strong>20 ft vs 40 ft shipping container<\/strong> question comes up on almost every container rental in Ontario. Both are 8 ft wide and 8 ft 6 in tall under the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Intermodal_container\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ISO intermodal container standard<\/a>, so the only thing that changes is length, but that one change affects delivery, site space, how you load and how much you pay. Here is how to decide quickly.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">20 ft vs 40 ft shipping container: the numbers side by side<\/h2><figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><th><\/th><th>20 ft container<\/th><th>40 ft container<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>External size<\/td><td>20&#8242; x 8&#8242; x 8&#8217;6&#8243;<\/td><td>40&#8242; x 8&#8242; x 8&#8217;6&#8243;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Internal size<\/td><td>19&#8217;4&#8243; x 7&#8217;8&#8243; x 7&#8217;10&#8221;<\/td><td>39&#8217;5&#8243; x 7&#8217;8&#8243; x 7&#8217;10&#8221;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Floor area<\/td><td>~150 sq ft<\/td><td>~300 sq ft<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Capacity<\/td><td>~1,170 cu ft (33 m\u00b3)<\/td><td>~2,390 cu ft (68 m\u00b3)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Standard pallets (floor)<\/td><td>~10<\/td><td>~20<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Household equivalent<\/td><td>1 to 2 bedroom home<\/td><td>3 to 4 bedroom home<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Delivery clearance needed<\/td><td>~60 ft straight run<\/td><td>~100 ft straight run<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Empty weight<\/td><td>~4,850 lb<\/td><td>~8,380 lb<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure><p>Full dimensions for every size, including high cubes, are in our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.expressgroup.ca\/blog\/storage-containers\/shipping-container-sizes-dimensions-guide\/\">shipping container sizes and dimensions guide<\/a>.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When a 20 ft container is the right call<\/h2><ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Residential driveways and tight sites.<\/strong> A 20 ft fits on most driveways and can be delivered by a smaller truck. Many Toronto and Mississauga lots simply cannot take a 40 ft.<\/li><li><strong>Home renovations and moves.<\/strong> The contents of a one or two bedroom home, or the furniture you need out of the way while floors and kitchens are redone.<\/li><li><strong>Small crews and trades.<\/strong> Tool cribs, fasteners, PPE and materials for a landscaping, roofing or electrical crew on a single job site.<\/li><li><strong>Seasonal retail stock.<\/strong> Patio furniture, holiday inventory or overflow for a single store.<\/li><li><strong>Easier to relocate.<\/strong> If the container may move between sites during the project, a 20 ft is quicker and cheaper to pick up and redeliver.<\/li><\/ul><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When a 40 ft container is the right call<\/h2><ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Warehouse and manufacturing overflow.<\/strong> Twenty pallet positions on the floor makes a 40 ft a genuine extension of the warehouse rather than a closet.<\/li><li><strong>Larger construction projects.<\/strong> Multi-trade sites, multi-month timelines, and materials that arrive by the skid.<\/li><li><strong>Whole-house storage.<\/strong> Three or four bedrooms of furniture and boxes in one unit instead of two.<\/li><li><strong>Better value per cubic foot.<\/strong> A 40 ft is not twice the cost of a 20 ft, so if you will actually fill it, the larger unit usually works out cheaper per cubic foot of storage.<\/li><li><strong>Events and trade shows.<\/strong> Staging, signage, booth components and merchandise for a season of events.<\/li><\/ul><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">20 ft vs 40 ft shipping container: three questions that settle it<\/h2><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Can the delivery truck physically place a 40 ft?<\/h3><p>A 40 ft container needs roughly 100 ft of straight, level run so the tilt-bed truck can back in and slide it off, plus about 14 ft of overhead clearance along the way. If your site cannot provide that, the decision is made for you: one or two 20 ft units.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Will you fill more than about 1,100 cubic feet?<\/h3><p>Walk the material you plan to store. If it is more than roughly ten pallets, or more than a two-bedroom home&#8217;s worth, go to the 40 ft. Running out of room three weeks in and ordering a second container costs more than sizing up on day one.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Would two 20 ft units be better than one 40 ft?<\/h3><p>Sometimes yes. Two 20 ft containers can be placed in different spots on a site, keep two trades&#8217; materials separate, or let you return one unit early when the first phase wraps up. If flexibility matters more than the lowest cost per cubic foot, two 20s can be the smarter rental.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What about a high cube?<\/h2><p>If your constraint is height rather than length, a 40 ft high cube adds a foot of interior headroom (8 ft 10 in) for about 13% more volume. It is the better pick for tall equipment, double-stacked pallets or shelving to the ceiling. Delivery requirements are the same as a standard 40 ft.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Or do you need a storage trailer instead?<\/h2><p>If you load with a forklift from a dock, or need more than a 40 ft container holds, a 48 ft or 53 ft <a href=\"https:\/\/www.expressgroup.ca\/trailer-rentals.html\">storage trailer<\/a> at dock height is often the better fit. Containers win when you need walk-in access from the ground and a unit that stays put for months.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently asked questions<\/h2><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is a 40 ft container twice the size of a 20 ft?<\/h3><p>In length and volume, yes: about 2,390 cubic feet versus 1,170. Width and height are identical at 8 ft and 8 ft 6 in.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Does a 40 ft container cost twice as much to rent as a 20 ft?<\/h3><p>Usually not. Rental and delivery rates for a 40 ft are higher than a 20 ft but typically well short of double, so a 40 ft is often the better value if you will fill it. Call 416-771-8833 for a quote on your site and term.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can a 40 ft container be delivered to a residential driveway?<\/h3><p>Only if the driveway provides roughly 100 ft of straight, level approach and clear overhead. Most residential sites in the GTA are better served by a 20 ft.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Which is more common for construction sites?<\/h3><p>Both are common. Small trades usually take a 20 ft; general contractors on multi-month builds usually take one or more 40 ft units.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Not sure which to choose?<\/h2><p>Express Mobile Storage Solutions rents <a href=\"https:\/\/www.expressgroup.ca\/shipping-containers.html\">20 ft and 40 ft shipping containers<\/a> across Toronto, the GTA and Southern Ontario with same-day delivery from Brampton, Burlington and Stoney Creek. Tell us what you are storing and where, and we will recommend the right size. Call <a href=\"tel:416-771-8833\">416-771-8833<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.expressgroup.ca\/contact-us.html\">request a quote<\/a>. New clients get $100 off the first month.<\/p><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Is a 40 ft container twice the size of a 20 ft?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"In length and volume, yes: about 2,390 cubic feet versus 1,170. Width and height are identical at 8 ft and 8 ft 6 in.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Does a 40 ft container cost twice as much to rent as a 20 ft?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Usually not. Rental and delivery rates for a 40 ft are higher than a 20 ft but typically well short of double, so a 40 ft is often the better value if you will fill it. 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Here is how to decide between a 20 ft and 40 ft container rental based on your site, what you are storing and your budget.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-659","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-storage-containers"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.expressgroup.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/659","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.expressgroup.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.expressgroup.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.expressgroup.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.expressgroup.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=659"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.expressgroup.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/659\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":682,"href":"https:\/\/www.expressgroup.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/659\/revisions\/682"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.expressgroup.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=659"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.expressgroup.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=659"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.expressgroup.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=659"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}