Container loads of closeouts for export and import buyers
A container load is enough closeout stock to fill a 20-foot, 40-foot or 40-foot high cube shipping container, usually bought for export or as a whole import shipment a retailer no longer wants. Containers can be palletized or floor-loaded, and the right size depends on whether your goods are heavy or bulky. Skyline Dealz Marketplace offers closeout loads to approved buyers, including container-sized lots for export.
Reviewed by Tyler Kober · Updated
Key takeaways
- Inside, a 20-foot container is roughly 5.9 m long, 2.35 m wide and 2.39 m high; a 40-foot is roughly 12 m long; a 40-foot high cube is about 30 cm (one foot) taller.
- Containers are narrower than a 53-foot trailer, so they hold fewer standard 48 by 40 inch pallets per meter of length.
- Floor-loading cartons without pallets usually fits more goods but takes longer to load and unload.
- Heavy goods hit weight limits before they fill a container; light, bulky goods fill the space first.
Two meanings of "container load"
In the closeout trade, "container load" can mean two things:
- Export container: a buyer purchases enough US closeout stock to fill a shipping container and sends it overseas. This is the most common meaning for buyers in the Caribbean, Latin America and Africa.
- Import container: a whole container of goods that arrived from overseas and is no longer wanted, often because a retailer canceled the order or the goods arrived late. These are sold domestically, sometimes still sealed, sometimes after unloading into a warehouse.
The sizes and loading rules below apply to both.
Container sizes
Inside dimensions vary slightly by manufacturer. Approximate figures:
| Container | Inside length | Inside width | Inside height | Approx. volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20-foot standard | 5.9 m (about 19 ft 4 in) | 2.35 m (about 7 ft 8 in) | 2.39 m (about 7 ft 10 in) | about 33 cubic meters |
| 40-foot standard | 12.0 m (about 39 ft 5 in) | 2.35 m | 2.39 m | about 67 cubic meters |
| 40-foot high cube | 12.0 m | 2.35 m | 2.69 m (about 8 ft 10 in) | about 76 cubic meters |
The door opening is a little smaller than the inside, which matters for tall pallets.
Pallets in a container
Containers are designed around metric dimensions, and their inside width is narrower than a 53-foot US trailer. Standard 48 by 40 inch US pallets do not fill the floor perfectly. As a rough guide, a 20-foot holds about 10 single-stacked pallets and a 40-foot about 20 to 21, depending on how they are turned; confirm the loading plan with whoever loads the box. A full US truckload of 26 pallets therefore does not fit in one 40-foot container on pallets. Our guide on how many pallets fit in a container shows the layouts.
Weight
Each container has a maximum gross weight, and road weight limits in the US and at destination can be lower than what the box can hold. The maximum gross weight is marked on the container door, but the practical limit also depends on the chassis, the truck and the road rules at both ends, so ask your forwarder what cargo weight they will accept for your lane before you plan the load. That is why heavy goods such as liquids, canned food and hardware often go in 20-foot containers: a 40-foot of them would be overweight long before it was full.
Domestic 53-foot containers
Inside the US, railroads also move 53-foot domestic containers, which are close in size to a 53-foot trailer and much larger than ocean boxes. They are used for long domestic moves by rail, for example between the West Coast and Chicago or Texas, and they do not go overseas. If a domestic seller quotes a "container load", ask whether they mean an ocean box or a domestic 53-foot unit, because the quantity of goods is very different.
Palletized or floor-loaded?
| Palletized | Floor-loaded | |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | Less, because pallets take space and leave gaps | More cartons fit, stacked floor to ceiling |
| Loading time | Fast with a forklift | Slow, by hand |
| Unloading at destination | Fast if a forklift is available | By hand; slow but needs no equipment |
| Damage risk | Lower if pallets are well built | Higher on bottom cartons if stacked too high |
| Best for | Destinations with forklifts and docks | Markets where goods are unloaded by hand and pallets have little value |
Who buys by the container?
- Exporters supplying wholesalers abroad. See closeout supply for exporters.
- Importers and free zone traders in Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa.
- Large domestic buyers taking whole import containers of overstock.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Lowest ocean freight per unit for export | Large outlay, usually paid before shipment |
| Sealed from origin to destination | Demurrage and detention if anything is late |
| Clear unit of trade abroad | Destination import rules apply to every line in the box |
| High cube suits light, bulky goods | Fewer US pallets fit than in a 53-foot trailer |
If you cannot fill a container, ship pallets as LCL through a consolidator. Our guide on FCL vs LCL for export and the glossary entries on the FCL container and LCL shipping explain the difference.
Cost thinking for a container
- Load price at the US warehouse.
- Getting the goods into a box: either the empty container is delivered to the warehouse for loading (live load or drop), or the goods are trucked to a forwarder's warehouse and loaded there.
- Drayage to the port, and port charges.
- Ocean freight and insurance.
- Destination charges, duties and taxes, and the truck to your warehouse.
- Time costs: free days at port and detention terms. These vary by port, carrier and contract, so get them in writing from your forwarder before the box is booked, and plan pickup and return to stay inside them.
Divide by sellable units and compare with prices in your market. The logistics block on this page shows the nearest US export ports and an inland freight estimate.
Loading and receiving well
- Get a loading plan before the box arrives: heavy goods low, light goods high, cartons interlocked.
- Record the container number and seal number on every document.
- Photograph the empty box, the loading in stages and the closed doors with the seal.
- At destination, check the seal number before opening, then count cartons against the packing list.
For how exporters buy, see closeouts for exporters.
Buying container loads on Skyline Dealz Marketplace
Skyline Dealz Marketplace offers loads to approved members, including export buyers who need container-sized lots. Request access, tell us your destination, container size and whether you floor-load, and set alerts. Every buyer is screened against sanctions and restricted-party lists before an export sale.
Frequently asked questions
How many pallets fit in a 40-foot container?
With standard US 48 by 40 inch pallets on the floor in one layer, a 40-foot container usually takes about 20, sometimes 21 depending on how they are turned. A 20-foot usually takes about 10. Stacking adds more if the goods allow it. Many exporters skip pallets and floor-load cartons to fit more.
Should I choose a 40-foot or a 40-foot high cube?
Choose the high cube for light, bulky goods such as apparel, footwear, toys, plastics and bedding, which fill space before weight. The extra height adds usable volume for little or no extra freight on many lanes. Choose a standard 40-foot or a 20-foot for heavy goods that reach the weight limit first.
What is the difference between a container load and a truckload?
A truckload is a domestic 53-foot trailer moved by road. A container is a standard ocean box that moves by ship, rail and truck. Containers are shorter and narrower inside than a 53-foot trailer, so a full truckload of goods often needs more than one 40-foot container, or a high cube and some re-stacking.
What are demurrage and detention?
Demurrage is charged when a loaded container stays in the port terminal beyond its free days. Detention is charged when the container is kept outside the terminal, at a warehouse, for longer than allowed. Both add up quickly, so plan loading, paperwork and pickup so the box keeps moving.
Related
Approved buyers see live loads, prices and manifests. Or call +1 215 278 4122.