Moving abroad from Canada? A 20-foot shipping container is a practical option for transporting household goods, furniture, and personal belongings for most residential moves. Learn about the dimensions, weight limits, costs, and how to pack a container for overseas moves.
Though Canada uses the metric system, the 20 feet shipping container dimensions are usually measured in feet, looking at the internal and external dimensions.
The 20 ft shipping container dimensions are:
If you need extra height, high-cube containers provide an additional foot, with an interior height of about 8 feet 10 inches (2.69 meters).
The capacity you can use within a 20 ft shipping container is 32.6 cubic meters (1,152 cubic feet). This fits up to 10 American pallets or 11 European pallets. 20-feet shipping containers are often used to move furniture, household items, machinery, food and beverages, and heavy cargo.
Factors affecting weight capacity include:
The 20-foot container dimensions are enough to move the contents of a small 3-bedroom house or a large 2-bedroom apartment. Oversized furniture, irregularly shaped items, and your packing method can impact how much actually fits.
In a 20-foot shipping container, you can easily move an entire 3-bedroom apartment, totalling up to 63,500 lbs (28,800 kg) of goods. A 20-foot shipping container typically holds:
Packing a 20-foot container efficiently requires strategic placement, so you can maximize space and prevent damage.
The price for renting a 20 ft shipping container for moving overseas is based on delivery, pickup, and customs fees. Different moving companies will quote different prices, but generally start at CAD 2,000.
The price of a 20-foot shipping container varies based on:
Network of 500+ movers 
150,000 moves annually 
