Choosing the wrong container type is one of the most common—and most expensive—mistakes in UAE imports. It drives up freight cost per cubic meter, wastes usable volume, and can force an entire shipment onto a flat rack or open top you never budgeted for.

The Standard Fleet

20' GP (General Purpose): ~33 CBM, ~28-ton payload. The workhorse for dense, heavy cargo.
40' GP: ~67 CBM. Best for voluminous but lighter general cargo.
40' HC (High Cube): ~76 CBM with ~30cm extra height. For tall pallets and racks.
45' Pallet Wide: wider interior fits 33 Euro-pallets. Premium space, premium slots.
Reefer: temperature-controlled 20' and 40'. For pharma, food, and temperature-critical freight.
Flat rack & open top: for out-of-gauge, machinery, and breakbulk cargo that cannot fit a box.

Match the Box to the Cargo

General rule: if your cargo weighs out before it fills — steel, stone, machinery — a 20' GP is almost always right. If it fills before it weighs — furniture, plastics, garments — a 40' HC maximizes volume. If it is tall, wide, or needs power, neither standard box works and you should flag the shipment to your forwarder before booking, so equipment and route engineering happen up front.

"A container booked by weight when the cargo is volumetric is money left on the carrier's table. Match the box to the cargo, not to the habit."