Free Online 3D Container Loading Calculator

Calculate your container loading with our free, no‑sign‑up 3D container loading calculator. Whether you're shipping a few cartons, several pallets, or a full container, our tool generates a practical packing plan with an interactive 3D preview. Just select your container type (20ft, 40ft, 40ft/45ft High Cube, 20ft/40ft Reefer, or custom size), add your cargo dimensions and quantities, and click Calculate Packing. You'll get results in seconds, including:

Space utilization percentage based on theoretical container volume
Packed vs total item count so you know how many pieces fit
Interactive 3D model you can rotate, zoom, and inspect — highlight any item or remaining space with size labels
Optional Extreme Mode that runs extra restarts to push utilization higher

The calculator supports any custom container or truck bed size on top of the standard 20ft, 40ft, 40ft/45ft High Cube, and 20ft/40ft Reefer presets. It's built for small e‑commerce sellers, freight forwarders, importers, and warehouse operators who need a quick, visual load plan without learning CAD or hiring an expert. All processing runs on our server so results are consistent across every browser and device. When you need to share the plan with teams or clients, just screenshot the 3D view or packing list. No downloads, no accounts, no watermarks — instant, professional container load planning.

Space utilization percentage based on theoretical container volume
Packed vs total item count so you know how many pieces fit
Interactive 3D model you can rotate, zoom, and inspect — highlight any item or remaining space with size labels
Optional Extreme Mode that runs extra restarts to push utilization higher

Container Type

Which container type fits my cargo?

Choose a preset for a standard shipping container, or enter Custom Size for any other load space.

Type	Inner (D×W×H mm)	Volume
20ft Standard	5898 × 2352 × 2393 mm	~33.2 m³
40ft Standard	12032 × 2352 × 2393 mm	~67.7 m³
40ft High Cube	12032 × 2352 × 2698 mm	~76.4 m³
45ft High Cube	13556 × 2352 × 2698 mm	~86.0 m³
20ft Reefer	5440 × 2286 × 2240 mm	~27.9 m³
40ft Reefer	11570 × 2286 × 2410 mm	~63.7 m³

20ft Standard: Heavy & dense cargo: machinery, stone, steel coils, drums — weight-limited before volume.
40ft Standard: Light & bulky cargo: furniture, cartons, palletized goods — volume-limited.
40ft High Cube: Tall / light cargo: mattresses, boards, insulation — +305 mm headroom vs Standard.
45ft High Cube: Extra-length & tall light cargo: long pipes, furniture sets, bulk cartons — common in North America.
20ft Reefer: Temperature-controlled cargo: produce, meat, seafood, pharmaceuticals — reduced internal size due to cooling unit & insulation.
40ft Reefer: Bulk temperature-controlled cargo: frozen food, flowers, vaccines — allow airflow gaps around pallets.

Custom Size use cases

Product packaging carton design — set Custom Size to your proposed carton's inner dimensions, add your product as a cargo item, then iterate the carton size to find the dimensions that maximize product count per carton.
Truck / van beds, flatbed trailers, and refrigerated truck interiors.
Air freight ULDs (pallets & containers) and warehouse bin / rack slot planning.
Non-standard crates, wooden cases, and custom-built load spaces.

Cargo Items

Item 1

Width (mm)

Depth (mm)

Height (mm)

Quantity

When does Extreme Mode show visible changes?

Extreme Mode runs 40 random restarts with different cargo orderings and keeps the best layout. The effect is most visible when the cargo exceeds container capacity — different orderings produce different “which cargo is left behind” results.

When cargo all fits, or for a single cargo type, every restart gives the same result — that is normal.

Try this scenario (20ft container):

Cargo (L×W×H mm)	Qty
1200 × 800 × 700	100
900 × 600 × 500	100
650 × 520 × 430	100
480 × 380 × 320	100
300 × 260 × 220	100

Enable Extreme Mode and click Calculate repeatedly — packed count varies roughly 179–257 items (utilization 90–94%), and the 3D layout changes each time.

Enter your container and cargo details above, then click “Calculate Packing”. Your load plan and 3D preview will appear here.

Container Loading Calculator FAQ

Common questions about container types, gaps, and filling leftover space.

Choose 20ft for heavy, dense cargo that hits weight limits before filling the volume (machinery, stone, drums). Choose 40ft for light, bulky cargo like furniture and cartons. Pick 40ft High Cube when cargo is tall — it adds about 300 mm of headroom. 45ft High Cube suits extra-long light loads common in North America. For temperature-controlled goods, use the 20ft or 40ft Reefer presets.

Item gaps protect fragile goods, create handling clearance for manual loading, and maintain airflow in refrigerated containers. Wall-side gaps absorb small size deviations and leave room for straps, airbags, or reefer air circulation. Top gaps reserve space for cushioning material. For maximum utilization with robust cargo, keep all gaps at 0.

Any non-standard load space: truck and van beds, flatbed trailers, air cargo ULDs, and warehouse rack slots. It also works as a packaging carton designer — set Custom Size to your proposed carton's inner dimensions, add the product as a cargo item, then iterate the carton size to find the dimensions that fit the most products per carton.

After a calculation, the Packing List shows every remaining space. Tap one to highlight it in the 3D view, then click "Fill with custom box" to add a carton pre-sized to that space (with a small safety margin). Adjust the quantity, recalculate, and repeat to squeeze more cargo out of every container.

Yes — free with no sign-up and no watermarks. Calculations run on our server for speed and accuracy, and we do not store your input data after the calculation completes.

Free Online 3D Container Loading Calculator

Which container type fits my cargo?

Cargo Items

When does Extreme Mode show visible changes?

Which layer mixing strategy fits my cargo?

What are gap settings for?

Container Loading Calculator FAQ