20ft Open Top Container Loading Calculator
Check cargo inside the 20OT planning envelope. A top-loading route, roof aperture or overheight transport permission must be assessed separately.
Test the quantity you enter and review placed and unplaced cargo. This is a planning estimate, not a maximum-capacity guarantee or transport approval.
Use a 20ft open-top loading calculator to test your entered cargo order, not to approve a crane lift or over-height shipment. The CBM3 20OT rectangle is 590 x 235 x 235 cm, about 32.583 m3, with a 28,120 kg cargo limit. Its standard preset has no verified rear-door or roof-opening dimensions; absent data is not a passed access check.
Open the 20OT loading planner. Start a new job and confirm the equipment before entering cargo. The initial selection does not start a calculation; a saved job or your own selection takes priority.
Planning profile and carrier example
| Field | CBM3 11.63.55 profile | Hapag-Lloyd fleet example |
|---|---|---|
| Length x width x height (cm) | 590 x 235 x 235 | 589.5 x 235 x 234 |
| Door width x height (cm) | Not supplied | 233.8 x 228 |
| Roof opening length x width (cm) | Not supplied | 533.8 x 223 |
| Cargo payload (kg) | 28,120 | 30,050 |
| Tare (kg) | Not supplied | 2,450 |
| Maximum gross mass (kg) | Not supplied | 32,500 |
| Volume (m3) | 32.583 rectangular envelope | 32.5 published nominal |
The Hapag-Lloyd 20ft Open Top specification describes a carrier fleet example, not every container of that name. Nominal volume and the rectangular planning volume are different measures. Obtain the booked unit’s measurements and limits; missing profile values do not mean an access check passed.
Internal width is not a roof opening
The CBM3 20OT preset supplies interior dimensions and a cargo-weight ceiling, but no door or roof opening. Its 235 cm width must not be presented as a verified clear roof width. The carrier example has separate access measurements and a different payload. Do not merge those values into one supposed universal specification.
Reproduce two cargo examples
Use metric units, palletization off, Horizontal Only rotation, no global rules, Normal priority and no delivery stop. Fragile is off and no extra stack-weight limit is supplied. Leave equipment constraints at their defaults; the High Cube presets supply rear-door dimensions. Enter complete outer dimensions and weight, including any base once.
| Example | Width x length x height (cm) | Entered units | kg per unit | Input volume m3 | Stackable | This Side Up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A: cartons | 40 x 60 x 80 | 40 | 25 | 7.680 | Yes | No |
| B: upright 250 cm | 40 x 60 x 250 | 1 | 100 | 0.600 | No | Yes |
| Example | Method | Entered | Placed | Unplaced | Allocated containers | Placed volume m3 | Placed mass kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Max Volume | 40 | 40 | 0 | 1 | 7.680 | 1,000 |
| A | Best Balance | 40 | 40 | 0 | 1 | 7.680 | 1,000 |
| B | Max Volume | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.000 | 0 |
| B | Best Balance | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.000 | 0 |
Example B completes with one unplaced item because 250 cm exceeds the 235 cm profile height. Zero allocated containers does not mean no container is needed; no valid placement was found for that item. The B input is 0.600 m3 and 100 kg whether placed or not. Keep a required upright package upright rather than changing permissions to obtain a passing result.
Recorded on 6 October 2026 with the installed 11.63.52 Worker and the current equipment-constraint helpers in Node. Independent checks cover counts, orientation, bounds, overlap, support and payload. These are reproducible engine examples, not actual browser, crane, lifting, floor-strength or physical-loading acceptance tests.
From a geometric plan to a loading decision
- Confirm the actual container and the intended entry route with the responsible operator. Do not equate roof length, interior length and end-door clearance.
- Review complete-unit weight, contact area, lifting provisions and securing with the loading team. CBM3’s cargo-weight ceiling and estimated center of gravity do not certify floor strength or axle loads.
- Keep height within the modeled envelope. This workflow is not an out-of-gauge booking or unlimited-height solver; ask the operator to assess any load extending beyond the assigned unit.
- Check every placed and unplaced quantity before sharing a plan. Extra search time is not an optimum-result guarantee. Account access and export availability follow the current tool controls, not a promise of unlimited anonymous use.
Related open-top and planning guides
Compare 20ft open top high cube loading guide, 40ft open top container loading guide, 40ft open top high cube loading guide. For the workflow, read the step-by-step planning guide, or return to the loading-space guide directory.
Prepare Cartons, Pallets or an Upright Machinery Envelope
Measure the complete outside package, including a crate, base and protrusions. Keep different sizes in separate rows. Enter a built pallet’s full height and gross unit mass once, keep it upright, permit only horizontal turning and leave stacking off unless the complete unit is suitable. Do not apply palletization again to an already assembled unit. A box-shaped machinery envelope does not describe its lifting points, contact area or securing requirements.
Cargo CBM in centimetres is width x length x height x quantity / 1,000,000. The forty-carton example has 7.680 m3 and 1,000 kg. The upright 250 cm unit has 0.600 m3 and 100 kg of input, but exceeds the 235 cm software height. Small input volume does not eliminate a dimension constraint; zero placed volume does not erase the order. Known cargo mass is not VGM.
20ft Open-Top Loading Questions
How many boxes fit in a 20ft open-top container?
Enter the packed sizes, quantities and handling rules actually being shipped. The recorded forty-carton case places all entered units; it does not determine unrestricted capacity. Review each row’s placed and unplaced quantities rather than dividing container volume by carton volume.
Can I place a 250 cm upright package in this profile?
Not within its 235 cm rectangular height under the recorded permissions. Both automatic methods retain the item as unplaced. This expected rejection is not a calculation failure or proof that an independently assessed alternative shipment is impossible.
Does an open roof bypass the software height limit?
No. This workflow stays inside its configured envelope; it is not an out-of-gauge booking tool. Confirm the actual equipment and intended entry route with the operator before organizing lifting or transport.
Is the roof opening as large as the container interior?
Do not assume that. The named carrier example lists a distinct opening, while the current standard preset does not verify it. Interior fit alone cannot establish an access route or clearance for handling equipment.
Should I choose standard open top or open-top high cube?
Compare the same order and permissions in the two profiles. The high cube adds planning height but also supplies a default rear-door constraint. A different model’s dimensions, payload or opening cannot be borrowed to make the selected profile pass.
References and Check Dates
Named technical reference: Hapag-Lloyd 20ft Open Top fleet specification, read 7 October 2026. Current CBM3 11.63.55 profile and unchanged-source compatibility were checked on that date. Recorded 11.63.52 engine examples retain their 6 October date; these are not fresh browser, crane or physical-loading tests.
Software compatibility note, 8 October 2026 (Europe/Istanbul): The planning profiles and recorded example inputs were checked against the source-reviewed CBM3 11.63.56 candidate. The earlier example execution dates remain unchanged; this compatibility review is not a new optimization run or physical-loading test. Fleet-provider and carrier references are not manufacturer approval. Confirm the actual unit dimensions, payload and securing requirements.
How to inspect and hand over a loading plan
Use the selected plan and the complete shipment data. Recheck the result after changing cargo, equipment or handling rules.
See every cargo unit in context
Search the cargo inventory, focus on an item and switch between realistic, operational, top and side views. Inspect pallet layers and height sections.
The inventory separates requested units, units in the selected container, units in other containers and unplaced units. Select a row to find its cargo in the scene; playback and height sections show only part of the complete plan.
Use pallet details to inspect full, partial and mixed pallets. A height section filters the view; it does not remove cargo from the plan. Vehicle bodies and wheels provide visual context.
Prepare clearer warehouse instructions
Use product colors and short codes, named groups and delivery stops. Choose a summary or warehouse PDF for the selected plan.
Assign product colors and short codes to connect the cargo table, 3D view and reports. Group and stop names improve instructions; apply the appropriate loading rules when a sequence must be enforced.
Compare verified alternatives and review any manual moves. A manual reallocation affects the current preview and PDF; saved or shared inputs recalculate the automatic arrangement when reopened. Export again after changes.
Read the estimated center of gravity
Review longitudinal, lateral and height coordinates from known cargo and pallet masses. Check the displayed origin and units before comparing plans.
The estimate assumes each item's mass is centered and excludes vehicle tare. Missing or stale additional-material records can leave the complete-load assessment unavailable; explicitly declare none when no extra materials are present.
Coordinates use the load-space frame, not road height. For Step Deck, X starts at the raised front end and Y at the lower-deck datum; axle-form distances run from the rear toward the cab.
Distinguish the loading unit from its carrying vehicle
This loading unit alone does not define an axle configuration.
Inspect cargo and pallet weight distribution in this loading space. A container, swap body or air-cargo unit does not identify the road chassis, rail wagon or aircraft carrying it.
Axle estimates are available after selecting a supported complete road or rail vehicle. Enter its actual mounting positions, full empty reactions and applicable limits; do not reuse a trailer reference as container or aircraft approval.