20' General Purpose Dry Container

The 20' General Purpose Dry Container is one of the most widely deployed pieces of intermodal equipment in the global container fleet. Built to ISO 668 and ISO 6346 standards, the unit carries the type code 22G1 on its corner casting and is universally accepted by every major container terminal, ocean carrier, road haulier and rail operator in the world. The box has a tare weight of 2,300 kg and a maximum payload of 28,230 kg. Internal dimensions measure 5.898 m long, 2.352 m wide and 2.393 m tall internally, with a door opening of 2.343 × 2.280 m.

The 20' General Purpose Dry Container is typically used for Heavy cargo, machinery, paper rolls, beverages. Total cubic capacity is 33.2 cubic metres, which gives a useful working volume after dunnage and lashing of approximately 31 cubic metres for typical palletised loads. The unit is designed for stacking nine high under load and for the full set of intermodal handling — top-lift spreader, bottom-grappler arms, road chassis, and rail wagon transfer.

Technical specifications

ISO type code22G1
Common name20' General Purpose Dry Container
Tare weight2,300 kg
Maximum payload28,230 kg
Maximum gross weight30,530 kg
Internal length5.898 m
Internal width2.352 m
Internal height2.393 m
Cubic capacity33.2 m³
Door opening2.343 × 2.280 m
Typical commodityHeavy cargo, machinery, paper rolls, beverages

Booking a 20' General Purpose Dry Container

Almost every ocean carrier in the world supplies this format on demand. When you raise a booking, simply specify the ISO size code 22G1 or the common name "20' General Purpose Dry Container" and your forwarder or the carrier's e-booking portal will allocate one against your sailing. Equipment availability for standard dry boxes is rarely a constraint at major load ports such as Shanghai, Ningbo, Rotterdam, Hamburg and Los Angeles — supply at smaller load ports varies and you may need to accept a re-positioning fee. For specialty boxes (reefers, flat racks, open tops, ISO tanks), book at least two to three weeks ahead, as inventory at any single depot is limited and the carrier may need to re-position equipment from a deep-sea hub.

Carriers most commonly stocking the 20' General Purpose Dry Container include: