The number of garments that fit in a container depends on carton volume, not on the garment count alone. A 40 ft high cube offers roughly 65 to 68 cubic metres of nominal space, a standard 40 ft a little less, and a 20 ft around 28 to 33 cubic metres, though you will never use all of it. Basic T-shirts flat packed in cartons can run into the tens of thousands per 40 ft high cube, while padded jackets or hanging suits may run to a few thousand or fewer. The only reliable figure is the one calculated from your own carton specification.
How to calculate your own load
Start with the external carton dimensions and work out the volume of one carton. Multiply by the number of cartons to get the shipment volume, then compare it with the usable space of the container, which is usually around 85 to 90 percent of the nominal figure because cartons do not fill every corner. Divide usable space by carton volume to get the carton count, then multiply by pieces per carton.
As an illustration, a carton of 60 by 40 by 40 cm is just under 0.1 cubic metres, so a 40 ft high cube with about 58 to 60 cubic metres usable takes roughly 600 cartons. If each carton holds 60 T-shirts that is around 36,000 pieces; if each holds 12 jackets it is around 7,000. Your figures will differ, which is the point of doing the sum.
Factors that change the count
- Garment bulk: a fleece hoodie takes several times the space of a T-shirt, and a padded jacket more again unless it is vacuum packed.
- Packing method: one piece per polybag with a board takes more space than bundles of several pieces in one bag.
- Carton size against container geometry: cartons that stack cleanly across the internal width waste less space than odd sizes.
- Pallets: palletised loads typically lose 15 to 25 percent of the space compared with floor loading, but unload faster.
- Hanging garments: a GOH container is measured in hanging metres per bar and holds far fewer pieces than a carton load.
- Weight limits: rarely reached with apparel, but dense denim loads in small cartons can get close, so check the payload.
Planning the load
If a single order will not fill a container, consider consolidating styles or shipping less than container load. Ask your forwarder for a load plan once carton dimensions are fixed, and design carton sizes so they stack in layers across the internal width. Changing carton size after production has started is possible but costs time and relabelling.
How we handle it
We calculate the load from your carton specification before production and tell you whether an order fills a 20 ft, a 40 ft or needs consolidating. Before loading we check carton count and markings, and we supervise loading at the factory or at Mundra, Hazira or Pipavav so the count on the bill of lading matches what left. Weekly updates track the shipment plan alongside production. A free 20-minute sourcing review is the easiest way to sanity check your first container.