Quick Answer
A 20 foot shipping container (a 20ft dry box, ISO 22G1) is the most-sold size across Van Blanc’s 4 Brantford yards. Inside it runs 19 feet 4 inches long, 7 feet 8 inches across and 7 feet 10 inches high, and it holds 1,172 cubic feet. It weighs about 5,071 pounds empty and carries up to 62,126 pounds of cargo on a 30,480 kg plate. We stock 20ft units in One-Trip and Cargo Worthy grades across our four Brantford yards, with honest per-order quotes on every grade, One-Trip down to As-Is. Delivery in 1 to 3 business days across Ontario, family-run since 1995, and you can walk our 200-plus container inventory before you sign.
The 20ft container is the workhorse of our Brantford yards. About six out of every ten units that leave our gates on a tilt-deck truck are 20-footers, and the reason is mathematical. A 20ft fits on almost any property, on any access road our trucks can drive, and holds enough volume to handle every common residential, construction, agricultural, and small-commercial use case. Jobsite crews who need a box for one build season buy the 20ft outright, then sell it on or ask Van Blanc about buyback when the job wraps. When buyers call unsure which size to pick, the answer 70 percent of the time is 20ft. It has been the most common shipping container size in global trade for fifty years and counting.
This page covers the real specifications, the four grades we stock, what moves a 2026 quote, and the use cases buyers actually choose this size for. It also shows how delivery works from our 4 Brantford yards to anywhere in Ontario. We are a family-owned independent supplier in business since 1995, and we let you walk the row of our 200-plus container inventory before any payment changes hands. We take no deposit on a container you have not seen. The 20ft container we show you in our yard is the 20ft container that lands at your site one to three business days later.
20 Foot Container Size, ISO 22G1 Standard
A 20 foot container is the ISO 22G1 general-purpose box. Outside, it measures 6.058 m long, 2.438 m wide and 2.591 m tall, or 19 ft 10 in by 8 ft by 8 ft 6 in. The table gives the inside dimensions, the door opening and the weights in both units, and our 20ft measurements guide in metric and imperial walks through each one.
| Measurement | Imperial | Metric |
|---|---|---|
| External length | 19 ft 10 in | 6.058 m |
| External width | 8 ft 0 in | 2.438 m |
| External height (standard) | 8 ft 6 in | 2.591 m |
| Internal length | 19 ft 4 in | 5.898 m |
| Internal width | 7 ft 8 in | 2.352 m |
| Internal height | 7 ft 10 in | 2.385 m |
| Door opening width | 7 ft 8 in | 2.340 m |
| Door opening height | 7 ft 6 in | 2.292 m |
| Internal volume | 1,172 cu ft | 33.2 m³ |
| Tare weight (empty) | 5,071 lb | 2,300 kg |
| Maximum payload | 62,126 lb | 28,180 kg |
| Maximum gross weight | 67,200 lb | 30,480 kg |
| ISO 6346 size + type code | 22G1 (standard 20ft, 8′6″ height, general-purpose) | |
The weights are the 20ft series plated at 30,480 kg in Hapag-Lloyd’s published container specification. Other 20ft series in the same document carry a 32,500 kg plate, with tares from 2,250 to 2,570 kg. Every 20ft container we sell carries an ISO 6346 marking on the side panel showing the size and type code. A CSC (Convention for Safe Containers) plate on the cargo door confirms structural certification for ocean transport and states the tare and gross of that exact box. Both stay with the container for its lifetime. Buyers can verify the codes against the unit they are buying when they walk our Brantford yards.
Buyers comparing sizes usually want one chart, so here is the 20ft beside the other common dry sizes. The 40ft figures are CN Intermodal’s published sheet, the same set printed on our 40 foot container page.
| Size | Outside (L x W x H) | Inside volume | Standard pallets on the floor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10ft dry | 9 ft 10 in x 8 ft x 8 ft 6 in (2.99 x 2.44 x 2.59 m) | about 560 cu ft (16 m³) | 4 |
| 20ft dry | 19 ft 10 in x 8 ft x 8 ft 6 in (6.06 x 2.44 x 2.59 m) | 1,172 cu ft (33.2 m³) | 10 |
| 20ft high cube | 19 ft 10 in x 8 ft x 9 ft 6 in (6.06 x 2.44 x 2.90 m) | about 1,300 cu ft (37.3 m³) | 10 |
| 40ft dry | 40 ft x 8 ft x 8 ft 6 in (12.19 x 2.44 x 2.59 m) | 2,395 cu ft (67.8 m³) | 20 |
| 40ft high cube | 40 ft x 8 ft x 9 ft 6 in (12.19 x 2.44 x 2.90 m) | 2,689 cu ft (76.1 m³) | 20 |
The 20 Ft High Cube
A 20 ft high cube is the same 20ft floor with one more foot of height, and how every container size lines up shows where it sits. It stands 9 ft 6 in outside and about 8 ft 10 in (2.69 m) inside. That lifts the volume to about 1,300 cubic feet (37.3 m³), against 1,172 in the standard box. So yes, 20ft high cubes exist. The size code on the door starts with 25 instead of 22. Van Blanc carries the 20ft high cube, so ask for it by name when you call.
20ft Container Pallet Count and Usable Volume
The 20ft holds 10 standard North American 48-by-40-inch pallets on the floor, in two rows with strap-down clearance. That is the count on CN Intermodal’s 20-foot container sheet. Euro pallets at 1200 by 800 mm pack a little tighter, and the 20ft takes about 11 of them in the same two-row layout. Stacked-pallet height of 7 feet 4 inches works inside a standard 22G1 with about half a foot of clearance under the ceiling for strapping and load-shift tolerance.
In homeowner terms, a 20ft container holds the contents of a typical one-bedroom apartment with room left over. It also takes a two-car garage’s worth of seasonal storage: one car, motorcycles, snowblower, lawn equipment, deck furniture and the kids’ sports gear. The same footprint is the standard box for sending a single vehicle abroad. Our walkthrough of loading one sedan into a 20 ft container for ocean transit covers ramp angles, four-point tie-downs, and wheel chocking. Construction buyers fit a complete tradesperson’s tool inventory plus six months of finish-stage materials inside a single 20ft on a jobsite.
20ft Container Grades, One-Trip to As-Is
Van Blanc carries four grades of 20ft container in our Brantford yards. Around Brant County the same unit answers to 20ft sea can and c-can, and every name gets the same grade honesty. Each fits a specific buyer profile. We explain the trade-off between grades so the buyer can choose.
| Grade | What It Is | Best Use Cases |
|---|---|---|
| One-Trip | Essentially new. Single voyage from Asia. Paint clean, doors tight, no rust, factory-original gaskets. Indistinguishable from new for most buyers. | Backyard residential storage, customer-visible commercial use, container conversions where appearance matters, retail backstock for visible lots. |
| Cargo Worthy (CW) | Used 8 to 15 years. CSC re-cert valid. Wind and water tight. Surface rust acceptable on exterior. Doors function with full seal. The most popular grade we sell. | Jobsite storage, agricultural equipment, workshop conversions, anywhere appearance is secondary to function. Default choice for working buyers. |
| Wind and Water Tight (WWT) | Used 12+ years. Roof and floor sealed. CSC may be expired. Heavier surface rust. Doors function but may need gasket replacement. | Long-term static storage where appearance does not matter. Back-of-property farms, secondary tool storage, equipment-yard overflow. |
| As-Is | Specific repair scope. Project box. We disclose all defects in writing before purchase. | Container modification builds where the shell will be reworked. Custom projects. Welders who want a baseline for cutting. |
Prices are bare container at our Brantford yards. Delivery across Ontario is quoted by distance and site access, stated up front with the container. Multi-bin orders get a per-box discount on delivery starting at three units, deeper discounts at five and ten. Modifications (paint, lockbox, vents, windows, doors, electrical) are priced separately and added during the quote.
20 Ft Containers for Sale by Grade
Every 20 ft container for sale in the Van Blanc rows carries a grade, a container number and a CSC plate you can read. One-trip 20s are the newest stock, with one loaded crossing behind them and factory paint on the panels. They are the pick for a backyard, a storefront or a conversion. Cargo worthy 20s are used boxes with a current plate, a sound floor and doors that close on a full seal, and most jobsite and farm buyers choose them. Wind and watertight 20s are older and wear more rust on the panels, and they stay dry and lockable for years of storage on a pad. As-is 20s are project shells sold with every defect written on the sheet. The quote ranks the same way, one-trip highest and as-is lowest, with the truck and the drop included. Ask for the container number of the exact unit, and we walk it with you in the yard or on a video call before you book delivery.
“The 20ft is the size we end up at in seven out of ten conversations. Buyers think they want a 40 because bigger is better, then they hear what 1,172 cubic feet actually holds, see the access challenge of a 40ft tilt-deck approach, and realize the 20 is the smarter buy for their actual use case. We will not push you to the bigger product if the smaller one fits.”
Christian LeBlanc, second-generation operator, Van Blanc Ent. Inc.
Used 20ft Shipping Containers for Sale: Inside a Ten-Year-Old Box
Most 20ft containers that leave our yards are used. A used 20ft shipping container for sale is a better buy than its paint suggests when it was retired for the right reason. Shipping lines cycle a box out after ten to fifteen years of service. The ones that reach the used 20ft rows at Morton Avenue are graded on what matters. The doors close on a full seal, the marine plywood floor is sound, and the roof has no standing-water dents. The CSC plate carries a re-certification date that fits the grade. Surface rust on the exterior panels is cosmetic on a cargo worthy unit and expected on a wind and watertight one. Rust that has gone through a corner post or the door sill makes a different box, and it gets sold as-is with the defect written down. What to check on a used 20ft before paying is the walk we do with buyers in the yard. The same list works on a video call with the container number in the frame.
On price, a used 20ft sits well below a one-trip of the same size. The gap is the paint, the floor and the resale value rather than the steel. A cargo worthy box holds its value for a decade of static storage, and how long each grade lasts on a gravel pad puts years on the choice. Some buyers want the box to become a backyard studio, a street-visible office or anything that gets cut for doors and windows. They usually end up with a one-trip 20ft from the new rows, because straight walls and an unmarked floor are worth more once the welding starts. Around Brant County the same unit answers to 20ft sea can and c-can. A 20 ft sea can for sale from our yards is the same ISO 22G1 box on the same tilt-deck. The 20ft high cube, a foot taller, is one we carry too, in new condition, and we quote it the same way. Ask when you call, and the extra foot on a 20ft high cube explains who actually needs it.
Six Most Common 20ft Container Use Cases
1. Backyard residential storage
The single largest segment of 20ft sales. Backyard, side-yard, or back-of-driveway placement, painted matte black, charcoal, or forest green, clad in cedar in some Muskoka-style installations. Holds the snowblower, the deck furniture, motorcycles, kids’ sports equipment, garden tools, and the family canoe. One-Trip grade is the residential default because the box is visible from the kitchen window for the next 20 years.
2. Construction jobsite storage
The residential GC and trades crew workhorse. Cargo Worthy grade with a welded lockbox is the default for 6-to-14 month subdivision and renovation builds. Holds tools, finish materials, mechanical inventory, and the small expensive items that walk away from an open jobsite. After the build, the 20ft is resold to the next GC or returned to us under a buyback arrangement.
3. Workshop or garage conversion
Cutting in a man-door, installing electrical (ESA-certified), insulating with closed-cell spray foam, and fitting a workbench produces a year-round workshop in a 20ft footprint. Welders, mechanics, carpenters, and small fabricators run their own shops out of converted 20-footers across Ontario. CW grade is the workshop default because the cutting and welding work happens regardless of original paint condition.
4. Mobile office or jobsite trailer replacement
A 20ft converts cleanly into a single-room office with desk, windows, HVAC mini-split, and 60-amp electrical sub-panel. ESA-certified electrical, one-trip grade exterior, painted in company colours. Common for surveying firms, construction site supervisors, parking-lot retail, and seasonal field operations. About 148 square feet of interior floor space.
5. Agricultural equipment and chemical storage
Working farms across Ontario use 20ft containers for tractor implement storage, seed staging, chemical handling, hay tools, and overflow inventory. CW grade is standard. Tilt-deck delivery onto packed gravel or hardwood mats at the farmyard edge. Multi-bin orders for larger operations.
6. Retail backstock and pop-up
Smaller retail operations use a 20ft as a back-of-store inventory bunker or, with a full-front roll-up door cut in, as a pop-up storefront for markets and festivals. One-Trip grade and painted in brand colours. About 148 square feet of selling space, comparable to a small kiosk or coffee-shop interior.
20 Foot Shipping Container Price, Delivered in Ontario
Price a 20ft for your site
Grade, delivery distance, and placement set the number, and the market moves with steel and the season. Tell us which grade fits and where the box is landing. We’ll send back the real all-in figure for your order, container, truck, and drop included, usually the same day.
Quotes hold 14 days. Modifications built in our Brantford yards before delivery, from vents and lockboxes to man doors and roll-up doors, go on the same quote. Van Blanc writes the modification scope down before any payment.
20ft Container Delivery from Our Brantford Yards
Every 20ft we sell leaves on one of our tilt-deck trucks from one of our four Brantford yards. Our standard service area covers all of southern Ontario from Windsor to Kingston, with delivery into Muskoka and the Almaguin Highlands on regular routes too. Delivery lands in 1 to 3 days across that area, and the road distance from Brantford sets the delivery line on the quote. The table gives road distances from our yards to common delivery points. Windsor, the farthest row west, has its own page on 20ft sea cans sold to Windsor buyers, with stops from Belle River to Amherstburg.
| Delivery point | Road distance (km) | Road distance (miles) |
|---|---|---|
| Hamilton | 37 km | 23 mi |
| Kitchener | 49 km | 30 mi |
| Mississauga | 80 km | 50 mi |
| London | 96 km | 60 mi |
| Toronto | 101 km | 63 mi |
| Niagara Falls | 110 km | 68 mi |
| Vaughan | 116 km | 72 mi |
| Barrie | 178 km | 111 mi |
| Windsor | 274 km | 170 mi |
| Huntsville | 301 km | 187 mi |
| Kingston | 361 km | 224 mi |
| Ottawa | 549 km | 341 mi |
Distances are OSRM road routes from east Brantford, checked October 23, 2026. Every point on the list sits inside our 1 to 3 day Ontario delivery window, Ottawa and Kingston included.
The tilt-deck truck needs a clear path no narrower than 12 feet to the drop spot, with 14 feet or more of open air overhead along the approach. The pad has to be level enough that the container will not rock when the chains release. For residential drops, the pad is usually packed gravel, railway ties, or pressure-treated 6-by-6 cribbing under the four corner castings. For jobsite drops, packed gravel is the norm. For permanent commercial placement, concrete piers below the frost line are the right call.
We send a Google Earth pre-check for any delivery where the access is unclear. If the tilt-deck cannot reach the final drop spot, we coordinate a roadside drop and a forklift transfer with the customer’s local equipment operator, or we recommend a placement adjustment. Honest dispatch call the morning of delivery, not a surprise at the lot.
Facebook Marketplace Scams Aimed at 20ft Buyers
First-time 20ft buyers are the most common targets for Facebook Marketplace and craigslist container scams in Ontario. The pattern is identical every time. A listing offers a 20ft One-Trip or a 20ft CW at less than half of what any yard charges. The seller claims to be in Toronto, Vaughan, or Hamilton, says delivery is included, and asks for an e-transfer deposit of about a thousand dollars to hold the unit. The container does not exist. The seller account disappears within 48 hours of the deposit clearing.
The simplest defence for anyone looking to buy a 20ft container safely is to come walk the rows at our Brantford yards before you pay anything. Van Blanc keeps 200-plus containers in stock at any time, including a steady inventory of 20ft One-Trip and CW units. You can read the CSC plate, check the cargo doors, inspect the interior, and pick the physical box you are buying. No supplier in Ontario whose price is half of market is going to let you inspect before payment because there is no inspection to do. The container is not there. Our policy is no deposit on phantom inventory, and that policy is older than most container buyers in Ontario.
Sold outright. Delivered in 1 to 3 days.
Van Blanc sells new and used shipping containers outright from our 4 Brantford yards, with delivery in 1 to 3 days and payment on delivery. We do not rent, lease or offer rent-to-own. Request a sale quote or call the yard at 519-754-6844.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a 20ft shipping container actually hold?
About 1,172 cubic feet of internal volume. Practically that is the contents of a one-bedroom apartment with room to spare, or a two-car garage’s worth of seasonal residential storage. It also takes 10 standard 48×40-inch pallets on the floor, or a complete tradesperson’s tool inventory plus six months of finish-stage construction materials.
How much does a 20ft container cost in Ontario in 2026?
From Van Blanc in Brantford, 20ft containers are priced by grade. One-Trip is the premium option, Cargo Worthy the popular working grade, and Wind-and-Water-Tight the most affordable for static long-term storage. Delivery across Ontario is added based on destination distance, and a multi-bin discount starts at three units. Contact us for a current quote.
What is the difference between One-Trip and Cargo Worthy 20ft containers?
One-Trip is essentially new, single voyage from Asia, paint clean and doors tight. Cargo Worthy is used 8 to 15 years with valid CSC re-certification, surface rust on the exterior, fully functional doors and seal. For aesthetic-sensitive placements like residential backyards, One-Trip is worth the premium. For jobsite, agricultural, and workshop use, Cargo Worthy is the standard. Both carry the same structural rating.
How long does delivery take from your Brantford yards?
One to three business days for most Ontario destinations. Same-day quote, next-day dispatch on most orders. Southern Ontario destinations (Hamilton, Toronto, Niagara, Kitchener-Waterloo, London) typically arrive the next business day. Muskoka and northern destinations may take 2 to 3 days depending on route and weather.
Can a 20ft container be modified into a workshop or office?
Yes. 20ft conversions into workshops, offices, studios, and small commercial spaces are routine. Modifications include man-door cuts, windows, vents, electrical (ESA-certified), insulation, HVAC mini-split, interior finish, and exterior paint. Van Blanc builds the cuts, framing, vents, insulation and lockboxes in our Brantford yards before delivery. Your licensed electrician makes the final electrical hookup on site.
What weight can a 20ft container hold?
On Hapag-Lloyd’s 30,480 kg series, maximum payload is 62,126 pounds (28,180 kg). Add the 5,071 pound tare and the maximum gross is 67,200 pounds (30,480 kg). The CSC plate on the door gives the exact figures for your box. For static storage on a residential or jobsite property, you will never approach these limits. The structural limit matters for international cargo shipping, not for stationary storage use.
Will a 20ft container fit on my residential lot?
Almost always. The external footprint is 20 feet by 8 feet (160 square feet, slightly smaller than a single-car garage footprint). What matters more than the lot size is the tilt-deck delivery access. The truck needs 12 feet of width on the way in and 14 feet of clear height overhead. We send a Google Earth pre-check before scheduling to confirm fit. If the approach genuinely rules out a 20, the compact 10ft dry container exists for exactly that site.
Do I need a foundation for a 20ft container?
For temporary or short-term placement (under 12 months), packed gravel or direct-on-grade is fine. For permanent or long-term placement, railway ties or pressure-treated 6×6 cribbing under the four corner castings is the residential standard. For permanent commercial placement, concrete piers below the frost line. The container bears weight on the four corner castings only, not the entire floor area.
What is the lifespan of a 20ft container?
It depends on the grade and the pad. Our lifespan guide puts a one-trip 20ft at 25 to 30 years of useful life, cargo worthy at 20 to 25, and wind and watertight at 15 to 20. As-is boxes are often under 10. A level gravel or pier base that keeps the floor off wet ground, plus paint on any bare steel, keeps a box at the top of its range.
Do you offer rent-to-own on 20ft containers?
No. Van Blanc sells outright only: no rentals, no leases, and no rent-to-own. When spreading the cost matters, buyers take a purchase loan through their own bank or equipment financer. Van Blanc hands over the invoice, the 20ft’s specifications and its serial number for the lender’s file.
How much should I pay for a 20 foot container?
Enough to get a graded box with a container number, a readable CSC plate, working doors and a written delivery price, and no more. The quote moves with the grade, from a used wind and watertight at the low end of the yard to a one-trip at the top. Distance from Brantford moves it too, and so does the steel market that month, which is why our posted 20ft prices carry an approval date. A fair quote includes the truck and the drop and is paid on delivery. A price that is half of every yard’s and needs a deposit today is the scam described above.
Where can I find a 20 foot shipping container for sale in Ontario?
In the rows at 90 Morton Avenue East in Brantford, where the 20ft is the size we hold the most of in every grade. From there it goes on a tilt-deck anywhere from Windsor to Kingston within 1 to 3 business days. Pick the exact unit by its container number, in person or on a video call, see its plate and doors before you commit, and pay when it lands. A marketplace listing with no container number and a deposit request is the pattern to skip.
Is a used 20ft shipping container worth buying?
For storage on a pad, almost always. A cargo worthy or wind and watertight 20ft is dry, lockable and rodent-proof at a fraction of a one-trip, and it outlasts any shed of the same footprint. When the box will be cut for a conversion or has to look right on a residential street, a one-trip earns its premium. Buy by container number from a yard you can walk, and the used box is the better value nine times out of ten.
Is a 20ft sea can the same thing as a 20ft shipping container?
Yes. Sea can, c-can, conex and shipping container are regional names for the same ISO 22G1 steel box. It measures 20 by 8 feet and stands 8 feet 6 inches tall, with identical corner castings, doors and grades. The name changes with the trade and the county; the container we deliver does not.
Sources
- ISO 6346:2022, Coding identification and marking of freight containers, checked October 2026.
- IMO CSC, Convention for Safe Containers, checked October 2026.
- IICL, Institute of International Container Lessors inspection criteria, checked October 2026.
- Hapag-Lloyd, Container Specification (20ft general purpose series), checked October 2026.
- CN Intermodal, Overseas Equipment: 40-foot container specifications, the 40ft rows of the size chart, checked October 2026.
- CN Intermodal, Overseas Equipment: 20-foot container specifications, checked October 2026.
- Open Source Routing Machine (OSRM), road distances from east Brantford, checked October 2026.
Placement requirements vary by municipality. A quick call to your local planning office before delivery is the easiest way to confirm what works for your property.
20ft Sea Cans for Sale in Brantford
Van Blanc Ent. Inc.
90 Morton Ave. East, Unit 1-B, Brantford, ON N3R 7J7
Cell: 519-754-6844
Toll-free: 1-888-509-6658
Family-owned and operated since 1995. Thirty years in Ontario shipping containers, four Brantford yards, 200-plus boxes in inventory, and worth the drive from anywhere in Ontario to walk the row before you sign.