How many banana boxes fit in a 20ft container?
Banana boxes of 500 × 400 × 250 mm (also called fruit trays, produce cartons) in a 20-foot standard container (20GP) — inner dimensions 5,898 × 2,352 × 2,393 mm. Calculated by the Cubestow engine on 2026-09-08.
Boxes kept this-side-up (turned on the floor plane only). 87% of the space used, 9 layers high, about 10,944 kg (39% of payload). Open this load in the 3D planner →
Top view — floor layer (64 on the floor)
Side view — first row along the wall (9 layers)
The answer in detail
The standard banana carton is about 500 × 400 × 250 mm and weighs roughly 19 kg loaded (18.14 kg of fruit). Bananas travel palletised in reefers with the boxes always upright; the loose-box count here is the theoretical maximum for the space.
The most common dry container for smaller export loads. Inner dimensions are typical for a steel ISO 20GP; individual boxes vary by a few centimetres, and the door opening (about 2,340 × 2,280 mm) is slightly smaller than the inside.
The simple grid estimate is 11 along the length × 5 across × 9 high = 495, or 14 × 4 × 9 = 504 with every piece turned. The engine found 576 — 72 more than either uniform grid — by mixing orientations so that the leftover strip along the wall is used and by choosing the orientation that gives the most layers. The top view above shows the pattern.
Variants
| Loading rule | Fits | Layers | Volume used | Total weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boxes kept this-side-up (turned on the floor plane only) (headline figure) | 576 | 9 | 87% | 10,944 kg (39% of payload) |
How many 20ft containers for a given order?
| Banana boxes | 100 | 250 | 500 | 1,000 | 2,500 | 5,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20ft containers needed | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 9 |
| Last one filled to | 17% | 43% | 87% | 74% | 34% | 68% |
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Frequently asked
How many banana boxes fit in a 20ft container?
576 banana boxes of 500 × 400 × 250 mm fit in a 20ft container (inner dimensions 5,898 × 2,352 × 2,393 mm), boxes kept this-side-up (turned on the floor plane only). That uses 87% of the 33.2 m³ available and weighs about 10,944 kg.
What are the inner dimensions of a 20ft container?
Typical inner dimensions are 5,898 mm long, 2,352 mm wide and 2,393 mm high (232.2 × 92.6 × 94.2 in), giving 33.2 m³ of space and a rated payload of about 28,200 kg. Individual units vary by a few centimetres, so check the actual box for tight loads.
How much does a full load of banana boxes weigh?
576 × 19 kg ≈ 10,944 kg, which is 39% of the 28,200 kg payload — so this load is limited by space, not weight.
How was this number calculated?
By running the Cubestow 3D load-planning engine on the exact dimensions above, allowing rotation on the floor plane only, stacking with at least 80% base support and the container's payload limit, then re-validating the plan for overlaps, support and weight. Real loads leave room for dunnage, door clearance and uneven cartons, so treat the figure as the practical maximum.