How many banana boxes fit in a 45ft high cube?
Banana boxes of 500 × 400 × 250 mm (also called fruit trays, produce cartons) in a 45-foot high-cube container (45HC) — inner dimensions 13,556 × 2,352 × 2,698 mm. Calculated by the Cubestow engine on 2026-09-08.
Boxes kept this-side-up (turned on the floor plane only). 82% of the space used, 10 layers high, about 26,790 kg (97% of payload). Open this load in the 3D planner →
Top view — floor layer (141 on the floor)
Side view — first row along the wall (10 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.
An extra 1.5 m of length over a 40HC, popular for European intermodal moves where a 45ft box matches a 13.6 m trailer.
The simple grid estimate is 27 along the length × 5 across × 10 high = 1,350. The engine found 1,410 — 60 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) | 1,410 | 10 | 82% | 26,790 kg (97% of payload) |
How many 45ft high cubes for a given order?
| Banana boxes | 100 | 250 | 500 | 1,000 | 2,500 | 5,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45ft high cubes needed | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Last one filled to | 7% | 18% | 35% | 71% | 77% | 55% |
Mixed cargo, different carton sizes or delivery stops? Plan the exact shipment in 3D — free, in the browser, nothing uploaded.
Frequently asked
How many banana boxes fit in a 45ft high cube?
1,410 banana boxes of 500 × 400 × 250 mm fit in a 45ft high cube (inner dimensions 13,556 × 2,352 × 2,698 mm), boxes kept this-side-up (turned on the floor plane only). That uses 82% of the 86.0 m³ available and weighs about 26,790 kg.
What are the inner dimensions of a 45ft high cube?
Typical inner dimensions are 13,556 mm long, 2,352 mm wide and 2,698 mm high (533.7 × 92.6 × 106.2 in), giving 86.0 m³ of space and a rated payload of about 27,600 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?
1,410 × 19 kg ≈ 26,790 kg, which is 97% of the 27,600 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.