How Many Containers Fit on a Ship? TEU Explained

Last updated: 23 October 2026

The biggest container ships can carry more than 24,000 TEU, which is over 12,000 forty-foot containers. Smaller “feeder” ships carry just a few hundred. Here’s how many containers fit on different ships, and what all the numbers mean.

What is a TEU?

A TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) is the size of one standard 20ft container. A 40ft container counts as 2 TEU. Ship capacity is measured in TEU. Read shipping container sizes.

Aerial view of a container ship in port — The biggest ships carry over 24,000 TEU.

Container ship sizes

Ship class	Typical capacity	Where they sail
Feeder	300–3,000 TEU	Short routes, smaller ports, the Baltic
Panamax	Up to about 5,000 TEU	Built for the old Panama Canal locks
Post-Panamax	5,000–10,000 TEU	Many ocean routes
Neo-Panamax	Up to about 15,000 TEU	Fits the expanded Panama Canal
Ultra Large Container Vessel (ULCV)	18,000–24,000+ TEU	Asia–Europe routes

The biggest container ships

Today’s largest ships, such as MSC’s Irina class and similar mega-ships, carry about 24,000 TEU. They are around 400 metres long and 61 metres wide, longer than four football pitches. Read biggest ships in the world e how big is a container ship.

Crane loading containers at sunrise — Cranes load containers in stacks below and above deck.

How containers are stacked

Below deck: containers sit in cell guides inside the holds, often 10 or more high.
On deck: containers are stacked on hatch covers, often 8–10 high, and secured with twist-locks and lashing rods.
Across the ship: the largest ships fit around 24 containers side by side.

Heavy containers go low and towards the middle for stability. Read how container ships are loaded.

Why the real number varies

Weight: a ship might reach its weight limit before every slot is filled.
Mix of 20ft and 40ft containers.
Reefers: refrigerated containers need power points, which are limited.
Stability and visibility rules limit how high containers can be stacked.

How much can one ship carry?

A 24,000 TEU ship can carry the equivalent of millions of pairs of shoes or tens of thousands of fridges, in one voyage. That is why container shipping is so cheap per item. Learn about the companies that own them in biggest shipping companies in the world.

You can travel on these giants as a passenger. See how to book a cargo ship voyage.

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How many containers fit on the biggest ship?

The largest ships carry over 24,000 TEU, about 12,000 forty-foot containers.

What is a TEU?

A twenty-foot equivalent unit, the size of one standard 20ft container.

How high are containers stacked on a ship?

Often 8–10 high on deck and 10 or more below deck on large ships.

How many containers does a feeder ship carry?

Typically between about 300 and 3,000 TEU.

Why don’t ships always fill every slot?

Weight limits, stability rules, reefer power points and the container mix all limit the load.

See a mega-ship up close

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Steve Joury

Consulente di viaggio Cargo at Cargoholidays

Appassionato di viaggi lenti e di mare. Steve conosce la maggior parte delle rotte di navigazione e le procedure per scoprire il nostro bellissimo mondo dal mare su una nave container. Ha partecipato a molti viaggi, da 7 giorni di viaggio in cargo a 140 giorni a bordo.