What are the dimensions of a 40ft storage container?
ISO 668 sets these, so the box measures the same whichever yard it comes from.
| Measurement | Standard 40ft | 40ft high cube |
|---|---|---|
| External | 40 by 8 by 8 feet 6 inches | 40 by 8 by 9 feet 6 inches |
| Internal length | About 39 feet 5 inches | About 39 feet 5 inches |
| Internal width | About 7 feet 8 inches | About 7 feet 8 inches |
| Internal height | About 7 feet 10 inches | About 8 feet 10 inches |
| Door opening height | About 7 feet 5 inches | About 8 feet 5 inches |
| Capacity | 2,385 cubic feet | 2,694 cubic feet |
Width never changes. Every standard container in the world is 8 feet wide, so going from a 20ft to a 40ft buys you length and nothing else. That's the single most useful thing to know before you book.
Loads that need the full 40 feet
Long material, mostly. If your load fits in 19 feet, the 20ft box is the easier delivery and the cheaper line.
- Scaffold plank, shoring and formwork panels
- Full length ductwork and pipe runs
- Curtain wall and glazing units on A-frames
- Stacked pallets for a large retail or restaurant fit-out
- Event build kit staged near Citi Field or Randalls Island ahead of a load-in
- A whole trade's tools on racking down both walls with a clear centre aisle
Anything over 8 feet tall on a pallet wants the high cube. That extra foot of interior height is the only reason to pay for one.
How much does a 40ft container weigh?
Empty, about 8,200 pounds for a standard and around 8,700 pounds for a high cube. Loaded, ISO 668 rates the box to a 67,200 pound maximum gross, which is far more than any New York placement will ever actually carry.
The number that matters on site is what lands on the corner castings. A well loaded 40ft container easily passes 40,000 pounds, spread across four points rather than the whole floor, and asphalt in July gives under that. Timber cribbing under each casting is standard practice and it costs almost nothing. Section 385 of the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law sets the weight and dimension limits the delivery truck is working inside.
Standard height and high cube
A standard 40ft gives 7 feet 10 inches of interior height. A high cube gives 8 feet 10 inches, at the cost of a foot more external height.
That extra foot is a real problem in New York. A high cube sitting at 9 feet 6 inches plus cribbing starts interacting with sidewalk shed clearances, garage entrances and low bridge routes, and the delivery truck needs the same overhead room to tilt either way. If the height is not needed for the load, take the standard.
Why a 40ft is harder to place in New York than a 20ft
Because the truck needs a straight run of roughly 100 feet to tilt and roll the box off, plus around 14 to 15 feet of overhead clearance while the bed is up. On a Manhattan side street or a narrow Brooklyn block, that run often does not exist at all.
Two 20ft boxes solve it more often than not. Same total volume, two shorter delivery runs, and you get to split tools from materials across the site. Commercial vehicles are banned from the FDR Drive, the Belt Parkway and the Henry Hudson Parkway, so the truck also runs the NYC DOT truck route network, which adds mileage in parts of Queens and the Bronx. The storage container rental overview compares every size side by side.
40ft storage container rental price in the five boroughs
Published market data puts storage container rental at $100 to $250 a month, with around $125 typical, and a 40 foot storage container rental sits at the upper end of that band because of the size and the delivery. Prices reviewed July 2026, and these are market ranges rather than a quote.
What moves a 40ft storage container rental price: distance from the yard, whether the placement needs a Department of Transportation permit and a delivery window, term length, cribbing, and whether the drop has to happen outside normal hours. The storage container rental cost page breaks delivery, relocation and pickup out line by line.
Do you need a permit for a 40ft container in NYC?
On a New York City street or sidewalk, yes, and a 40 ft storage container rental is a harder permit than a 20ft simply because it occupies more curb. The Department of Transportation issues it through the Bureau of Permit Management and Construction Control at 55 Water Street, borough offices approve it, and turnaround runs from about a day to several weeks depending on the borough and the type of work. 311 gives the fastest read on a specific block.
On private property or inside a construction fence there's no filing. New York City Building Code Chapter 33 governs that perimeter and an 8 foot fence along a public way is the standard requirement, so temporary fence rental usually goes in before anything else arrives. The 2010 ADA Standards require a 36 inch minimum clear pedestrian route in section 403.5.1 either way, and the placement guide covers what the driver checks when the truck pulls up.
Questions people ask about 40ft containers
Will one fit on a residential driveway? Rarely in this city. A 40 foot box plus the 100 foot delivery run needs a commercial lot, a wide Staten Island property or a fenced site.
Can you split the load across two boxes instead? Yes, and in New York that's usually the better plan. Two 20ft containers place where one 40ft cannot.
Does it come with lighting or power? No. It's a steel box. Night work needs a light tower and anything powered needs a temporary power pole or a generator.
What else gets ordered with it? A mobile office trailer for the site team, a roll-off dumpster for debris, restrooms through porta potty rental in New York City at these prices, and handwashing station rental for the crew. Construction site services bundles it.
Do you deliver outside the boroughs? Yes, including Newark, Jersey City and Elizabeth, where the wider industrial lots make 40ft placements far easier. The service areas page has the full list.
Send the address, the load and the term through the quote form, or call the number on the contact page. The FAQ answers the common ones, the about page explains how we work, and everything we run is on the home page.
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