This is the first question most people ask and the one that decides the whole cost of a shipment, because ocean freight is charged on the container rather than on the cars inside it. Here are the honest numbers, including the ones that are technically possible but that we would talk you out of.
The numbers, by container size
These are working capacities, not showroom figures. They assume ordinary passenger vehicles, sedans and small SUVs, loaded by people who do this every week.
| Container | Typical | Possible | What the maximum costs you |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20ft standard | 1 car | 1 car | Nothing. One car is what it is for. |
| 40ft standard | 2 cars | 3 cars | Wheels or bumpers off the third car. |
| 40ft high cube | 2 cars | 4 cars, 5 at a stretch | Heavy disassembly. Four is routine. Five only with the smallest vehicles and a lot of parts removed. |
| 45ft high cube | 4 cars | 5 to 6 cars | Depends entirely on sizes and weights. Six means substantial disassembly. |
Large SUVs, pickup trucks and vans change these numbers immediately. A full-size pickup can take the space of two sedans, and two of them in a 40ft high cube is often the honest limit. Tell us the year, make and model of each vehicle and we will tell you what actually fits rather than what fits on paper.
Why freight is charged on the box, not the car
This is the single fact that drives the whole decision. The ocean carrier sells you a container. The price is broadly the same whether that container leaves with one car inside it or four.
So the cost per vehicle falls steeply with each car you add. Two cars in a 40ft high cube cost roughly half per car what one car costs. Four cost roughly a quarter. That is why everyone wants to know how many fit, and it is a sound instinct.
It is also why the answer is not simply "as many as possible". The money you save on the fourth car is real, and so is the risk you take on to get it.
What heavy disassembly actually means
Four or five cars in a 40ft high cube is not achieved by parking them neatly. It is achieved by taking parts off, nesting the vehicles into each other's space, and in some cases raising one car above another on a rack or on blocking.
Depending on the vehicles, that can involve any of the following:
- Wheels removed and the car lowered onto its hubs or onto blocking
- Bumpers, mirrors and spoilers removed
- Seats removed to allow another vehicle's nose to overlap
- Doors removed on the tightest loads
- Suspension compressed or the vehicle lowered to clear the roof line
Every removed part is a part that has to travel loose inside the container, be declared on the paperwork, survive the crossing, and be refitted at the other end by somebody you are paying. A bumper that cost nothing to remove in New Jersey can cost real money to source again in Lagos if it does not arrive intact.
Disassembly is normal work and we do it. We just want you to price it honestly, including the reassembly at the far end, before you decide that four beats two.
What we recommend, and what we will load
At two cars there is room between the vehicles. They are chocked and strapped with space around them, nothing touches, and a shift at sea has somewhere to go before it becomes contact.
At three and four, the vehicles are close. They are secured properly, but they are close, and a container at sea moves more than most people imagine. Contact damage on tightly loaded containers is not a freak event. It is a known outcome of a known decision.
We price three and four because the saving per car is genuine and many of our customers want it. We recommend two because we have opened a lot of containers at destination. Both of those things are true at once, and you get to choose.
The loading plan comes from you, in writing
You tell us how many vehicles go in the container and how you want them arranged. We load to your plan. That is how this works on every booking, and it needs to be in writing on the booking rather than agreed on a phone call.
Writing it down protects both sides. It fixes what was agreed before anything is loaded, it means the warehouse crew work to your instruction rather than their interpretation of it, and if anything is ever disputed, there is a document rather than two memories.
If you do not have a preference, say so and we will load to our own recommendation, which is two per 40ft high cube.
Who carries the risk when cars touch
The shipper does. You choose how many vehicles go into the container, you own the cargo, and you take the profit on it at the other end. The risk of contact damage inside a container you specified sits with you, and that is written into our booking terms.
In practice:
- Three or more vehicles in a container. No compensation for contact damage. Not reduced, not partial. None. Loading at that density is a choice to accept the risk in exchange for the lower cost per car.
- Two vehicles in a 40ft high cube. Considered case by case, and only where there is substantial evidence that the damage was caused by our loading rather than by the voyage, the vehicle's condition on arrival at our warehouse, or handling at destination.
Every claim is assessed on its own facts. There is no blanket arrangement, no standing figure, and nothing is owed simply because a vehicle arrived with a mark on it.
If the risk worries you, buy insurance before the container is loaded rather than after something happens. Speak to your own broker about what their policy does and does not cover, because cargo policies commonly exclude damage arising from how a container was packed. Read the policy before you rely on it.
Weight will stop you before space does
People plan loads by volume and then get caught by weight. A container can legally hold far more weight than a US road will allow to be hauled on a chassis, so the road limit usually bites first, and it bites before the box looks full.
Four midsize sedans are rarely a weight problem. Four full-size pickups, or two cars plus a pallet of parts, often are. If the loaded container is over the legal limit for drayage, it has to be stripped and reloaded at your cost, and the sailing is usually missed.
Send us the curb weight of each vehicle along with the year, make and model. It takes a minute and it prevents the single most expensive avoidable problem in container loading.
What does not go in the container
We ship full container loads only. That means the container is yours and you fill it with your own cargo. A few things follow from that:
- We do not take part loads, single boxes, loose items or individual small consignments.
- We do not put your cargo in a container with another customer's.
- A single engine, a single motorcycle or a few crates on their own is not a shipment we can handle. You need a full container, or a freight forwarder who consolidates loose cargo.
- Personal effects and household goods cannot be packed loose around a vehicle. Parts and spares belonging to the vehicle can travel with it when they are boxed and declared.
- Nothing undeclared, ever. Goods packed inside a vehicle and left off the paperwork are the most common cause of a customs hold anywhere in the world.
If what you are moving does not fill a container, we will tell you honestly rather than quote you for something we do not do.
How to work out your own load
Four steps, in this order:
- List the vehicles. Year, make, model and curb weight for each one. Not "three cars".
- Decide your risk appetite. Two per 40ft high cube for safety, three or four for the lowest cost per car, knowing contact damage is not compensated at three or more.
- Price both. Ask us for the cost at two and at four. The gap per car is what you are being paid to take the risk. Sometimes it is worth it and sometimes it plainly is not.
- Put the plan on the booking. In writing, before anything moves.
Send the list to info@cassandralogistics.com or message us on WhatsApp and we will come back with what fits and what each option costs.
Container loading FAQ
How many cars fit in a 40ft container?
Two comfortably, three or four with disassembly. A 40ft high cube is the usual choice because the extra height gives options a standard 40ft does not. Five is possible only with the smallest vehicles and a great deal of parts removal. We recommend a maximum of two per 40ft high cube, and we will load four if you ask for it.
How many cars fit in a 20ft container?
One. A 20ft is sized for a single vehicle and that is what it does well. If you are moving more than one car, a 40ft high cube is almost always the better value because the freight is charged on the box rather than per vehicle.
How many cars fit in a 45ft container?
Five or six, depending entirely on the sizes and weights of the vehicles and how much disassembly you are willing to pay for. Six means substantial parts removal. Send us the list of vehicles with weights and we will tell you what actually fits.
Does a pickup truck count as one car?
Not for planning purposes. A full-size pickup or a large SUV can take the space of two sedans, so two of them in a 40ft high cube is often the honest limit. Always send the year, make and model rather than a count.
Is it cheaper to put more cars in one container?
Per car, yes, and significantly so. Ocean freight is charged on the container rather than per vehicle, so four cars in one 40ft high cube cost roughly a quarter each of what one car costs. What you are buying with that saving is a tighter load and a higher chance of contact damage, which is not compensated at three or more vehicles.
What does disassembly involve?
Depending on the vehicles it can mean removing wheels, bumpers, mirrors, spoilers, seats or doors, lowering the car onto blocking, and nesting vehicles into each other's space. Every removed part travels loose inside the container, has to be declared, and has to be refitted at destination by someone you are paying. Price the reassembly before you decide that four beats two.
Can you load the cars however I want?
Yes. You give us the loading plan and we load to it. We ask for it in writing on the booking rather than agreed verbally, which protects both sides. If you have no preference we load to our own recommendation of two per 40ft high cube.
Will weight stop me before space does?
Often, yes. A container can legally hold more weight than a US road will allow on a chassis, so the road limit bites first and it bites before the box looks full. An overweight container has to be stripped and reloaded at your cost and usually misses the sailing. Send curb weights with the vehicle list.
Who is responsible if the cars damage each other in the container?
The shipper. You choose how many vehicles go in, you own the cargo and you take the profit on it, so the risk of contact damage inside a container you specified sits with you. This is set out in our booking terms.
Do you compensate for damage?
At three or more vehicles in a container, no, in any circumstances. At two vehicles in a 40ft high cube we will consider a claim case by case, and only where there is substantial evidence that the damage was caused by our loading rather than by the voyage, the vehicle's condition on arrival at our warehouse, or handling at destination. Every claim is assessed on its own facts and nothing is owed simply because a vehicle arrived marked.
Should I buy insurance?
If the risk worries you, buy it before the container is loaded rather than after something happens. Speak to your own broker about what the policy covers, because cargo policies commonly exclude damage arising from how a container was packed. Read it before you rely on it.
Why do you recommend two when you will load four?
Because both positions are honest. The saving per car at four is real and many of our customers want it. The risk at four is also real and we have opened a lot of containers at destination. We price what you ask for and we tell you what we would do.
Can I ship one engine, one motorcycle or a few boxes?
Not on its own. We ship full container loads only. We do not take part loads, loose items or single consignments, and we do not put your cargo in a container with another customer's. For a shipment that small you need a freight forwarder who consolidates loose cargo.
Can I put household goods around the cars?
No. Personal effects and household goods cannot be packed loose around a vehicle. Parts and spares belonging to the vehicle can travel with it when they are properly boxed and declared on the export filing.
Do I have to declare everything in the container?
Yes, every item. Goods packed inside a vehicle and left off the paperwork are the single most common cause of a customs hold, and the container does not move again until it is resolved at your cost.
Import rules change. The customs information on this page comes from official government sources and was accurate when published, but duties, age limits and eligibility requirements are set by the destination country and can change without notice. Cassandra Logistics is a licensed ocean carrier, not a customs authority or a legal adviser. We are not responsible for changes to foreign import law, or for decisions made by customs at destination. Always confirm current requirements with a licensed customs agent in the destination country before you buy or sell a vehicle.