{"id":3802,"date":"2025-07-24T18:00:38","date_gmt":"2025-07-24T11:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tradecorp-usa.com\/blog\/?p=3802"},"modified":"2025-08-07T16:29:43","modified_gmt":"2025-08-07T09:29:43","slug":"how-many-containers-on-a-container-ship-based-on-each-type","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tradecorp-usa.com\/blog\/how-many-containers-on-a-container-ship-based-on-each-type\/","title":{"rendered":"How Many Containers on a Container Ship Based on Each Type"},"content":{"rendered":"
How many containers on a container ship?<\/span><\/p>\n The question above may pop into your mind when you\u2019re about to ship a container.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Container ships, also often called freighters, are a vital means of transportation for the economy, specifically designed for the transportation of standard-sized containers. <\/span><\/p>\n They are available in several types and have become increasingly modern.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The carrying capacity of modern container ships varies depending on their design and tonnage and is generally measured in TEUs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n To have a better understanding of how many containers are on a container ship based on each type, find out in this article!<\/span><\/p>\n A TEU is a Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit. It is the international standard unit of measurement for container transportation capacity. <\/span><\/p>\n C<\/span>ontainers come in a variety of sizes. TEUs are used to standardize the capacity of all container types.<\/span><\/p>\n TEUs are an important indicator used by shipping companies, port authorities, and freight forwarders worldwide to measure capacity, cargo throughput, and logistics scale.<\/span><\/p>\n Depending on the size of the ship, container ships can be broadly divided into the following categories:<\/span><\/p>\n A container feeder ship is a small to medium-sized, designed to transport containers between smaller regional ports and larger hub ports, where containers are transferred to or from larger ocean-going vessels (like ULCVs).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It is called a feeding ship as it supports large shipping lines by “feeding” containers in and out of hub ports.<\/span><\/p>\n Feeder ships are a crucial part of the hub-and-spoke system in global maritime logistics. Its capacity is <1,000 TEU, with a beam that is narrower than large vessels; it fits small ports.<\/span><\/p>\n This ship is flexible and versatile as it can navigate narrower waterways and smaller ports (e.g., rivers, estuaries).<\/span><\/p>\n The Feedermax container ship has the largest capacity within the feeder segment, with a capacity of 1,000-2,000 TEU. <\/span><\/p>\n It plays a crucial role in regional and short-sea container transport, especially in connecting smaller ports to major transshipment hubs.<\/span><\/p>\n This type reduces congestion at major ports by spreading container handling regionally, while it can still enter smaller ports with draft and berth restrictions, unlike large vessels.<\/span><\/p>\n Feedermax is large enough to achieve economies of scale compared to smaller feeders. Used heavily in intra-Asia, intra-Europe, West Africa, and Caribbean routes.<\/span><\/p>\n The post-panamax ship is built to fit the original Panama Canal locks. Designed to carry larger volumes of containers on global shipping routes, the ship can accommodate 3,000-5,000 TEU.<\/span><\/p>\n These ships are part of the evolution toward larger, more efficient container vessels driven by trade growth and the need for economies of scale.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The original Panama Canal locks limited ship dimensions to length 294 m, beam 32.3 m, and draft 12.04 m. <\/span><\/p>\n Post-Panamax ships exceed these dimensions, particularly in beam, and therefore couldn’t transit the canal until it was expanded in 2016.<\/span><\/p>\n These ships paved the way for even bigger vessels like New Panamax and ULCVs, following canal and port infrastructure upgrades.<\/span><\/p>\n The new Panamax ship fits new Panama Canal locks (after 2016), revolutionized global shipping by unlocking a faster route between Asia and the U.S. East Coast via the Panama Canal.<\/span><\/p>\n This expansion allowed for much larger ships than the original canal locks could accommodate.<\/span><\/p>\n The ship can contain 10,000 – 14,000 TEU and has an efficient hull and engine optimized for fuel consumption at high loads. It can also carry 7-9 containers high above deck.<\/span><\/p>\n However, this ship can only go to deepwater ports with Post-Panamax cranes can handle them. Fully loaded transit depends on water levels in Gatun Lake.<\/span><\/p>\n The ULCV ship is used on major intercontinental routes (e.g., Asia-Europe). It is the largest class of container ship in the world, designed to carry more than 14,000 TEUs, with some exceeding 24,000 TEUs.<\/span><\/p>\n Modern ULCVs are designed with optimized hull forms and slow-steaming engines to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. However, ULCVs can only call at mega-ports with:<\/span><\/p>\n The ship requires tug assistance for port navigation. It is also slower than smaller ships due to size and energy efficiency strategies (slow steaming).<\/span><\/p>\n Knowing the ship’s dimensions is important to knowing its carrying capacity. While doing so, here are the things you need to measure:<\/span><\/p>\n The number and size of holds below deck and the area available above deck determine total container space. Meanwhile, vertical structures help stack containers securely in the holds; their arrangement impacts efficiency and capacity.<\/span><\/p>\n Containers must be arranged to keep the vessel balanced and safe, especially in rough seas. One of the things that influences the ship’s stability is the load distribution. <\/span><\/p>\n A ship might fit more containers by number (TEUs), but the total weight must not exceed safety and design limits.<\/span><\/p>\n There are SOLAS & IMO regulations, international safety regulations that impose limits on load, stack heights, visibility, and more. This can also impact the ship container\u2019s carrying capacity.<\/span><\/p>\n A larger load requires more propulsion power. Ship engines must be powerful enough to maintain desired speeds with full loads. <\/span><\/p>\n Energy efficiency considerations can lead operators to underload ships to reduce fuel consumption and emissions.<\/span><\/p>\n The maximum number of TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units) a ship can theoretically carry, assuming ideal conditions. <\/span><\/p>\n However, there is also effective capacity that may be different. It is the actual number of TEUs that can be carried, considering weight limits, cargo type, port restrictions, and loading configuration.<\/span><\/p>\n So, how many containers on a shipping container? The answer is between 500 and 24,000 containers. It depends on how large the ship is.<\/span><\/p>\n Buy or rent shipping containers from Tradecorp, a reliable container sales, purchase, rental, and modification service company. Tradecorp is here to meet your jobsite storage container needs.<\/span><\/p>\n We also provide modification and custom shipping container services by adding windows, doors, walls, and roof insulation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Our experienced staff is ready to help you arrange the shipping of your container to your requested location. Fill out our <\/span>quote form<\/span><\/a> to buy or rent from us!<\/span><\/p>\nWhat is a TEU?<\/b><\/h2>\n
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Types of Containers Available in the World<\/b><\/h2>\n

Feeder<\/b><\/h3>\n
Feedermax<\/b><\/h3>\n
Post-Panamax<\/b><\/h3>\n
New Panamax<\/b><\/h3>\n
Ultra Large Container Vessel (ULCV)<\/b><\/h3>\n
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What factors influence the carrying capacity of container ships?<\/b><\/h2>\n
1. Ship Dimensions<\/b><\/h3>\n
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2. Structural Design<\/b><\/h3>\n
3. Stability and Load Distribution<\/b><\/h3>\n
4. Regulatory Constraints<\/b><\/h3>\n
5. Engine Power and Fuel Efficiency<\/b><\/h3>\n
6. Nominal vs. Effective Capacity<\/b><\/h3>\n
Conclusion<\/b><\/h2>\n