40HQ vs 40GP: Which Container Fits Your Production Line

The numbers that matter

• 40HQ internal: 12,032 mm long, 2,352 mm wide, 2,698 mm high. Door: 2,340 by 2,578 mm. Payload around 26,500 kg.
• 40GP internal: 12,032 mm long, 2,352 mm wide, 2,393 mm high. Door: 2,340 by 2,280 mm. Payload around 26,700 kg.
• 20GP internal: 5,898 mm long, 2,352 mm wide, 2,393 mm high. Door: 2,340 by 2,280 mm. Payload around 28,000 kg.

When the HQ earns its premium

The 305 mm of extra internal height and 298 mm of extra door height decide a surprising number of machinery loads. A machine 2.45 m tall fits a 40HQ on a 100 mm skid with clearance; the same unit does not pass the 2,280 mm door of a 40GP at all.

If your load includes any item above 2,280 mm including its skid, the GP is not an option regardless of price. Check the door height first, then the internal height for the stacked sections behind it.

When the GP is the better buy

Floor-loaded cargo that is wide and long but not tall often ships cheaper in a GP, because the HQ premium buys height you cannot use. If your tallest crate is 2.1 m, the extra 305 mm is dead air that you are paying a premium for.

The GP also keeps the load lower, which can help a top-heavy machine pass the centre of gravity height check. A 40GP with a 2,393 mm internal height gives you a 957 mm CG ceiling instead of 1,079 mm, but the load itself is shorter, so the outcome depends on the item heights rather than the box.

The 20GP question

A single heavy machine often ships better in a 20GP: higher payload, lower freight, and less empty air. The trap is assuming two 20GPs are cheaper than one 40HQ. They usually are not, once terminal handling and the second booking are counted, and a 40HQ cannot be split at destination the way two boxes can.

Test both before you quote

Run the same packing list against both container types and compare three outputs: space utilisation, CG height and axle split. The cheapest box is the one that passes all three with the least unused volume, not the one with the lowest rate on the day.