Shipping tools

Plan smarter shipments.

Free tools to understand Incoterms, choose a container, find a sailing and track your cargo.

Incoterms® 2020 explorer

Incoterms decide who pays for each part of the journey and where the risk passes from seller to buyer. Tap a term.

Any transport mode

Sea and inland waterway only

FOB

Free On Board

The seller clears export and pays all costs until the goods are on board the ship. The buyer books and pays the ocean freight.

Export customsSeller pays

Origin chargesSeller pays

Main freightBuyer pays

Destination chargesBuyer pays

Import customs & dutiesBuyer pays

▲ Risk passes to the buyer

Main freight booked by: Buyer
Insurance: Not required. The party at risk usually insures.
Tip: Very common when buying from Asia. You book the ocean freight: we can quote it, plus destination charges and delivery.

Shared: the seller pays up to the handover point, the buyer pays after it. A simple summary in our own words. The official Incoterms® 2020 rules are published by the ICC. Always write the term with a named place, for example "FOB Ningbo, Incoterms 2020".

Container guide

Inside sizes, door openings and payloads of the most common containers.

20' Standard

20GP · 1 TEU

Heavy cargo: tiles, stone, steel, machinery, drums.

Inside (L × W × H): 5,900 × 2,352 × 2,395 mm
Door (W × H): 2,340 × 2,292 mm
Volume: 33.2 CBM
Max payload: 28,130 kg

Source: Hapag-Lloyd

40' Standard

40GP · 2 TEU

General cargo that is not too tall.

Inside (L × W × H): 12,032 × 2,352 × 2,395 mm
Door (W × H): 2,340 × 2,292 mm
Volume: 67.7 CBM
Max payload: 28,750 kg

Source: Hapag-Lloyd

40' High Cube

40HC · 2 TEU

Light, bulky cargo: furniture and home goods. 30 cm taller than a standard 40'.

Inside (L × W × H): 12,032 × 2,350 × 2,700 mm
Door (W × H): 2,340 × 2,597 mm
Volume: 76.3 CBM
Max payload: 28,600 kg

Source: Hapag-Lloyd

45' High Cube

45HC · 2 TEU

Very light, bulky cargo. Not every route or trucker handles 45'.

Inside (L × W × H): 13,556 × 2,352 × 2,700 mm
Door (W × H): 2,340 × 2,597 mm
Volume: 86 CBM
Max payload: 27,700 kg

Source: Hapag-Lloyd

40' Reefer High Cube

40RH · 2 TEU

Temperature-controlled cargo: food, fruit, some chemicals.

Inside (L × W × H): 11,599 × 2,290 × 2,425 mm
Door (W × H): 2,290 × 2,557 mm
Volume: 67.7 CBM
Max payload: 29,580 kg

Source: Hapag-Lloyd

40' Open Top High Cube

40OT · 2 TEU

Tall cargo, or cargo loaded from above by crane. Covered with a tarpaulin.

Inside (L × W × H): 12,029 × 2,352 × 2,649 mm
Door (W × H): 2,352 × 2,570 mm
Volume: 74.9 CBM
Max payload: 28,250 kg

Source: Hapag-Lloyd

Example figures from Hapag-Lloyd. Real boxes vary by manufacturer and carrier.

Which container? Calculator

Enter the total volume, the weight, or both. We suggest the fewest containers that fit.

Total volume (CBM)

Total weight (kg)

Heavy cargo (machinery, tiles, steel, liquids)

Enter the volume, the weight, or both.

Rule of thumb for real loading: about 28 CBM in a 20', 58 in a 40', 68 in a 40'HC. Weight uses cautious road limits (20,000 kg per 20', 22,000 kg per 40'); real limits depend on the country and the trucker.

Sailing finder

Pick a port of loading and a port of discharge to see the next MSC sailings.

Try:Ningbo → Los Angeles Shanghai → New York / New Jersey Yantian (Shenzhen) → Long Beach Vung Tau → New York / New Jersey

Indicative schedule from MSC's published schedule. Subject to change. Ask us to confirm before you plan.

Track a shipment

Shipping with MGS? Sign in to the customer portal to see every shipment, its milestones and the latest ETA.

Customer portal

Every shipment with its milestones, vessel and latest ETA.

Have an MSC bill of lading or container number?

Opens MSC's public tracking page in a new tab.

Track on msc.com

For other carriers, ask us or sign in to the portal.