How to Calculate Container Space Utilization
The average container ships at 65–72% volume utilization. That means you're paying for empty air.
The Two Utilization Formulas You Need
Container utilization has two dimensions — volume and weight.
Volume Utilization (%)
(Total Cargo Volume / Container Internal Volume) x 100You load 52 CBM into a 40ft HC container with 76.3 CBM capacity.
52 / 76.3 x 100 = 68.1% volume utilization
The remaining 31.9% is air you're paying freight on.
Weight Utilization (%)
(Total Cargo Weight / Container Max Payload) x 100You load 18,500 kg into a 40ft HC with 26,480 kg max payload.
18,500 / 26,480 x 100 = 69.9% weight utilization
Dense cargo may fill 40% volume but 100% weight capacity.
Effective Utilization
Your actual utilization is the LOWER of volume and weight utilization.
Container Utilization Benchmarks
How does your fill rate compare?
| Category | Typical Fill Rate | Good | Excellent |
|---|---|---|---|
The 6 Biggest Space Killers
The most common reasons forwarders leave 20–35% of container space empty.
How to Improve Your Fill Rate
Practical techniques that consistently increase utilization by 10–20 percentage points.
Stop Paying for Empty Air
Hansatic's auto-layout engine tests thousands of arrangements and finds the optimal load plan in seconds.
Try Free — No Credit CardFrequently Asked Questions
Your next load, perfectly planned.
Start free. No credit card. No install.